29 Weeks Pregnant - What's Going On? Fetal Development, Sensations

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-15 09:49

29 weeks pregnant

The 29th week of pregnancy marks the beginning of the eighth month. We are talking specifically about obstetric months, which consist of exactly 28 days. Therefore, there are still 3 obstetric months left until the end of pregnancy.

Content:

• Fetal development at 29 weeks gestation
• Feelings at the 29th week of pregnancy
• Causes of pain
• What happens to the stomach
• Discharge at 29 weeks gestation
• Intimate life
• What tests do I need to take at week 29?
• Do I need to undergo an ultrasound at the 29th week of pregnancy?
• Food
• Weight
• Can labor start at 29 weeks pregnant?
• What can happen at week 29?
• Advice
• Answers to questions about the 29th week of pregnancy

Fetal development at 29 weeks gestation

The child at this time continues to actively prepare for birth. He starts the work of his own immunity. Thermoregulation processes are being honed.

• At this time, the baby's blood has a constant composition. The bone marrow fully copes with its functions.
• The digestive system will already be able to digest breast milk.
• The kidneys are active. Every day they distill 500 ml of water, which is excreted into the amniotic fluid.
• The child continues to swallow amniotic fluid, but now it enters the stomach not only through the mouth, but also through the nasal passages. The plugs that previously blocked them have resolved.
• The kid is already able to distinguish smells. It reacts actively to light and sound.
• The child learns to focus his gaze.
• The appearance of the fetus continues to undergo significant changes. His skin gradually becomes smoother, the original lubricant and fluff go away. Just a little more and the first fat folds will begin to appear in the child.
• The genitals continue to develop, but at the same time they are already practically formed.
• All the baby's teeth are still inside the gums, but at this time they begin to become covered with enamel.
• Internal organs begin to work in the system. The child's heart beats hard enough, you can listen to it without any problems using a phonendoscope.
• Every day the child increases his weight and height. His body weight is about 1200 g, and his height is approaching 38 cm.
• The muscles and ligaments of the crumbs get stronger, which makes the child stronger. It is for this reason that it can be pushed quite tangibly from the inside.

There is not much room in the stomach to make active movements, so the baby will no longer be able to perform full-fledged somersaults.

Feelings at the 29th week of pregnancy

Many women note that starting from the 29th week of pregnancy, there are changes in the nature of movements. They become stronger, so they are felt more clearly. In addition, the child begins to kick more, but roll over less. All this is quite understandable, because there is very little space left inside.

As the uterus grows, it begins to press on the internal organs. This leads to constipation, bloating, belching, heartburn. At the same time, a woman may experience breathing problems for the first time, as the uterus begins to prop up the diaphragm. Therefore, you should not be surprised at a slight shortness of breath and lack of air, especially when performing active movements.

Many women report that they periodically experience a feeling of heat or hot flashes throughout the body. This is due to the fact that the load on the heart has increased significantly, as well as the metabolism has accelerated. Therefore, sweating becomes more intense. You should shower more frequently to avoid unpleasant odors.

A woman is becoming more and more clumsy every day, so she needs to be especially careful. Avoid sudden lifts, turns, and other movements. A displaced center of gravity can make itself felt even when performing the most familiar activities.

Dizziness is often observed at 29 weeks of gestation, and sometimes fainting may even occur. This is often associated with a drop in blood pressure and iron deficiency anemia.

It is possible that the usual positions for a night's rest may now seem uncomfortable. To avoid discomfort, sleep pillows can be used. This will make it deeper and more complete.

The woman begins to get tired more and more, so you need to try to find yourself time for naps. If this is not possible, then you just need to take short breaks, during which you should put your feet on some kind of hill, take foot baths, and do massage. You shouldn't spend a lot of time sitting or standing, you can't walk a lot. It is imperative to involve relatives and friends in household chores. If suddenly the state of health worsens, and rest does not help to normalize it, then you should visit a doctor or call a doctor at home.

