Week 29 of Your Pregnancy

At 29 weeks pregnant, you are in your seventh month and you have sixty to seventy days left before your baby arrives. Your baby is continuing to gain weight with added fat and muscle, and they're also busily strengthening their little bones. Meanwhile, you may be feeling extra tired, and your provider may advise you to increase your iron and calcium intake.

Your Baby's Development at 29 Weeks

At 29 weeks, a baby is almost 10 1/2 inches (26.4 centimeters) from the top of their head to the bottom of their buttocks (known as the crown-rump length), and baby's height is about 14 3/4 inches (37.5 centimeters) from the top of their head to their heel (crown-heel length). This week, the baby weighs almost 48 ounces or 3 pounds (1,350 grams).

Developments

• From now until term, baby is continuing to add fat and muscle.
• Baby's skin is also maturing and getting thicker.
• The amount of lanugo (fine hair) covering baby's body has peaked and will now begin to fall out.

Bones

The main growth of baby's bones happens from the second trimester onward. Baby will increase their intake of calcium during the third trimester as their bones get harder and stronger.

Survival Outside the Womb

A baby born at 29 weeks is very preterm. Babies need special care in the NICU and will have to stay in the hospital for many weeks, but the chances of survival at 29 weeks are about 94%.

Explore a few of your baby's week 29 milestones in this interactive experience.

Your Common Symptoms This Week

For many, the third trimester comes with some unwelcome symptoms. It's normal to begin experiencing more Braxton Hicks contractions, leg cramps, heartburn, and even nasal congestion, but you may also notice that you're a little extra tired and that your feet are looking and feeling a little different.

Return of Fatigue

Remember that first-trimester exhaustion? You may have experienced some extra energy during the second trimester, but the third trimester often brings back some of those pesky early pregnancy symptoms including fatigue.

Foot Changes

Mild swelling of the feet and ankles during pregnancy is common. But, that is not all that might be going on with your feet. Studies show that pregnancy can make your feet wider and longer. Unfortunately, this tends to be one of those changes that stick around after you give birth, so you may end up wearing a bigger shoe size from now on.

Self-Care Tips

The return of fatigue can be especially troublesome as you get closer to baby's due date. You may be feeling extra pressure at work to keep up productivity before your leave or perhaps your before baby "to-do" list just doesn't seem to be getting any shorter. While you'll need to find some balance, there are ways to help combat tiredness and ensure that both you and baby are getting what you need.

Dealing With Fatigue

If you're feeling tired and worn-out this week, you're not alone. But, unlike during the first trimester when your pregnancy wasn't visible to others and you may have been keeping it under wraps, your friends, family, and strangers are now in on the news. It may be easier to ask for and receive a little help. Here are some tips to combat fatigue:

• Try to rest during the day or take a nap if you can.
• Stick to a consistent sleep routine by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.
• Eat nutritious meals that include foods high in iron.
• Get a little daily exercise.
• Ask friends and family for help with other children or responsibilities.
• Avoid caffeine.
• Talk to your doctor about testing for iron deficiency anemia, which can cause fatigue.

Get Your Calcium

Eating a healthy and balanced diet throughout pregnancy is important, and it remains so even in the home stretch. In fact, right now, roughly 250 milligrams of your dietary calcium is being deposited directly into your baby’s developing bones—and this continues throughout the rest of your pregnancy. Baby also needs calcium to help with the development of their teeth, heart, nerves, and muscles.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women aged 19 and older get 1,000mg of calcium each day. The thing is, when you don’t have enough calcium in your diet to fulfill this need, your baby will get the calcium they need by taking it from your bones. Inadequate calcium can increase your risk for pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure) and preterm birth.

Aim for at least three servings of calcium-rich food a day, such as:

• Plain low-fat yogurt (8 ounces, 415mg)
• Fortified orange juice (8 ounces, 349mg)
• Sardines, canned with bones (3 ounces, 325mg)
• Skim, low-fat, or whole milk (8 ounces, 275–300mg)
• Fortified soy milk (8 ounces, 299mg)
• Tofu, firm (4 ounces, 253mg)
• Bok choy, raw (1 cup, 74mg)
• Dried figs (2 figs, 65mg)
• Broccoli, raw (1/2 cup, 21mg)

Advice for Partners

Chances are your pregnant partner has been busy researching and mulling over exactly how they'd like to handle labor and delivery. At the same time, you should be discussing your role in the process, aiming to answer questions like:

• Will you act as your partner's main source of labor support?
• Do you think a doula might be a helpful addition to the support team?
• Are you squeamish and unsure if you can handle witnessing the delivery? (Discuss this with your partner and their doctor; the hospital or birthing center may be able to suggest options that make you more comfortable.)
• What are the ins and outs of the birth plan? What's most important to the birthing parent??
• How will you act as your partner’s advocate?
• How might your partner like to beat boredom if they find themself in labor for a long period?
• What are the ground rules for “we’re in labor” and “the baby is here” texting, calling, photo-taking, and social media-posting?
• Should you help welcome or (politely) turn away visitors at the hospital or in the days right after the baby comes home?

Special Considerations

Your body needs iron to make hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen through your body. When you don't have enough healthy blood cells carrying oxygen through your body, it's called anemia.

Anemia

During the second trimester, the amount of blood in your body increases by 45%. And, in the third trimester, your baby needs more iron and takes it from you. So, as you go into your third trimester, you may end up with low iron.

Anemia can lead to symptoms such as:

• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Palpitations
• Shortness of breath

If you're experiencing symptoms of anemia, tell your doctor. Your doctor may order a blood test to confirm. Treatment for anemia during pregnancy is simple and usually includes taking an iron supplement in addition to your prenatal vitamin.

A Word From Verywell

You may have benefited from some extra energy during your second trimester, but many start to feel the need to slow down again in their third trimester. As both you and baby continue to grow, be sure to take the time to balance your responsibilities with much-needed self-care.