Week 30: Your pregnancy
Your baby’s growth: Hiccups!
Your baby has probably reached 3 pounds and about 14 inches in length. She’s also filling out a bit as she continues to gain weight, and these layers of fat help her to appear less wrinkled.
As practice for breathing after birth, your baby mimics breathing movements by repeatedly moving her diaphragm in a rhythmic way. This can trigger hiccups if she inadvertently inhales amniotic fluid. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid now surrounds your baby, but that volume decreases as she gets bigger and has less room in your uterus.
Here's what else is happening this week:
- Head. Your baby’s head continues to grow, and brain growth speeds up even more.
- Hearing. It’s improving; nearly all babies can react by movement to sound by this week.
What’s happening with you
- Weight gain. At this point you should be gaining about a pound a week. Since the average weight gain during pregnancy ranges from 25 to 30 pounds, you may still have about 5 pounds to go.
- Vivid dreams. By now you might be dreaming more vividly. These dreams may be related to your concerns about the new baby, your parenting ability (especially if this is your first child), and how life will be changing for your family. It's also normal to have recurrent dreams about childbirth or unexpected experiences with your baby.
- Trouble sleeping. If you're finding it hard to sleep at night, try taking a catnap during the day to make up for it. If you work during the day, find a break room or safe, quiet place where you can get a little rest.