Causes of pain

As the gestation period increases, the discomfort that worried the woman earlier can turn into pain. This is not surprising, because every week the weight continues to increase. This puts additional stress on the lower extremities, on the back, on the lower back, on the spinal column, on the sacral region. A prenatal bandage helps to remove it. In addition, it allows you to maintain posture and relieve a person's condition.

Often the legs of pregnant women hurt not only from the increased load on them, but also from the lack of calcium in the body.

The cause of headaches can be low blood pressure, or a long break between meals. Iron deficiency anemia can also lead to headaches.

A woman should carefully listen to her feelings, because they are able to say a lot. So, back pain can be a physiological phenomenon, but if they occur against the background of painful urination, then this may already indicate diseases of the genitourinary sphere.

Pain in the anal area most often indicates an inflamed hemorrhoid. This condition cannot be ignored. Hemorrhoids need to be treated immediately, especially since in the initial stages it is not at all difficult to do this.

The pelvic bones at 29 weeks of gestation continue to slowly diverge, thus the body prepares for the upcoming birth. Naturally, this will cause discomfort in the pelvic area. But severe pain should not occur.

If palpable pains appear in the pubic area and in the perineum, and the gait has become like a "duck" one, you need to inform the doctor about it. It is possible that a woman develops symphysitis.

Of course, most of all a woman is worried about painful sensations in the abdomen. It is possible that they are caused by banal indigestion or too intense movements of the baby. However, you should be wary if the pain is sharp, occurs in the lower abdomen and tends to intensify. In this case, it is necessary to urgently call an ambulance. Moreover, one should not hesitate when bloody discharge or an increase in body temperature occurs.

What happens to the stomach

The belly continues to grow in size as the baby grows and develops. The skin on the abdomen becomes more and more taut, which can lead to a feeling of dryness and itching. To reduce the discomfort, you need to moisturize it regularly. To do this, you can use a regular cream, or a special gel or milk. Various oils help to cope well with dry skin.

Sometimes itching in the abdomen is caused by completely different reasons that are not related to pregnancy. For example, the skin may itch due to exposure to an allergen (washing powder, food, cosmetics, etc.). In this case, you should try to independently determine the cause of the allergic reaction and try to get rid of the irritant. If this is not possible, you must contact a specialist.

Sometimes women are surprised to observe the rhythmic tremors of the abdomen. Do not be alarmed, they are due to the fact that the child hiccups. As a rule, hiccups do not last long.

Periodically, a woman may feel mild pain in the abdomen, proceeding in the form of contractions. Thus, the uterus is prepared for the upcoming birth, and the contractions themselves are training. You just need to lie on your side and rest, after which everything will pass.

Discharge at 29 weeks gestation

The discharge at the 29th week of pregnancy should not differ from the discharge that is always present in a woman. This means that they should be milky or whitish in color, normally, they lack mucus, foam and other inclusions. The discharge should be odorless or slightly sour. Any deviations from this norm should alert the woman.

• The appearance of liquid, colorless discharge with a sweetish odor indicates water leakage. They can be allocated in small portions, or poured out in large quantities. In this case, you cannot hesitate to see a doctor, you must immediately seek qualified medical help. Moreover, a one-time outpouring of amniotic fluid is a sign that labor will soon begin, and their portioned leakage indicates a thinning of the placenta. In any case, the woman needs hospitalization.
• The appearance of cheesy lumps, mucus in the secretions, or a change in their color to yellow, green or gray, indicates an infection. You need to get rid of it as quickly as possible.
• If there is blood in the discharge, then you need to call an ambulance. Most likely, the woman has begun to placental abruption, or there is a threat of premature birth.
• It is important to understand that hemorrhoids or anal fissures can be a source of bloody discharge. Of course, they require special treatment, but it is not urgent.

Often during this period, a woman finds smudges on her bra. This is the first colostrum. You cannot try to squeeze it out, you can only wipe it or blot it.

Doctors strongly recommend that women at such a late stage of pregnancy do not change their sexual partners in order to minimize all possible risks of infection.

