Week 29 – Time To Start a Kick Count

Your Baby in Week 29 of Pregnancy

Believe it or not, this week Baby will have put on at least 350 to 400g (just over half a pound) since last week alone. In fact in the next eleven weeks, Baby is heading towards a goal of almost tripling their current weight before they make their big debut. The type of fat they are gaining now is different though. So far their little bodies have been building up brown fat, the kind that was needed to protect all of their bones, nerves and organs as they grew. Now however

Baby is stocking up on white fat, the same kind as yours, to be used as an energy source, which goes part of the way towards the extra movement you will be feeling over the coming weeks. Some of the extra movement is down to pure excitement, as Baby is becoming more and more aware of things every day – changes in the taste of amniotic fluid, muffled noises from outside their cozy womb home and even a bit of a small second hand sugar rush if you happen to eat dessert after dinner!

Your Body in Week 29 of Pregnancy

Remember the pesky Relaxin hormone we talked about a few weeks ago, the one that will loosen all kinds of things up? As of this week it also may begin loosening up the muscles in your intestines, something that may very well lead to a very uncomfortable bout or two of severe constipation. It will also certainly lead to more accidental, less than ladylike flatulence attacks as well. All of this truly embarrasses a lot of ladies (as well as inconveniences them) but there really is very little you can do. The combination of a new rush of Relaxin and Baby’s new lower position really does not give your digestive system much of a break.

Apart from the obvious, drinking lots and lots of water and eating more fiber in your diet to help relieve constipation try replacing one of your glasses of water with a cup of dandelion or mallow tea, both of which many women find to be a big help in keeping things moving in the final few months of pregnancy.

Tips for the Twenty Ninth Week of Your Pregnancy – Start a Kick Count

From this week on your doctor is likely to want you to begin taking a ‘kick count’ at least once a day to keep track of Baby’s activity levels, something that can be (but is not always) a good indicator that all is going well. The name kick count is not quite accurate though, as since Baby is getting bigger all the time and the free space in your womb is getting smaller and smaller you are more likely to be getting elbowed, nudged and hit as well these days, so what you will really be tracking is movement of any kind.

It is best to perform your daily move count when you are lying down, as babies are more likely to kick upwards when you are in a prone position. If lying down is not an option, at least take the time to sit. Next count any and all movements you feel – even little rolls and swishes, until you reach ten. If you have not counted ten in an hour (Baby may have fallen asleep because you are relaxed) have a light snack and begin your count again, as the slight sugar rush Baby will receive from the influx of food should liven them up. If you are a smartphone user you will find that there are actually several apps available to help you keep track (seriously, there is an app for everything)  If however you cannot get to ten in two hours you should really phone your OBGYN. Chances re that everything is fine and that Baby is just being a bit lazy today, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Dealing with Pregnancy Brain

The chances are good that you have been trying to deal with the fact that your memory seems to be on the fritz for a while now, but as the third trimester progresses many women find that the hormone induced ‘pregnancy brain’ symptoms seem to be getting worse.

The idea that pregnancy brain exists at all is something that experts disagree about. Some say that despite the hormonal changes the female brain is not affected, and that the bouts of forgetfulness are the result of too much stress and just too many other things to think about that where you left your keys is a rather irrelevant thought in the scheme of things and the bain processes such trivia to the bottom of its to do list.

Others, mainly several noted anthropologists, have a different theory. They believe it may be nature’s way of ensuring that a Mum to Be is ready to be focused entirely on Baby when they arrive, so the brain helps them ‘let go’ of the small stuff.

Whatever the causes, most women who have been pregnant will attest to the fact that it is actually real. Getting some really good, deep sleep helps a great deal but that in itself can be hard to come by these days thanks to Mr or Ms Overactive in your tummy who is rarely a great respecter of sleep, something that really won’t change once they arrive. Therefore you may have to resign yourself to dealing with a stack of sticky notes or programming a lot of reminders into your smartphone – or a combination of both for the next few months.

The good news though is that recent research has shown that new Mums have sharper, quicker cognition skills than their childless peers, so the apparent loss of brainpower really is just yet another temporary condition that will resolve itself once Baby is born.