30 weeks pregnant: what happens to the fetus and the expectant mother?

The 30th week of pregnancy is filled with chores and chores. Most pregnant women go on maternity leave, but getting sick leave is preceded by tests and a full examination. This week is the best time to plan your time until birth. Read more about it in this article.

How many months is it?

The start of week 30 is a full 29 obstetric weeks. The third trimester is in progress - the most difficult period of bearing a baby, which requires patience and calmness from a woman. 29-30 obstetric week - this is seven months of pregnancy by calendar standards and already 7.5 months by obstetric standards.

28 weeks have passed since conception, 26 weeks have passed since the delay. Many women admit that they are already tired of “being pregnant”. About 10 weeks remain until the expected day of delivery. But the birth itself is most likely to occur earlier or later than this day, because only 5% of women give birth in the PDR.

Feelings of a woman

Most pregnant women enter 30 weeks of pregnancy with noticeable relief. Beyond this "border" is the time free from work worries, the need to get up at night when the alarm rings, the time that a woman with a clear conscience can devote to herself and her unborn child. It will be possible to do all the planned things - to complete the arrangement of the children's room, to buy a dowry for the baby.

A woman is now increasingly in need of rest. She quickly gets tired, she has a lot of sensations that give her discomfort. You can't do without outside help. But despite this, the woman is happy, soon she will meet with the baby and a new status - that of a mother. What sensations can accompany this period, we will tell you in detail.

Stirring fetus

At 30 weeks, many women laughingly recall their experiences two months ago. Then the question was constantly worried about how not to confuse the baby's movements with intestinal peristalsis. Now the baby's movements cannot be confused with anything - they are strong, powerful, sometimes even quite painful for the expectant mother.

At 30 weeks, the movements become slightly less. The baby is no longer so spacious and free in the uterine cavity, he no longer has such active body movements as before. But the strength of the movements increases, kicks and jolts are felt more clearly. The series of movements have become shorter. If earlier the kid pushed actively for several minutes, and then took a "pause", now the series can consist of only 1-2 two movements.

Mom clearly feels how the baby is turning over and without any problems can determine where his butt is at the moment, and where is the head. The baby's movements are already clearly visible to others, and this causes delight - the stomach suddenly begins to move.

Many people want to touch and feel how the baby is pushing. Don't let strangers touch your tummy if you feel uncomfortable. Feel free to sound impolite.

The 30th week belongs to the doctors during the period of the greatest activity of the baby. A little later, after 32 weeks, the movements will be even less. This is due not only to the fact that the baby is growing vigorously, and the uterus has slowed down its growth rate, but also because the baby's nervous system continues to improve and every day he controls his movements better and better.

The child has his own daily routine. He sleeps, is awake, plays, communicates with his mother. Women by 30 weeks usually have already studied in detail the daily routine of their child. With movements, the baby communicates with his mother, shows that he is uncomfortable, hungry, bored. It also gives him a special pleasure to knock on his mother's palm with his feet and hands, if the woman puts her hand on her tummy and lightly strokes it. Many children communicate with future dads in the same way.

The activity of the baby is now influenced by many different factors. He is sensitive to weather changes - the child likes clear and sunny days more than rainy and snowy ones. In bad weather, he prefers to sleep. Mom's joy causes her to develop seratonin. The baby receives this hormone through the bloodstream and also begins to "be active". Mom's sadness or worries contribute to the production of stress hormones, and the baby also gets them, who becomes quieter on such days.

After a delicious lunch, which mom ate with pleasure, the baby is more active. When a woman is hungry, he can remind her to eat with sharp and demanding kicks from the inside. By the 30th week, there is no doubt about the character of the baby - active or calm. All babies are active at night, and this is completely normal. At 30 weeks, a woman must make a daily count of the baby's movements.

Counting movements

The baby's motor activity is unstable. Therefore, the counting must be flexible and loyal. A woman needs to take into account all factors - the weather, her own well-being, etc. Do not forget that a slight decrease in activity for 30 weeks is absolutely normal.

