Week 29

As you get closer to your due date, you probably want to start stocking up on baby clothes and other gear if you haven’t already. Your growing baby is taking up more space inside your belly, and you might find yourself sleep deprived. Find out below what you can do to get more comfortable this week.

At this stage, the size and weight of each baby varies considerably. On average they are nearly 40cm in length and 2lb 5oz in weight, but yours may be bigger or smaller. In the third and final trimester your baby will triple in weight. Although not quite ready to greet the world just yet, your baby is now almost fully formed with well-developed organs that will continue to mature until birth.

Such a big bump can make sleeping difficult for lots of mums. One trick is to use three pillows – one beneath your head, one between your knees and one in the small of your back for support – and try to sleep on your left to lighten the pressure your baby is placing on your body’s main vein. Adding pregnancy-safe essential oils, like lavender, to a warm bath will help you to unwind – but you might want to check which ones are safe with your doctor. A hot, milky drink can also prove relaxing just before bed – tea and coffee, on the other hand, can keep you awake so are best avoided. They’re also a diuretic, which means they could make you need the toilet during the night, probably something you want to avoid if you’re not sleeping too well.

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And if there’s any other aspect of your pregnancy you’d like to talk about, our Careline team is available to chat – give us a call on 800 6458 6262 (UAE)/ +971 4 420 9489 (Other countries) between the hours of 9am and 6pm Saturday to Thursday.