Intimate life

Sex and 29 weeks of pregnancy are completely compatible concepts, provided that there are no contraindications. In this case, it is nevertheless necessary to observe a number of precautions. For example, you need to avoid pressure on the stomach, give up uncomfortable positions, do not make too abrupt movements, and do not allow deep penetration. The optimal position is considered to be in which the man is behind the woman.

Otherwise, there are no obstacles to intimacy. Moreover, thanks to sex, a woman's mood rises, emotional stress goes away. If any doubts remain, then you need to consult a doctor about this.

What tests do I need to take at week 29?

At the 29th week of pregnancy, a woman will need to donate blood and urine for a general analysis. The doctor will have to visit more often - 1 time in 14 days. During the appointment, the doctor measures the abdominal circumference, the height of the uterine fundus, and blood pressure. It is important to find out if the woman has signs of iron deficiency anemia, if any, then blood is additionally taken for a clinical analysis, which will be able to assess the level of hemoglobin in the blood. The woman's urine should be clean, and there should be no protein in it.

If there are indications, the doctor prescribes additional tests, for example, takes blood for sugar, hCG, progesterone, etc. When the pregnancy is going well, the doctor is limited to standard prescriptions.

It is worth preparing for the fact that next week it will be necessary to visit the ophthalmologist, cardiologist and therapist again. The gynecologist will definitely take a smear and culture for microbiological examination. It is possible that he will do this at the 29th week of pregnancy. In addition, at the reception, the doctor can give a recommendation regarding the calculation of fetal movements. This will once again make sure that the child is doing well.

Do I need to undergo an ultrasound at the 29th week of pregnancy?

As a rule, ultrasound is not prescribed for this period. The doctor can send a woman for an ultrasound examination only if there is a suspicion of any health problems of the mother or the future newborn. The most common indication for an ultrasound scan is the risk of premature birth. It is possible that the doctor will recommend a woman to put a pessary, for which it is necessary to know such a parameter as the length of the cervix.

An ultrasound scan conducted at the 29th week of pregnancy will make it possible to establish the sex of the child with a high degree of probability. In addition, such parameters as the work of his heart, his physical activity, etc., will be available for study. Normally, the baby's heart rate is 130-140 beats per minute.

Food

The course of her pregnancy and the health of the child depend on how competently the woman's diet is built. Every day, the body of the crumbs requires a lot of calcium (about 250 mg). Moreover, the fetus will surely "take" it, if not from the incoming food, then from the internal reserves of the women themselves. Therefore, they must be replenished. The best absorbed is the calcium that enters the body not in the form of artificial additives, but with food, and with food of plant origin. Otherwise, it can lead to premature ossification of the skull, which will cause certain problems during childbirth.

It is imperative that a woman's body should receive enough protein, since the child needs it to gain his own muscle mass. If for some reason the expectant mother denies herself meat dishes, then she should receive calcium from plant foods.

A properly constructed diet will help to avoid digestive problems, and sufficient fiber intake will make it possible to prevent the development of constipation and hemorrhoids. The maximum amount of fiber is found in vegetables and fruits, so they should be present on the table every day.

Do not overload your stomach by eating too large portions. It is best to remove fried foods from your menu altogether. The same goes for salt - it needs to be limited. Thus, the risk of edema will be minimized.

Interestingly, women were previously recommended to adhere to a lean menu, starting from the third trimester of pregnancy. At the moment this is not practiced, however, the total calorie content of portions should be reduced by limiting flour dishes, smoked meats, and confectionery.

Do not forget about a sufficient intake of iron. Its reserves can be replenished with beets, spinach, oatmeal, buckwheat, tongue, liver. Contrary to popular belief, chocolate does not help against anemia, but it can add extra pounds.

Weight

Weight control should be regular. The average gain per day is about 50 g, that is, a woman should gain about 350 g per week. If we consider the weight gain since the beginning of pregnancy, then it should be about 10 kg, but not more than 11.5 kg. When this mark is much higher, it is necessary to start following a diet, but the doctor must choose it.