Do not assume that counting movements is needed only by the doctor, who insists on this. This is necessary primarily for the woman herself. Calm for the baby's condition is the basis of the normal psychological background of his mother. If the movements are abnormal, the woman will be able to notice it more quickly and immediately consult a doctor.

Usually, the movements are recorded in a special table, which can be obtained from the antenatal clinic or downloaded on the Internet.

But you can enter data into a regular notebook. The main thing is not to forget to bring these results with you to the appointment at the antenatal clinic. Stirring can be considered one of the existing methods:

Pearson's method - every tenth movement is noted, starting at 8 or 9 in the morning and until 20.00 or 21.00. The norm is at least 10 fetal movements in half an hour during wakefulness.

Cardiff Method - note ten movements at 12 o'clock. The norm is 10 episodes in the allotted time.

Sadowski method - note the number of perturbations within 1 hour after the woman has eaten. The norm is at least 4 movements.

In order not to confuse the different methods, many obstetricians-gynecologists in antenatal clinics recommend a single universal counting method. With it, movements are recorded during the period of activity of the baby. It is considered normal for 30 weeks if the child makes six movements per hour, 10 - in 6 hours, 24 episodes of activity - in 12 hours.

How to count the movements, however, is not always explained. Therefore, expectant mothers have a huge number of questions related to this. Counting correctly does not imply hiccups. Babies hiccup often, but this cannot be considered wiggling. A series of movements is considered one movement if they are consistent. Example: a baby kicked his mother in the rib with his foot and fell silent - this is one movement, and if he did not just kick, but then turned his body, this is also one movement, and not two, as some pregnant women think.

The reasons for deviations in the behavior of a child at 30 weeks can be different. Most often, a violation of activity is a consequence of hypoxia, oxygen starvation. The baby can transmit the umbilical cord himself, entanglement can occur, placental insufficiency, Rh-conflict between mother and child, placental defects, mother's bad habits - smoking or drinking alcohol also contribute to hypoxia. In the early stages of hypoxia, the baby moves more often than usual, his movements are sharp, painful, he tries to massage the placenta with his hands, trying to increase the amount of oxygen. With severe and prolonged hypoxia, the child, on the contrary, calms down.

Few movements allow him to conserve oxygen. The actions of the expectant mother, who noticed that the baby moves differently at 30 weeks, should consist in an early visit to the doctor. You can't hesitate.

The doctor will do a cardiotocography, an ultrasound scan with a Doppler, assess the blood flow, the transparency of the waters, the location of the umbilical cord and draw a conclusion about the baby's well-being. In some cases with severe hypoxia, an emergency caesarean section may be performed this week to save the child's life.

Mood and psychological problems

The mood of a woman at 30 weeks is characterized by an increased alarming background. External changes lead to internal insecurity, clumsiness makes a woman more vulnerable, not as self-confident as before. In addition, a wide variety of fears appear. At 30 weeks, the most common is fear of childbirth, including premature, fear of complications and possible caesarean section, fear of not getting to the hospital on time if childbirth suddenly begins, and fear of defecation.

You don't need to be afraid of childbirth, you need to prepare for it. Psychologists advise you to stop reading "horrors" about the childbirth process, and instead enroll in courses for expectant mothers in the antenatal clinic and start attending classes where experienced obstetricians will teach you how to breathe, push, tell you how to distinguish false contractions from real ones, what to take with yourself to the hospital.

A woman does not need to be afraid of her fear, it is quite natural. But there is no way to keep it silent. You need to talk about your fears with your parents, husband, with a psychologist. The main thing is that horror should be replaced by calm and focused expectation.

You should not be afraid of a cesarean section either. The operation takes place under general or epidural anesthesia, children born in this way, in their development, do not differ from children born in the traditional way. Recovery after a cesarean section is quite fast, there are no problems with lactation either. If a woman is shown this method of delivery, do not be afraid that later there will be problems with the second or third birth.

