30-Week Pregnant: Development and Diet

WEEK 30 DEVELOPMENT

A few weeks ago, you greeted the first movements of your little darling with delight. Now your child’s gymnastics can sometimes feel less than lovely: your uterus has now grown so much that when he pushes against your ribs with a violent movement, it can hurt.

Ooh, what was that? Felt a movement that didn’t feel like his usual kicking? Your child might have the hiccups. It can happen if he swallows too large a mouthful of amniotic fluid. You can feel this as well as hear it. Should you be worried? Not at all, this could be related to how your child trains his breathing movements. This week, if you are having a boy, his testes are descending into his scrotum. Your child’s eyes can now respond to light, and low frequencies of certain music or familiar voices, can trigger movements or increased heart rate, visible on ultrasound.

NUTRITION

Food provides the nutrients that you and your child need, and the calories that your child needs to grow. Remember that you do need more calories during your last trimester (about 450 more than you ate before you were pregnant, if you started your pregnancy at a healthy weight). These additional calories can be met with extra servings of foods from your regular meals, or with an additional snack. What does 450 calories look like? A cheese and snack plate of: 3 whole grain crackers, 2 slices cheese (60 g), 1 small apple, and ½ of an avocado add up to about 450 calories.

TIPS

If you work, you may soon be on prenatal leave, if not already. Enjoy the change of pace! If you are remaining at work until the big day of delivery, and your work requires a lot of time in front of a computer, you’ve probably wondered if it is safe for your little one’s development. The radiation from computer screens does not affect the foetus or the mother. Studies have shown that there is no additional risk of miscarriage or any other problems during pregnancy due to screen time. Another item to cross off your stress list!