Week 29 of pregnancy | Third Trimester

Let’s investigate some of the joys of pregnancy that Mom might be experiencing this week. We’ll also look at what nutrients Mom should be getting plenty of.

MOM
The dignity of pregnancy is seemingly never-ending. As a result of the pregnancy hormone progesterone, you might have suffered a little with constipation. This has been known to contribute to you experiencing a condition known as haemorrhoids. Haemorrhoids, or “piles”, are swollen blood vessels in the rectal area and often associated with pregnancy. They generally clear up after you have given birth, however. This condition can be itchy as well as painful, but any over-the-counter medication should be discussed with your doctor first. If you experience any bleeding from that area, you should also make a point of mentioning it to your doctor. In order to alleviate constipation, so as to avoid haemorrhoids, be sure to include plenty of fibre in your diet, drink at least eight glasses of water every day and do a little doctor-approved exercise.

BABY
Baby is growing in leaps and bounds at the moment. You’ll notice that he or she is not moving around anywhere near as much as was the case a few weeks back – due to the fact that there isn’t as much room to manoeuvre inside the womb anymore. The movements will begin to be more controlled, and you’ll more often than not feel a knee or elbow rather than an entire arm or leg.

Baby’s brain is developing and growing as well, which means that the head is doing the same. In order to provide your baby with all the nutrients that he or she needs during this period, you should make sure that you are consuming plenty of protein, Vitamin C, iron and folic acid. While your baby’s calcium needs are rather high as a result of the hardening of the skeleton, be sure to take in plenty of dairy products. If you don’t, your baby will tend to sap you of your stores – which will be to your detriment in the long run.

DAD
You might very well be responsible for taking notes during your antenatal classes. Try to remember which positions helped your partner the most, and which she preferred. In this way you will be able to remain calm in the midst of labour’s chaos.

Can you believe that next week you’ll already be three quarters of the way through your pregnancy?