Pregnancy Week 30

Your Baby's Growth and Development

By pregnancy week 30 your baby is just about 3 pounds and may be as much as 17 inches long! Your baby continues to grow remarkably fast in the next several weeks. Your baby is working hard to fill out his or her tiny body.

By this time you have probably noticed your baby's kicks are much stronger than they were before. Many parents have a fun time hanging out and counting their baby's kicks or watching their baby's body parts glide across their belly. You may at times be surprised at how strong your little guy really is!

I know on more than one occasion later in pregnancy I would often "yelp" at the sudden impact associated with my baby's kicks. It never ceased to amaze me just how strong a baby could be, even when inside your womb!

If you are trying to figure out what body part is what, try this... round hard lumps are usually your baby's head or backside. A long flat surface... most likely your baby's back. Arms and legs are usually easier to differentiate, and tiny fists usually poke out in very small circular spots across the belly.

During the next couple of weeks the amount of amniotic fluid you are carrying around decreases a little as your baby takes up more of the space inside your uterus.

Changes In Your Body

By pregnancy week 30 your uterus climbs to about 4 inches above your belly. You are entering the home stretch of your pregnancy, with just 10 weeks (or less) to go!

Many women start experiencing a lot of fatigue around 30 weeks pregnant, in part due to increasing levels of progesterone circulating throughout their body. This is perfectly normal. You may also have more trouble getting comfortable at night. If you haven't already I suggest investing in a body pillow or two. In fact, I had two body pillows during pregnancy, so I could roll from one side to the other without hassle.

One of the best brands of pregnancy pillows I found helpful while pregnant were full body pregnancy pillows, including the Snoozer Full Body Pregnancy Pillow. This pregnancy pillow is so much more than JUST a pillow. Three years after having my baby I still use a full body pillow. These remarkable pillows help align your back. You can easily shift into a fetal-lying position and tuck parts of your pillow between your legs. You can almost lie on your back if you position your pregnancy pillow just right during pregnancy, even during the last trimester. So buy one, buy two…

know that seems a bit excessive, but my husband gladly uses one now. Don't knock what you haven't tried. Other ways of helping you remain comfortable at night? I found wearing silky pajamas helped me "glide" across the sheets a little easier.

Many women find sleeping is easiest when they try a semi-reclined or semi-upright position at night. In fact, if you have a recliner and are having trouble sleeping, you might try just snuggling up to your recliner. If nothing else it helps to alleviate heartburn (a common problem in the early evening during later pregnancy).

Pain Relief During Labor and Delivery

Around this time you might start thinking more and more about your pain relief choices during labor and delivery. You have a wealth of selections available to you.

• Natural Birth - For the brave, you can elect to give birth to your baby without any pain relief. There are many natural techniques you can employ to help facilitate a smooth labor and delivery. Breathing and medication, even hypnosis are helpful for some women who want to deliver naturally.

• Analgesics and Narcotics - These are medicines your doctor can give you through an IV during delivery. They offer temporary relief for pain but can't be administered during the last stages of labor when your pain is often the worst (because they can have effects on your baby).

• Pudendal Block - This is a medicine you can ask your doctor to inject into your vaginal wall just before you deliver, to help reduce the pain you feel in your perineum and vagina during delivery.

• Epidural - This is a common form of pain medication used by many women during delivery. A doctor will inject some anesthetic combined with a narcotic agent into your lower back in the open space called the dura. This usually takes effect in about 20 minutes and provides lasting pain relief through delivery for most women.