It is not at all necessary that the second pregnancy then also ends with the operation. Some women successfully give birth on their own after their first caesarean section.

The fear of not getting to the hospital on time is one of the strongest. Proper preparation will help to cope with it. A pre-assembled bag with things and documents, an exchange card signed at the maternity hospital, a timely call for an ambulance is practically all that is needed in order to give birth to a baby not in the car or at home, but in a medical institution under the supervision of doctors.

Fear of bowel movement can now haunt even those who do not suffer from constipation or hemorrhoids. It is not the defecation itself that is terrible, but the attempts, since, according to many pregnant women, they can cause childbirth. In fact, this is not the case. There is nothing to be afraid of. To make trips to the toilet easier, you need to eat more raw vegetables and fruits - fiber will soften the stool.

Pain sensations

Everything that happens to the baby and mother at the 30th week of pregnancy is associated with the growth of the uterus and the fetus itself. Unfortunately, not all sensations can be called light and pleasant. Various pains increasingly remind of themselves and now persist until the very birth. A woman does not need to panic because of every tingling sensation, but she definitely needs to know which pains are now considered normal, and which ones may indicate problems.

The stomach becomes heavier, because the baby is gaining body weight very quickly. This puts stress on the ligaments that hold the uterus and also on the back muscles. The center of gravity has long been shifted and continues to shift, which is why the back hurts, pulls the lower back. The unpleasant sensations intensify when it is necessary to stand, sit, or walk for a long time. Such pains are quite natural and do not pose any danger to the mother and child.

The body prepares for childbirth. Under the influence of the hormone relaxin, the pelvic bones and ligamentous apparatus become more elastic and soft, therefore, at the 30th week of pregnancy, more than half of women complain that the pubic bone hurts. This pain should not be too intense, sharp.

If it hurts between the legs so that a woman cannot get up, sit down, take an even vertical position, if it is very painful for her to climb stairs, if acute pain in the perineum worsens at night and leads to insomnia, be sure to consult a doctor. It is possible that symphysitis develops - a complication associated with pathological divergence of the pubic symphysis.

Knees and ankles of a pregnant woman at 30 weeks ache due to a significant increase in body weight, the load that they have to carry. A properly planned work and rest regimen, sleep with raised legs will help temporarily relieve unpleasant aches in the lower extremities.

Often at this time, a woman has a toothache, even if there were no dental problems before. This is due to the fact that there is less calcium in the body of the expectant mother, for the same reason it can "cramp" the legs.

Now it is quite possible to visit the dentist and have your teeth cured, if necessary.

Headache often occurs in the third trimester. This is due to the general load on the blood vessels and the heart, with a physiological increase in blood pressure at this time. If a woman has a tendency to hypertension, blood pressure monitoring is mandatory at 30 weeks. You need to measure it twice a day on two hands in turn. If headaches are not associated with increased blood pressure, a woman needs to rest more often in a well-ventilated, slightly darkened area. This helps to restore normal well-being.

With what pains you need to go to the hospital at 30 weeks is a very frequent question. If the pain is sharp, persistent, increasing, if it is accompanied by atypical discharge from the genitals, it is imperative to call an "ambulance".

Allocations

Starting from the 30th week of pregnancy, even those women who have had a cloudless course for all 7 months are advised to be attentive to such a delicate topic as discharge from the genitals. Their nature changes, and only control over the amount, color and consistency of vaginal secretions will help a woman quickly notice possible deviations.

The amount of discharge increases and the consistency becomes thinner. This is considered a completely normal state of affairs, because in the body of the expectant mother, the level of estrogen gradually begins to increase. The closer to childbirth, the higher the concentration of these hormones. Abundant discharge can cause unpleasant sensations, because in the perineum, increased humidity can be almost constant. You can solve this problem by using thin everyday sanitary pads.

Tampons are prohibited during pregnancy.

