From week 29 till pregnancy week 30, this new baby living inside you has grown half an inch, added an extra half of a pound and has its eyes open enjoying the scenery and comfort of your womb. As a pregnant mother; you might be counting the day’s till 'D-day', but your body is also experiencing some traumatic changes. We have 10 weeks to go to reach full term – so let's find out what's going on with you and baby during the 30th week of your pregnancy.

By the time you've reached the last quarter of your pregnancy, the tiny baby living inside you is rapidly growing. It's expected that over the next six weeks, your baby will increase its weight by 100%, will begin to lose the protective layer of Lanugo hair that is keeping baby safe and replace that fine hair with body fat. The development of the brain and continued nerve development will also help baby maintain a comfortable and consistent body temperature during these final weeks of womb-living. As for you – your once tiny baby-bump has become roughly the size of a football and that added weight continues to be a struggle for you to maintain balance and equilibrium from time to time.

Baby’s Development

Babies really have it made in the shade when you think about it. They wake up each day in a cozy, warm environment, have plenty of food to eat and really don't have any responsibilities except to get fat during the 30th week of pregnancy. In fact, if you were to go into a premature labor at week 30, your baby might be a bit upset about leaving its cozy home, but with special care and a bit of help to breathe; they'd probably be just fine.

This baby now measures almost 16 inches and weighs a little less than three pounds. Their tiny lungs continue to develop and the complex development of their brain rapidly expands each second. In fact, during week 30, it's common for the fetal brain to start developing those trademark 'brain wrinkles' that make them look just like our brains. Their bone marrow is starting to create red blood cells to allow them to get stronger and it's likely that they will start thinking about heading south in preparation for their birthday travel plans.

Mother’s Development

For mommies in week 30, it's pretty much the same song and dance you've dealt with since the second trimester started about 15 weeks ago. You'll experience the typical back and muscle pain, hot and cold spells, frequent desire to urinate and never seem to be able to drink enough water. There are many reasons for the water thing – but according to most doctors, it's an increase in blood sugar or the onset of temporary symptoms that diabetics deal with daily. This is a phase that many pregnant mothers simply 'deal' with and should pass after childbirth.

Fun Facts

As with every week that nears the delivery date, making sure you are prepared to have a smooth and stress free (as possible) delivery should be a focal point. However, the reality exists that having help with the planning and activation of the childbirth checklist is very helpful. This is a great time to pull the delegation card mommy - by 'empowering' your partner or others in your family or network to help with some of the planning. You can start by making a checklist and asking others to help you pack items or get things ready. You will quickly discover that many people involved with this new baby are more than happy to help – they sometimes just need a boss to dictate some direction. Be that boss mom!