Third Trimester 1^stTrimester     2^ndTrimester

As your belly continues to get bigger it may put pressure on your ribs and diaphragm.

A jellylike fluid in the coiling umbilical cord prevents it from becoming compressed as the baby twists and turns.

At 29 weeks the average crown to heel length is 14.4 in (36.6 cm) and the average weight is 1.9 lb (875 g).

The brain continues to get bigger and its surface is beginning to take on the creases and folds seen in mature brains.

Fine lanugo hairs cover the baby's body. Most will disappear before the birth, but a few may still be seen on the baby's back when he is born.

You may feel a little bored and back-achy at this stage of pregnancy, but there are plenty of positive ways to take your mind off things. For example, you could start to make enquiries about breast-feeding classes, plan your maternity leave, and draw up shopping lists of baby essentials, such as diapers, a changing mat, onesies, bibs, and baby wipes, and perhaps buy a couple of items each week.

Excerpted from Pregnancy Day by Day.
Copyright © 2009 Dorling Kindersley Limited.
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