Normally, the discharge at week 30 has a light, whitish color, light yellowish tints are acceptable, there should not be an unpleasant smell, only a weak kefir smell is permissible. A large amount of discharge is a certain danger for a woman and a baby, because the vaginal secretion is a favorable breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria. To exclude infection, you should be more careful about intimate hygiene, washing yourself at least 2-3 times a day without using toilet soap, since its alkaline ingredients can disrupt the composition of the microflora of the genital tract, causing excessive dryness.

Any deviations from the norm should be discussed with your doctor immediately. Given that week 30 is the prenatal period (prenatal), labor can begin at any time. The genital tract must be ready for this.Any infection poses a risk of infecting the baby, and his immunity is not yet ready to "get acquainted" with E. coli, fungal infections or staphylococcus.

Allocations of greenish, saturated yellow, yellow-green and gray colors most often "speak" of bacterial infection. A thick, white discharge with itching and burning in the perineum is a thrush. Brown, pink, beige discharge are options for spotting. All discharge with blood impurities can now be very dangerous, because they often "signal" about problems with the cervix, the placenta, and the threat of premature birth.

Watery discharge, similar to urine, but colorless and odorless, may be a sign of amniotic fluid leakage. You can start using special tests that determine the amniotic fluid. This is especially true for women who have urine leakage at week 30 with exertion, coughing or sneezing, this phenomenon is also quite common in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Changes in the body

The woman loses the lion's share of her mobility. Her movements become more awkward, her hips wider, and her weight increases. The waist has already smoothed out, now you can count on its appearance only in the postpartum period.

At the 30th week of pregnancy, the belly is already so large that most women cannot tie their shoelaces on their own, pick up a fallen object and hardly see their legs while walking.

Uterus growth

A woman's uterus is felt very well at this time. It cannot be otherwise, because the reproductive organ, which now serves as a cozy "house" for the baby, has grown and has almost reached its highest value in size. The height of the standing day of the uterus this week averages 28-31 centimeters, now the uterus grows more slowly than before, and immediately before childbirth, its height will decrease due to the lowering of the baby's head to the exit from the small pelvis.

Above the navel line, the uterus rises by almost 10 centimeters at 30 weeks. Now the tummy is already supporting the lower part of the chest. This limits mobility - the woman can no longer bend. In addition, it is this fact that causes shortness of breath. The uterus presses on the diaphragm and now it becomes difficult for the woman to breathe, she is constantly haunted by the feeling that she does not have enough air. Even a short walk can cause shortness of breath, climbing stairs and regular house cleaning are no longer without difficulty breathing.

Internal organs, the usual habitat of which is the abdominal cavity, are forced to make room. They have to work in extreme conditions. The stomach, compressed by the uterus, can hardly cope with the digestive function, from time to time there is a reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus, the woman develops heartburn. A seized gallbladder creates preconditions for indigestion, diarrhea, belching, nausea.

The bladder, which also turns out to be compressed, constantly forces the woman to go to the toilet. Frequent urination sometimes prevents you from getting a good night's sleep.

The length of the cervix is normally reduced at 30 weeks to 35-30 mm. A shorter neck poses a threat of premature birth, as it may not support the baby's weight and open up ahead of schedule. The cervix gradually begins to ripen, she prepares for childbirth. In the last weeks of the third trimester, the cervix will become short, smoothed out when this process is complete, the internal and external pharynx will begin to open and labor will begin.

If the woman has not yet purchased a prenatal brace, it is time to do so. This simple orthopedic device will make it easier to survive the last third of the baby's gestation period, ease the load on the back and lower back, and reduce pain and discomfort.

Weight gain

The weight that a woman gained in the first seven months of her pregnancy is individual. Some have already gained more than 14 kilograms, while others - only 6. Therefore, the question of whether this or that weight gain is normal torments pregnant women more and more. There is no single rate of increase. It all depends on what the woman's weight was before her pregnancy.

