Pregnancy week 29 - baby's development and your body

Your baby is now strong enough that those kicks can sometimes hurt a bit, especially if they land on sensitive spots! Some babies turn head-down at this stage, but there’s still room to move, so this can happen a bit later too.

Size:

Your baby is about 39 cm or 15.35 inches long, from head to foot.

Weight:

Approximately 1.15 kg or 2.54 lbs.

Fetal development:

All of your baby’s body parts and senses are now developed, and this week, your baby begins to open its eyes. With short-term memory in place, your baby can also respond to familiar voices and sounds.

In the coming weeks, most babies will turn head-down in preparation for birth, but for now, there’s still plenty of room, so your baby might be head-up, head-down, or even sideways.

The nervous system continues to mature, and your baby is gaining fat, which helps smooth out previously wrinkled skin.

From this week onward, babies born with intensive care almost always survive, and the risk of long-term complications is now low.

Your body:

As your belly keeps growing and the uterus takes up more space, things may start to feel a bit cramped. You might also notice more shortness of breath and heartburn.

Your baby’s movements are stronger and more pronounced, with regular kicks and stretches—sometimes even visible from the outside! Many people find pregnancy symptoms becoming more noticeable again, with increased fatigue and a sense of heaviness. Added pressure on the ligaments around the uterus can cause pelvic pain after activity, and some may experience back pain due to the extra weight and strain.

It’s also common for skin to feel tighter, dry, and itchy as it stretches, and contractions may start happening now. Breasts may begin to leak colostrum, and swelling in the feet and ankles may become more pronounced.

Skin color changes, like darker nipples and a more visible “linea nigra”—a dark line running from the pubic bone to just below the navel—are also normal.