PREGNANCY
29 Weeks Pregnant: Where'd I Leave My Keys?
Your baby's brain is developing neural connections!
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
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PREGNANCY
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Bestsellers
Your baby is now between 15 and 17 inches long and is tipping the scales at 2.5 to 4 pounds. Their brain is developing neural connections, their liver is a little factory churning out lots of red blood cells, and your baby-to-be's bones are continuing to turn from soft cartilage to hard bone.
Size of baby at 29 weeks: Your baby is as big as a bottle of sriracha.
For the past several months, your baby’s weight gain was mostly from their brain, intestines, and vital organs—but now your baby-to-be is putting on a little fat. In fact, they've already popped out some chubby little cheeks! And by the time your bub is ready for their big day, they may even have Buddha-like thighs and one or two cute little belly rolls. That extra pudge is actually their life preserver.
Fat is your baby-to-be's cozy coat keeping them warm. Remember, you’re tossing your baby out of a tropical, 98.6 degree womb-world, to a room-world that is 20-30 degrees colder…brrrr! Of course, some fat will also be “burned” to keep their body warm. And, some will sustain their body and brain over the first three to seven days, until your milk comes in.
Your baby is now beginning to shed their lanugo, that layer of fine hair that’s been growing on their face, ears, and back. Some of those hairs will get swallowed up with their frequent sips of amniotic fluid and form part of their first few sticky, dark bowel movements—called meconium.
Ah…and those hiccups. It turns out the jolty syncopations that you will feel from time to time are little warm-ups their diaphragm is doing to prep for the biggest, most important job they will have the first minute after birth…breathing.
29 Weeks pregnant is approximately six months and one week.
If you’re feeling an occasional uterine cramp, of course you should check with your doctor or midwife, but don’t panic. These are probably just the famous Braxton Hicks contractions.
Just as hiccups are your baby’s rehearsal of their big, birthday job…these practice contractions are probably your womb doing some calisthenics to tone and strengthen for your big birthday job.
Most moms-to-be have Braxton Hicks, but not everyone feels or notices them. Sometimes these are brought on by dehydration, so try drinking water and putting your feet up to see if they dissipate.
If the cramping is strong, you may worry that this is the start of real labor. In general, the rule is: Braxton Hicks go away if you change position, while real contractions won’t. And real contractions tend to intensify over time, rather than go away. However, you should always call your healthcare provider if you feel cramps, just to check in and make sure everything is normal.
Braxton Hicks contractions, plus constant peeing, plus body aches (swollen hands, back strain, etc.) may have you resting not-so-easy these days. And, a new problem may emerge…pregnancy brain. Some pregnant folks start to get forgetful and spacey. This is likely due to sleep deprivation, plus the surges of hormones swirling through your body. There’s not much you can do to “fix” pregnancy brain, but you can try to get extra sleep. And, you’ll find that note-taking and list-making will become very helpful tools.
Common symptoms during your 29th week of pregnancy include:
Life is always a rich and steady time when you are waiting for something to happen or to hatch.— E.B. White
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