By week 30 it is considered normal if a thin woman has gained about 11.9 kilograms. For women who had a normal physique before pregnancy, an increase of no more than 10 kilograms is considered an acceptable increase. For women who have previously had problems with weight, an increase of 6.5 kilograms is considered acceptable.

The weight of a woman now consists of many components: the mass of the mammary glands, her own muscle, bone and adipose tissue, the weight of the child, the placenta and amniotic fluid. Normally, during this period, a woman should add no more than 400 grams per week.

Weight jumps, pathological gain that does not depend on the nutrition of a pregnant woman, now may indicate the presence of edema, which is not always visible visually. Sometimes edema is internal, and weight in this case is the only parameter that can indirectly indicate them. Gestosis, which develops at the 30th week of pregnancy, is dangerous for mom and baby. That is why it is important to monitor the increase and not neglect the doctor's recommendations.

If the legs, arms, face swell, the shoes become too small, we are talking about external edema, dropsy of pregnant women. This is also one of the forms of gestosis. The presence of such complications must be reported to the doctor.

Training contractions

Braxton Hicks spasms, which is what training or false contractions are called in medical parlance, occur in about seven out of ten women this week. Only their frequency is different. In some, false contractions are repeated once every few days, while in others, once every few hours. Both options do not contradict the norm, since as such there are no norms in relation to false contractions at all.

Medicine is not even completely clear about the purpose of such contractions, because they do not affect the opening of the cervix, do not bring the date of birth closer, and do not prepare the cervix and uterus for the upcoming labor. Some women do not have training contractions at all. And this is also a variant of the norm.

Training contractions are manifested by short-term tension of the uterus. She comes in tone and then, on her own, without any help, returns to her original relaxed state. Most often, such contractions occur at 30 weeks in women who are going to give birth to their first child.

For moms who give birth not for the first time, training contractions usually appear at a later date - a few weeks or days before giving birth.

Other changes

If a woman has increased pigmentation on her skin before the 30th week of pregnancy, then after this period, new age spots and freckles will no longer form. However, the previous ones are in no hurry to pass. This process will begin some time after giving birth. Dry skin, which can now be observed on the hands and face, is of a physiological nature. A woman must definitely review her diet, include foods rich in vitamins E and A.

In women at the current time, the heartbeat increases, often there are "hot flushes" of blood to the face. This is due to the fact that the heart and blood vessels are working to the limit of their capabilities, and the amount of blood has almost halved.

A slight decrease in vision is also a consequence of changes in blood pressure. There is no need to worry, vision will recover after childbirth on its own, irreversible processes do not occur. Impaired circulation in the lower body can now lead to hemorrhoids and varicose veins. More than half of pregnant women face such unpleasant changes at this time.

A woman eight months pregnant may have serious problems falling asleep and sound sleep. The stomach no longer allows you to lie on your back, the only option for a rest position is on your side. Flips from side to side and wake up the pregnant woman, as a result of which she almost does not get enough sleep. Therefore, during the day, increased drowsiness and irritability are possible.

The gait of the expectant mother at this time resembles the movement of a duck, under its own weight and the weight of the baby, the feet flatten a little, and shoes can become uncomfortable. This is also a temporary phenomenon, the anatomical features of the foot will return to normal some time after the baby is born.

Fetal development

The kid continues to grow and delight his mother with confident and strong jerks. At 30 weeks gestation, he looks almost like a newborn, only inferior to him in size. 90% of babies are placed head down, this position is most convenient for birth.

If the baby is still in breech presentation or transverse position, the probability that he will independently turn to the head position exists, but it is no longer as great as before. The size of the fetus practically does not allow it to tumble and change its position inside the uterus.

The growth of children at 30 obstetric week is 39-41 centimeters, and their weight is more than one and a half kilograms. Large babies can already weigh up to 1600 grams. Baby boys are larger than girls by about 200-300 grams. The size of the baby is comparable to the size of the melon.

