29 Weeks pregnant - What to expect?

At 29 weeks, baby is starting to feel a bit crowded, and thanks to surging energy levels. By now, you’re probably getting a preview of baby’s personality by feeling him or her move. By those playful kicks and jabs, you may realize you’ve got a gentle dancer or an active ninja!

Your baby's airways are further maturing. With the little tree-like structures, the bronchioles and alveoli are increasing in number. His chances of survival if delivered premature are increasing. It’s hard for your doctor to say what position baby is in as a bony head can easily be confused with a round bottom and your baby may be so mobile, it makes it hard to say with certainty which way he is facing.

Your physical changes this week

The 3rd trimester is a time when many women notice a real shift in their body's temperature. You could find yourself having hot flashes, turning to the air conditioner, when everyone else is almost shivering. Your body’s carrying around extra weight and depending on baby’s position, he or she is putting pressure on anything and everything. Plus, your joints and ligaments are getting softer and more relaxed in preparation for delivery. Also, by now, baby's not just moving a lot, but also plumping up. And as baby continues to put pressure on your digestive system, you’re going to feel the effects: all of which is totally par for the course.

Hints of the week

• You will need a blood test around now to determine what level it is and to know if you need iron supplements. You may also need your blood group checked and an antibody screen attended. Squeeze in a few pelvic floor exercises
• Think about your muscles as a sling, supporting all those vital organs and tissues in your pelvic region. Your bladder, rectum, vagina, cervix and uterus will need all the help they can get to stay upright, well supported and secure in all their correct positions.
• Your back is at the greatest risk of strain. To counter-balance the weight and bulk which is out in your front, your back is likely to automatically sway inwards from now on. In addition, your feet will be placed further apart as you walk. This will give you the all too familiar waddle of pregnancy, something you may have sworn you'd never succumb to.