Pregnancy weeks: 29

How your baby's growing

Baby's brain is growing rapidly, and the head is getting longer to accommodate it. Baby’s weight now is around 2.5 pounds / 1.1 kilograms and measures about 15 inches / 38 centimetres from head to toe. Nearly all babies react to sound by 30 weeks. If you're having a boy, his testicles are moving from their location near the kidneys through the groin en route to the scrotum. If you're having a girl, her clitoris is relatively prominent because her still small labia don't yet cover it. That will happen in the last few weeks before birth.

Baby's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. While the baby may soon slow up growing in length (he / she measures about 15.7 inches / 40 centimetres from crown to toe by now), he will continue to gain weight until he's born.

This week my baby continues to open and shut his / her eyes. He / she can probably see what's going on in uterus, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source. If I’d shine a light on my stomach, my baby may move his / her head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow. Some researchers think baring your stomach to light stimulates visual development. But don't expect 20/20 vision when your baby is born - newborns can see a distance of only about 8 to 12 inches / 20 to 30 centimetres. (Children with normal vision don't reach 20/20 vision until about age 7 to 9.) To complete the picture, your baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes.

A pint and a half / around a litre of amniotic fluid now surrounds the baby but that volume decreases as he / she gets bigger and has less room in the uterus. As you and the baby continue to grow, don't be alarmed if you feel breathless, as if you can't get enough air; it's just your uterus pressing against your diaphragm. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. At about 34 weeks (or just before birth, if this is your second or third pregnancy), your baby's head will move down into your pelvis as the baby gets into the right position for birth. That will make breathing and eating a lot easier.

Your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during the third trimester. You'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid, iron and calcium (about 200 milligrams is deposited in your baby's skeleton every day), so eat foods rich in these nutrients. The skeleton hardens even more and the brain, muscles and lungs continue to mature. So let’s take a look at the eating well guide to make sure you are getting the right minerals and vitamins.

Eating in the last trimester

In the last trimester, I am now officially allowed an extra 200 calories a day to match my baby's growth spurt. But try to resist eating too many cakes, sweets and fast food snacks. Two hundred calories is less than I could think - it's the equivalent of two slices of wholemeal toast and margarine or butter, a jacket potato with an ounce of cheese, or one slice of cheese on toast.

Coping with heartburn

As my pregnancy progresses, heartburn becomes all too common. It's caused by both hormonal and physical changes in the body. Though I’d may not be able get rid of it completely, I’ve taken some steps to minimise it by cutting out rich or spicy dishes, chocolate, citrus fruits, alcohol and coffee. Eat small, frequent meals, take small mouthfuls and chew your food well.

Vegetarian and pregnant

If you are vegetarian, you should take extra care to ensure you have an adequate intake of two nutrients that are particularly important during pregnancy - iron and calcium. Good sources of iron for vegetarians include fortified breakfast cereals (check the packet), tofu, wholegrain bread, dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, pulses, dried fruits and even plain chocolate.

Vegetarian sources of calcium are found in dairy products, chickpeas, kidney beans and baked beans, sesame seeds and almonds, plus fortified soya products. Generally speaking, calcium is not as well absorbed from non-dairy foods so, if you do not eat dairy foods, it may be a good idea to take a supplement.

Lunch: pitta bread with lamb's lettuce, Gruyère and grapes

Ingredients

1 large wholemeal pitta bread

1 handful lamb's lettuce or similar salad leaves, washed

50g grapes, halved

30g Gruyère cheese, sliced

balsamic vinegar, to serve

Method

Warm the pitta bread in a toaster or grill and slice open. Stuff it with the lamb's lettuce, grapes and gruyere. Drizzle over the balsamic vinegar and serve at once, with a fresh smoothie for added vitamin C.

Snack: strawberry milkshake

Making your own milkshake with fresh fruits is a delicious way to get calcium. Try this one with strawberries for a dose of calcium and vitamin C.

Ingredients

100g fresh strawberries, washed and hulled

150ml semi-skimmed milk

1 tsp sugar

Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve at once.

Dinner: creamy chickpea curry

This is a mild and creamy curry which is unlikely to upset your stomach. You may be surprised to learn that curry powder also contains some iron.

Ingredients

1 tbsp rapeseed or sunflower oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

2.5cm fresh ginger root, grated

2-3 tsp mild or medium curry powder

6 cauliflower florets, washed and halved

50g French beans, trimmed and halved

200g carrots cut into chunks

400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

400ml can light or reduced-fat coconut milk

1 tbsp chopped coriander

Method

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the ginger and curry powder and cook for a minute, stirring all the time to prevent sticking. Add a little water if necessary.

Add the cauliflower, beans, and carrots and stir to coat with the spices. Finally add the chick peas and coconut milk, stir, cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Just before serving, add the chopped coriander. Serve the curry with plenty of rice and a glass of pomegranate juice.

How your life's changing

My appetite increases (am I??even before pregnancy I’ve ate a lot) to match my baby's third trimester growth spurt. I have to make sure I’ve got enough of iron, which helps my baby make red blood cells. Iron supplements can make me constipated so it's a good idea to try to boost my iron intake first by including sources such as meat, leafy greens, and fortified cereal in the diet along with fibre-rich foods to help things move along smoothly.

If you haven't already adapted your exercise regime, now is a good time to introduce some activities to help your body to stretch and open up ready for the birth. Why not try to find a yoga class specifically for pregnant women? Not only will it help you to breathe deeply, but the instructor will show you stretch which may help you get into and maintain comfortable positions in labour. Even the occasional stretch and wiggle can help you avoid pregnancy niggles such as leg cramps - so get moving and stretching!

Pregnancy tip: have fun while you still can

"Banish the pregnancy blues by enjoying your last weeks of pre-baby freedom. Go to a film, have a facial or a romantic dinner - do all the things you may not have time for once your baby is here." - Bethany B.