Appearance

The baby's skin finally turns pink at 30 weeks. For a long time, it was thin and bright red. Several weeks have passed since the beginning of the formation of subcutaneous adipose tissue. During this time, the proportion of this subcutaneous layer increased to 6% of the baby's body weight. Thanks to this, the skin has become more durable, thicker, the folds are smoothed, and the network of blood vessels has ceased to shine through the epidermis and dermis, and now the baby looks quite pretty.

The baby's hair on his head began to darken. From this time, pigments are produced that are responsible for the color of hair and skin. Therefore, light-skinned blondes remain the same as they were, but in dark-skinned babies, the skin becomes darker, and the hair by the time of birth will be approximately the same as it should be according to the genetic code.

By the 30th week, the baby's eyelashes have grown, the eyebrows have ceased to "hang" over the eye sockets and have taken their proper place. The ears are still sticking out a little, but the cartilage tissue, albeit slower than the bone, is gradually becoming harder. After a month and a half, the auricles will be hard enough not to protrude.

The baby is now forced to fit in the uterus more compactly. Now he is in a flexion position - the legs are drawn to the stomach, the arms are in the chest, the chin is also brought to the chest. This position makes it easier for him during the last months of his stay in the uterus, because now it is cramped and uncomfortable in a different way.

The baby's body looks more proportional than before. The tummy, arms, legs have recovered, there are decent-sized cheeks. The kid grimaces, smiles, yawns, clenches fists and sucks them and toes. The feet look big, but this is an illusion. As soon as there is a little more subcutaneous fat on the legs, this sensation will disappear.

By week 30, your little one continues to shed lanugo, the thin, discolored hairline that appears almost immediately after the hair follicles have set. Usually the process of lanugo loss ends closer to childbirth. But many babies are born with the remnants of original hairs. They drop out after his birth.

Together with the disappearing lanugo, there is much less cheese-like lubricant, which until recently covered the entire body and face of the crumbs in a thick layer. This was necessary when the skin was very thin and vulnerable. Now, when the skin has become denser, the need for lubrication remains only in some places where there is mechanical friction - in the groin, under the arms, under the baby's neck, in the folds of the limbs.

Nervous system

The baby's nervous system is undergoing the most extensive changes during this period. In it, the processes do not stop for a minute, and with every minute the baby becomes more and more intelligent and skillful. At 30 weeks, the differentiation of the cerebral cortex is completed. The grooves and convolutions are still forming, but the foundation has been laid. The electrical potentials of the brain are not only registered, but also acquire a fairly regular character.

New neural connections appear every day, because the number of neurons that are formed in the baby's body is approaching a quarter of a million per minute. The brain is increasingly extending its control to the organs and systems of the fetus. Thanks to all these processes, the baby already has several dozen reflexes that he needs to successfully survive. He knows how to suck and swallow, grab with his hands, push off with his legs.

It covers the belly, as the most vulnerable place in the human body, if something accidentally touches the belly. The baby is able to respond to signals from skin receptors, and also actively trains the respiratory reflex - the chest makes the movements characteristic of this, but so far irregularly.

The movements of the arms and legs are already controlled by the brain, when the baby hears loud sounds, his activity is recorded in those areas of the brain that are responsible for speech recognition, logical thinking and analysis. The baby's hearing is good enough. He was already used to the sounds in his mother's belly. The background familiar to him is the beating of the mother's heart, her voice, breathing, the murmur of blood, intestines, stomach.

However, he also perceives sounds coming from outside with interest. The photoreceptors of the organs of vision are already capable of distinguishing between light and darkness, a blink reflex is formed, the baby can open his eyes. The nostrils were freed from the mucous plug, soon the baby will begin to pick up the shades of odors, but for now he has perfectly learned to distinguish the shades of tastes.

After the mother eats sweets, the baby happily swallows amniotic fluid, which cannot be said about swallowing after the mother eats garlic or mustard.

