30 Weeks Pregnant – What to Expect Your 30th Week of Pregnancy

by Claire October 15, 2015, 4:30 am 2k Views 43 Comments

Your baby bump is growing, and so is your babys brain!

The author of What To Expect When You’re Expecting,Heidi Murkoff, takes you through Week 30 of your preganancy. What and listen as Heidi walks you through this amazing week of pregnancy
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Big changes are underway in your baby’s watery world this week. At about 3 pounds and still about 16 inches long, your little chick is starting to look more like a cherub as she continues plumping up. She’ll be piling on weight at the rate of about a half-pound a week from here on out.

Remember the lanugo, the downy blanket of body hair she’s been wearing for warmth? Now that your little one’s got more fat to keep her toasty, she’s able to start shedding her fuzz, which means your bear will no longer be fuzzy wuzzy by the time she arrives. Other cuter pursuits on the agenda: Growing thicker eyelashes, eyebrows, and hair on her head – that is, unless she’s destined to be a beautiful baldy.

But perhaps the biggest bulletin comes from your baby’s brain, which is getting ready to kick up its capacity. Once smooth, it’s now forming channels and creases, creating more brain tissue with greater surface area. Without this new topography, that neonatal noodle would become enormous, and of course, so would your baby’s head. The result: a top-heavy baby unable to fit through the birth canal. Ouch!

The creases and indentations also allow for future expansion of brain tissue that’s crucial as your baby goes from helpless newborn to responsive infant to verbal toddler to curious preschooler and beyond.

Another big change this week: Baby’s bone marrow has stepped up to the plate, taking over the job of producing red blood cells from the pinch hitters, the spleen and tissue groups. These red blood cells are critical because they transport oxygen and remove waste. With their help, your baby begins prepping for the future, by storing iron, calcium, and phosphorus in those tiny cells.

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Written by Claire

Claire is our Community Manager here at New Moms Forum. A mom of two (almost grown-up babies), Claire has been building and operating community-based websites for almost 20 years. In her downtime, Claire enjoys spending time with her family and drinking copious amounts of red wine!