Week 29 of Your Pregnancy
Baby’s Development
A great deal is happening inside you this week. Whereas most of her organs are complete, her brain, muscles and lungs still have some work to do! Your baby’s head is getting larger by the day as her brain grows swiftly within. Her liver and pancreas get a long needed break when her bone marrow completely takes over in the production of red blood cells. Her skeleton is hardening even more and she can actually regulate her own body temperature as yours goes up and down.
If you are expecting a boy, his testicles will finally descend from where they’ve nestled by his kidneys, through his pelvis and toward his scrotum. If a little girl is growing inside, her clitoris will become quite pronounced, as her tiny labia have not grown enough to cover it.
It may be somewhat disturbing for you to know that your baby is currently urinating up to a half liter a day. This urine goes into the amniotic fluid and is eventually re-digested into your baby. The elegance of this system is that your baby will take the water it needs from the urine and process the rest; forming the tarry meconium your little one will expel after birth.
Your Body and Emotions
Welcome to your third trimester! Now, more than ever you need to take the time to pamper yourself. These upcoming weeks are your last as a ‘single woman’ and although you may not appreciate it now, you need to enjoy these last solitary moments.
Many women find the third trimester to be just as difficult, if not more so than the first. The energy and ‘glow’ you felt in the last three months will slowly but surely disappear as your body begins to show the strain of pregnancy. Your appetite will decrease and your emotions begin to swing like a pendulum once again. Without a doubt, hormones can be blamed for your extreme highs and lows, but other factors are in play as well. As your due date approaches, you may begin to feel anxiety that only increases as the weeks go by. Many issues start to crop up as your get closer to becoming a parent. What kind of mother will I be? What if I can’t look after my baby? What if I hate being a mom and don’t enjoy my baby? These are all normal concerns and the lack of sleep that starts to settle in as this trimester progresses can make these concerns seem insurmountable.
The best solution? Talk them out. Now more than ever, you need to communicate clearly with your partner and friends about what you’re feeling. Pregnancy is tiring, especially the last weeks, and you shouldn’t feel ashamed about voicing your fears and letting loose a few tears or two.
Dad’s Tips
You may find that the third trimester goes faster than all the rest and as the due date approaches, it’s time to start thinking of practical matters. Your partner will probably benefit from having you home for a few days after the baby comes home. It’s a big adjustment for the family and she’ll need you there for emotional and physical support. See if you can bunch sick days and vacation time together to enjoy a few days postpartum to help out around the house and be sure her postpartum recovery is smooth. You may also want to look into any parental leave that might be offered through your union or through the government so that you won’t miss out on any salary in those days of absence. If you simply can’t afford to take the time off, perhaps it’s time to rely on family. Your mother or hers might be willing to take some time to come be with your partner and the new baby while you’re away just to give you peace of mind. Most new grandmothers are more than willing to spend time with a new baby if asked! |