Can labor start at 29 weeks pregnant?

Childbirth, which manifests at the 29th week of pregnancy, will be considered premature, since there are still 3 months before them. However, if they begin, then you should calm down and immediately call an ambulance. Sometimes labor can be induced artificially, if there is evidence for this.

The baby is born prematurely at this time and requires connection to special equipment. However, the fetus is already quite viable, and thanks to the qualified help of doctors, the child will continue to grow and develop normally in the future. Although the light crumbs have not yet fully formed, the bronchioles and the alveolar apparatus are already quite developed. A surfactant began to appear in them, which will allow the lungs to be straightened during inhalation.

What can happen at week 29?

• The woman begins to go to the toilet more often to empty the bladder. This is due to increased pressure on him.
• As the uterus continues to grow, it may press on the diaphragm. Therefore, sometimes a woman has breathing problems.
• At this time, a new cause of miscarriage may arise - this is the immune incompatibility of the parents.
• The risk of injury to a woman increases, which is due to a shift in the usual center of gravity.
• Vaginal bleeding is a dangerous signal. In this case, you must immediately call the ambulance team.

Advice

• Rest should be complete.
• You should not give up taking vitamins if prescribed by a doctor.
• It is important to monitor your weight gain daily. If the increase is more than 350 g per week, then you should start worrying.
• To minimize the risk of injury, as well as to relieve stress on the legs, it is necessary to avoid wearing high-heeled shoes.
• As far as possible, you need to do simple exercises. They will strengthen your muscles and prepare them for the upcoming birth.
• During rest, you should try not to lie on your back. This will prevent the vena cava from being pinched and will allow the baby to get enough oxygen.
• To prevent sagging of the abdomen, doctors recommend wearing a special prenatal bandage. It also relieves stress on the lower back and prevents stretch marks.
• If possible, then you must definitely visit the pool. During swimming, all muscles are strengthened, while the back does not experience stress.
• The elimination of any digestive problems must be timely. This applies to constipation, heartburn, hemorrhoids. But self-medication during pregnancy is not permissible.
• When the child is kicking too actively, you can try to change the position of the body. It is possible that this will allow to calm down the brawler.

Answers to questions about the 29th week of pregnancy

At the 29th week of pregnancy, I began to experience severe pain in the right and left side, which are associated with the active movements of the baby. How can they be reduced? The pain that a woman experiences during fetal movements is quite normal. The fact is that less and less space remains in the uterus, and the muscle strength of the crumbs is constantly increasing. As for the recommendations, the woman needs to rest as much as possible, and taking the most comfortable body position. Some expectant mothers note that the baby calms down after she gets into a knee-elbow position for a few minutes. Thus, it is possible to reduce the pressure of the uterus on the internal organs.

Also, pain during fetal movements can be caused by an increased tone of the uterus. In this case, it is necessary for the woman to be examined by a doctor. There are special medicines to reduce the tone of the uterus.

• Why does my belly stay small even though I'm already 29 weeks pregnant? The small size of the abdomen can be associated with the individual characteristics of the structure of the woman's body. As a rule, those mothers who have a wide pelvis and small stature have a small belly. As pathological causes of a small abdomen, one can name lack of water and fetal underdevelopment.
• I have an increased uterine tone. What loads are acceptable for me? You are strictly prohibited from lifting heavy objects or performing intense physical exercise. It is recommended to rest as much as possible, walk at a slow pace, and practice in the pool. It is important to listen to your body, it will definitely tell you when the load needs to be reduced.
• Are colds dangerous at the 29th week of pregnancy? A slight cold should not harm either the woman or the child. It is only important not to self-medicate. All medications must be prescribed by a doctor.

The author of the article: Lapikova Valentina Vladimirovna | Gynecologist, reproductologist

Education: Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development (2010). In 2013 completed postgraduate studies at N. N. N. I. Pirogova.