Welcome to the third trimester of pregnancy — time really flies! What to expect at 29 weeks pregnant? Your little one measures around 15 inches long from head to heel — and he’ll grow double in size between now and birth! He’s in the process of fine-tuning right now — and as his organs continue to develop, you may start to feel increasingly uncomfortable due to your growing belly. From week 29 to week 36, you should switch to fortnightly visits to your doctor or midwife; from week 36 thru week 40, the visits will become more regular.
Pregnancy Symptoms at 29 Weeks
How big is a baby at 20 weeks? Your baby gained another 1/4 pounds this week — and your baby weight is 2 1/2 pounds! He measures around 15 inches long from head to heels — pretty much the size of a savoy cabbage. He’s putting on layers of fat, which makes his skin smoothen out and appear less wrinkly and translucent. With the volume of amniotic fluid reduced to about half, vernix caseosa (the waxy substance that was protecting the baby’s skin against the effects of “bathing” in amniotic fluid) has started to gradually disappear.
The baby’s eyes are beginning to focus — just imagine what fascinating his little world looks like! He can even blink, and distinguish between day and night. The buds in the gums for his baby teeth have already formed, and the buds for his permanent teeth are just starting to develop this week. His adrenal glands are producing a chemical which will be made into estriol by the placenta. Estriol stimulates production of prolactin — and prolactin makes you produce milk. If your baby was born earlier than 40 weeks, you’d still be able to breastfeed! His brain can detect rhythmic breathing and control body temperature. Should he be born early, he won’t need medical assistance to breathe. Even more interesting is that your little one may be able to dream at this time due to brain development during week 29.