Internal organs

The formation of internal organs was completed in the embryonic period. Now all organs are only growing and increasing in size. The heart has grown significantly, it beats at a frequency of 140-160 beats per minute and pumps over 20 liters of blood per day. All blood vessels from capillaries to major vessels are working at full capacity.

The kidneys produce up to 500 ml of urine per day, and the bladder is emptied about once an hour. The digestive organs continue to prepare for autonomous work. The gallbladder produces bile, and the pancreas produces insulin.

If now a woman will overly "lean" on sweets, then the double load of glucose breakdown will fall not only on her own pancreas, but also on a similar organ of the baby.

The intestine has learned to contract, several times an hour it makes movements similar to full-fledged peristalsis. In the intestine, the original feces, meconium, gradually accumulate. It has a dark green color and consists of bile, particles of fallen off lanugo and epithelial cells.

Defecation will occur for the first time after the birth of the baby. In some cases, this happens even before birth, but each such case is a reason for early delivery, since intrauterine defecation indicates an extreme unhappiness of the fetus, for example, about severe oxygen starvation.

The lung tissue continues to ripen. The formation of the alveoli is almost complete. Now they accumulate surfactant - a special substance on which the baby's life depends. Small bubbles of the alveoli are necessary for a person in order to carry out gas exchange - to take oxygen and give off carbon dioxide. They will begin to perform their functions after the birth of the child.

The first inhalation will fill them with oxygen, the first exhalation will remove carbon dioxide, and so that the second inhalation can then take place so that the alveoli do not stick together, and the same surfactant is needed. An insufficient amount of it, even in a full-term baby, can cause acute respiratory failure, which can be fatal.

Viability

The kid is well developed enough to have every chance of survival. Children born at 30 weeks of gestation, for the most part, survive, quickly "catch up" in height and weight of their peers and grow up quite healthy and strong. True, they cannot do without qualified medical assistance after birth.

Such babies are considered premature. After birth at 30 weeks, they can be threatened by two main dangers - pulmonary insufficiency due to a small amount of surfactant in the alveoli of the lungs and hypothermia of a systemic nature, since the subcutaneous fat is still not enough for the baby to retain internal heat on its own.

Modern technology comes to the aid of doctors. Such children are placed in resuscitation incubators, in which a certain temperature, humidity of the air is maintained, where oxygen is supplied. The baby is fed through a tube. After the baby weighs 1700 grams, if at birth he weighed less, he will be placed in a special heated resuscitation bed, where he will "grow" up to 2 kilograms.

After that, if the baby's condition does not inspire concern, the mother and baby are discharged home. Parents will have to try to "leave" such a baby, for a long time, they will be monitored by a neurologist at the dispensary, because prematurity is very often combined with disorders of the nervous system.

Kid on ultrasound

Until the third scheduled ultrasound, at least two weeks remain, and the maximum is a whole month. And my mother already missed her baby, because their last meeting in the ultrasound office was during the second prenatal screening - at 18-21 weeks. That is why many expectant mothers this week go for an ultrasound examination on their own, without the recommendation of a doctor, fortunately, numerous clinics and medical centers offer this opportunity.

The indications for diagnosis can be quite medical. This is a violation of the motor activity of the fetus, as well as suspicions of a delay in its development. Ultrasound is often recommended to clarify the duration of pregnancy, because in order to draw up documents for a woman to go on maternity leave, doctors must know for sure that there is no mistake. Also, at 30 weeks pregnant with twins and triplets, as well as women whose pregnancy became possible only through IVF, are often in the ultrasound diagnostics room.

A special treat this week is the 3D or 4D ultrasound. This diagnostic method will allow not only to examine the baby in detail, but also to receive excellent clear pictures and video recordings in the family archive. The kid, if he does not sleep, will be able to demonstrate a lot of interesting things.

But with gender diagnostics, some problems may arise now. The flexion posture that the baby took now does not always allow him to examine his external genitals.

Fetometry of the fetus at this time has its own norms. They, of course, are quite approximate and averaged, but it is from them that they judge the compliance of the baby with the gestational age.

