30-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Every day, your baby develops more, getting ready to make an entrance into the world in just under 10 weeks. Has it gone fast or is the time creeping by for you? Every mom feels it differently. Read more to learn what to expect 30 weeks into pregnancy.
Baby development
Ooh, what was that? Felt a movement that didn’t feel like their usual kicking? Your baby might have the hiccups. Fetal hiccups feel rhythmic and a little jerky, and you will usually feel them in the same spot for the duration of your baby’s hiccup spell. Just like in babies and adults, fetal hiccup spells will go away on their own after a period of time. This week, if you are having a boy, his testes are descending into his scrotum. Your baby’s eyes can now respond to light, and low frequencies of certain music or familiar voices, can trigger movements or increased heart rate, visible on ultrasound.
Your body
A few weeks ago, you greeted the first movements of your little darling with delight. Now your baby’s gymnastics can sometimes feel less than lovely: your uterus has now grown so much that when they push against your ribs with a violent movement, it can hurt.
Nutrition
Food provides the nutrients that you and your baby need, and the calories that your baby needs to grow. The requirements for most nutrients are higher during pregnancy, and in the third trimester you need about 450 extra calories per day. These additional calories can be met with 2 or 3 extra servings from Canada’s Food Guide through your day. What does 450 calories look like?
- An apple with ¾ cup of yogurt
- 1 slice of whole -grain toast and a cup of milk
- ½ an English muffin with a slice of cheese and ½ of a sliced pear
Tips
If you work, you may preparing for starting your maternity leave. Some women start their leave early and others remain at work until close to the big day of delivery. For most women with uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancies, they can work as long as they choose. Speak to your doctor and to your employer if you work with certain chemicals, solvents, fumes or radiation, or if your work is very physically demanding.
References:
Horsager-Boehrer, R. UT Southwestern Medical Center. Your Pregnancy Matters: Fetal hiccups won’t harm your baby – they're totally normal! Fetal hiccups won’t harm your baby – they’re totally normal! | Your Pregnancy Matters | UT Southwestern Medical Center (utswmed.org) Accessed September 2021.
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. PregnancyInfo.ca: Healthy eating. Healthy eating – Pregnancy Info Accessed September 2021.
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. PregnancyInfo.ca: Working during pregnancy. Working during pregnancy – Pregnancy Info Accessed September 2021.
Related articles
39-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
You might have felt a few contractions already and were wondering if that was “it”. Don’t worry, you won’t miss the start of labour! Read more about the 39th week of pregnancy.
3 mins to read
22-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
If you could look inside, you may see your baby sucking their thumb. It’s nature’s way of getting them ready to breastfeed from birth.
3 mins to read
Gestational diabetes symptoms
10 essential questions about gestational diabetes answered
6 mins to read
Food choices for a healthy pregnancy nutrition
Eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much food, but it should mean making your food work twice as hard.
5 mins to read
15-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Though your baby is still inside you, this is the week where everything gets set up for their sense of smell. Read more about what to expect during week 15 of pregnancy.
2 mins to read
32-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Your baby is still developing as you head into the final lap, but it’s mostly perfecting and polishing from here on out. He or she is getting ready to meet you!
2 mins to read
What’s your blood sugar number?
The key question to ask if you’re being tested for, or monitoring, gestational diabetes.
2 mins to read
10-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
You are already at week 10 of your pregnancy. Still another 29 weeks to go before you get to meet your little love. Learn more about what’s going on this week.
3 mins to read
26-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
A little ta-da moment for the final week of your second trimester – your baby will open their eyes for the first time around now! Read more about this week.
2 mins to read
Your pregnancy snack selector
Moms-to-be in their second and third trimesters need to think about adding a few more calories to their diets — make them healthy ones with these nutritious snack ideas.
3 mins to read
5-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Though only around the size of a pea, your baby is growing by leaps and bounds. Relatively speaking!
Read more about this week.
2 mins to read
21-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Though the baby now weighs around half a kilo, your little darling still has plenty of room in your belly. And likes to use it when not asleep!
3 mins to read
38-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Two more weeks! Yes, it’s true, you and your little one will soon be making each other’s acquaintance. Everything is pretty much in place.
3 mins to read
Did you know?
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy can influence baby's lifelong health
1 min to read
16-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
16-weeks pregnant? Find out all you need to know about nutrition, diet and baby development at 16 weeks in our week-by-week pregnancy calendar.
2 mins to read
33-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Six weeks. That’s about how long you’ve got left before you get to meet the little person growing inside you. Amazing, right? We think so.
3 mins to read
Pregnancy weight gain
There are many things you can do to prepare for the delivery of a healthy baby. One of the most important things is eating right to gain the extra weight you’ll need to support another life.
1 min to read
11-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
If you could look inside, you’d see thin little hairs developing on your baby’s eyebrows and above their lip. Read more about this week.
2 mins to read
27-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Your baby still has some growing to do but as of today, they’re over 30 cm long, big enough laying down to fit on your forearm between your hand and your elbow.
3 mins to read
