- Preparing for Pregnancy
- Diet and Exercise
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Health
- Antenatal Care
- Preganancy at 1-3 Weeks
- Preganancy at 4 Weeks
- Preganancy at 5 Weeks
- Preganancy at 6 Weeks
- Preganancy at 7 Weeks
- Preganancy at 8 Weeks
- Preganancy at 9 Weeks
- Preganancy at 10 Weeks
- Preganancy at 11 Weeks
- Preganancy at 12 Weeks
- Preganancy at 13 Weeks
- Preganancy at 14 Weeks
- Preganancy at 15 Weeks
- Preganancy at 16 Weeks
- Preganancy at 17 Weeks
- Preganancy at 18 Weeks
- Preganancy at 19 Weeks
- Preganancy at 20 Weeks
- Preganancy at 21 Weeks
- Preganancy at 22 Weeks
- Preganancy at 23 Weeks
- Preganancy at 24 Weeks
- Preganancy at 25 Weeks
- Preganancy at 26 Weeks
- Preganancy at 27 Weeks
- Preganancy at 28 Weeks
- Preganancy at 29 Weeks
- Preganancy at 30 Weeks
- Preganancy at 31 Weeks
- Preganancy at 32 Weeks
- Preganancy at 33 Weeks
- Preganancy at 34 Weeks
- Preganancy at 35 Weeks
- Preganancy at 36 Weeks
- Preganancy at 37 Weeks
- Preganancy at 38 Weeks
- Preganancy at 39 Weeks
- Preganancy at 40 Weeks
- Labour and Birth
- The First Few Days
Pregnancy at 29 Weeks
You may start to feel impatient, imagining what your baby looks like, and wish that labour would come early. However these next few weeks in the womb are absolutely crucial to your baby's development, as he lays down fat stores that will keep him warm in the outside world and his lungs mature preparing him for independent breathing.
Development
Your baby's eyes can now focus and he can also blink. He may be able to see shadows and silhouettes of shapes of the outside world. Beneath his skin, a layer of fat is buildi ng up that he will use for warmth and energy when he is bom. His lungs are continuing to develop and he is growing at a rate of approximately 1 cm each week.
Appearance
Your baby's head is now in proportion to his arms and legs. The fatty deposits under his skin give him a less wrinkled appearance. He has not yet acquired the plump appearance of a full-term newborn baby but he is looking far less'prune-like'than before. Because his skin is thicker, you can no longer see the network of tiny blood vessels beneath it.
Movement
There is still plenty of space for your baby to move, and you should be feeling at least ten movements a day. He may not be somersaulting as often as before, but he can still turn in your uterus and will be very active, often when you want to sleep.
Small Babies
'Small for dates'babies (also known as fetal growth retardation, small for gestational age or intrauterine growth restriction) are often detected at around this time.
If your baby is suspected to be smaller than expected for his gestation then you may be offered some ultrasound scans to monitor his growth. You will also need more frequent antenatal checks. You may also be offered a scan that looks at the blood flow through the placenta to the baby, to check that it is working efficiently.