Fetometry norms at 29-30 weeks of gestation:

BPR - 76-78 mm;
LZR - 94-97 mm;
The length of the femur is 53-56 mm;
The length of the shin bones is 76-79 mm;
Forearm length - 44-46 mm;
The length of the humerus is 51-53 mm;
Chest diameter - 76-79 mm;
Head circumference - 275-285 mm;
Abdominal circumference - 253-264 mm.

The baby's presentation, the degree of maturity of the placenta, the number of vessels in the umbilical cord, and the internal organs of the baby are also examined. Now they are well visualized, if there are defects or deviations in development, the doctor at this time is likely to be able to determine this.

Dangers and risks

The greatest danger at this time is the likelihood of premature birth. Despite the fact that the baby has achieved great success in development, he is not yet ripe for birth, and it will be better for everyone if the baby spends a couple of months in a cozy mother's womb. To reduce the risks of premature birth, a woman needs to avoid physical overload, heavy lifting, severe stress.

With a frequent tone of the uterus, a woman is recommended to take "Papaverine", "No-Shpy", in some cases, treatment is prescribed in a hospital.

Reduced immunity at 30 weeks often becomes the cause of infectious diseases - influenza, ARVI and even chickenpox, if a woman did not have it in childhood. Infections can no longer do much harm to the baby, it is reliably protected by the placenta and maternal immunity, and his own immunity began to work. It is not the disease itself that is dangerous, but self-medication. To treat any disease during this period, even if we are talking about the simplest cold with a runny nose and sore throat, should only be a doctor.

Analyzes and examinations

This week the woman is taking a long list of tests. This is necessary for registration of maternity leave. It includes a general urine test, which can show the presence of gestosis (by protein in the urine), a general blood test, which will determine if a woman has anemia. Normally, at this time, hemoglobin is somewhat lowered, but a significant decrease is dangerous for the mother and child.

Also, a woman takes a biochemical blood test, blood tests for HIV and syphilis, hepatitis B and C, as well as a coagulogram (analysis for blood clotting factors). If necessary, the doctor can prescribe an ultrasound scan, CTG, hormone tests.

Recommendations for the expectant mother

The remaining time before childbirth will be easier if the woman avoids dangerous situations and follows the basic recommendations - eat often and fractionally, even if there is no appetite, in a balanced way, walk in the fresh air, have more rest and communicate with her baby. We will formulate other recommendations in brief:

Wear a comfortable, supportive bra with wide straps and padding if needed to keep colostrum from staining clothes and underwear.
Avoid drinking a lot of fluids before bed to avoid aggravating the swelling.
If there is a threat of premature birth, the head of the fetus is low, you should not risk it and have sex. All other pregnant women, who have no complications and threats, sex is not contraindicated, orgasm is still a pleasure and benefit.

If you are now planning a trip related to the flight, you need to take a certificate from the attending physician that the woman has no contraindications and can fly. Such a certificate from a pregnant woman during this period is required by all carrier companies when checking passengers for a flight.
Cool foot baths can help relieve leg pain at week 30. A woman can add a little broth of mint to them, this will improve blood circulation and soothe the feet.
With the release on maternity leave there will be more free time. It is important to plan it profitably. Be sure to leave some time to attend courses for expectant mothers. This will help you prepare for childbirth and feel more relaxed.

Reviews of pregnant women

At the 30th week of pregnancy, expectant mothers share information and experience about undergoing an examination before going on maternity leave. Among those who, a month ago, were worried about a low placenta, most have reason to rejoice - a low placenta rises by this time. In some, tests reveal an increase in glucose levels - gestational diabetes develops.

Many pregnant women have already started purchasing strollers and cribs, envelopes for discharge and other pleasant things for children.

It is during this period, according to reviews, that it is also worth making a "pregnant" photo session, so that the photographs later remind of this difficult, but still very happy, wonderful time - the waiting time for a small miracle.