30 Weeks Pregnant

Key Takeaways

• Braxton Hicks contractions: Feeling the burn? Your uterus is practicing for the real deal; you’ll feel your belly tighten and then loosen. It's more likely to happen after some physical exertion. Try to relax or change positions. If they continue to happen and get closer together, call your doctor to rule out preterm labor.
• Baby’s development: Baby’s kicks and jabs feel a lot less cute these days. That’s because they’re in cramped quarters and don’t have much room to wiggle and flip—so elbow jabs become sharper and more pronounced.
• Baby prep: Do you suddenly have the urge to organize everything? It’s called nesting. It’s totally understandable if you want to get everything ready at home for this big life change. Enjoy decorating the nursery and laundering those itty-bitty onesies, but try to take it easy and don’t over-exert yourself.

Starting to feel like a walking bump? Your 30 weeks pregnant belly is doing more than just making it tough to find a comfortable sleeping position—it’s made itself a conversation piece. Everywhere you go, someone seems to have an opinion about how you look. On more than one occasion, I heard the old “Are you having twins?” question. And I still squirm at the thought of strangers at the grocery store reaching out to touch my belly. Feel free to set boundaries, mama—and try not to take those comments seriously. (On the other hand, if someone tells you you’re glowing—believe them. You are!)

Video Highlights

Baby at Week 30

Wish you could get a look at baby in the womb at 30 weeks? If you could see into your 30 weeks pregnant belly, you’d see one cute 30-week fetus! Here’s what’s happening:

Baby’s features are getting finer

By week 30, baby has a good amount of hair on their head and eyes that open wide to begin to distinguish what they see around them. Baby is also continuing to grow fingernails and practice grabbing by holding their feet or umbilical cord.

Fat stores are increasing

Baby’s skin looks smoother at 30 weeks of pregnancy, thanks to an increase in fat stores underneath. Incredibly, human fetuses accumulate more fat than any other mammal. All that fat serves an important purpose: It helps to regulate baby’s body temperature, both now and after birth. It also serves as an important energy store that supports the immense needs of the brain—which churns through about 20 percent of all of the calories we consume.

Baby is losing lanugo

Now that baby has developed more fat stores, they’re starting to shed more lanugo—the soft, down-like hair that enveloped the body for the last few weeks. Lanugo helps to keep a fetus warm and protects their sensitive developing skin with the help of vernix (a waxy substance covering the body, which is also disappearing about now). Lanugo also helps baby to grow rapidly by sending signals to their brain when it moves. As lanugo disappears in this final trimester, baby’s growth will slow (although it won’t feel that way, given your increasingly big bump).

Baby’s brain development and skills

While baby’s skin might be looking smoother, their brain is getting wrinklier—that’s to make way for all that essential brain tissue. Your baby at 30 weeks is now strong enough to grasp a finger! That’s a skill they’ll certainly use post-birth.

How big is baby at 30 weeks?

At 30 weeks pregnant, baby is the size of a cantaloupe. Your approximately 16-inch, 3.4-pound, 30-week fetus continues to grow about half a pound and half an inch each week, which is why your 30 weeks pregnant belly might be feeling so tight.

30 weeks pregnant is how many months?

Thirty weeks pregnant is over seven months pregnant. Once you look at 30 weeks in months, you’ll realize how close you really are! Just 10 weeks to go (give or take, of course!).

30 week ultrasound

If you have an uncomplicated pregnancy, you probably won’t have a 30 weeks pregnant ultrasound. In the coming weeks, your provider may schedule a growth scan ultrasound, if they haven’t already. This will help them assess baby’s growth, their positioning, how much amniotic fluid you have and the health of the placenta.

Are you 30 weeks pregnant with twins? So far, your twins probably have been growing at the same rate as any other babies in utero. But sometime between now and week 32, they might slow down a bit.

Around week 30 of pregnancy with twins, your OB may order a biophysical profile. This is a combo of a 30-week ultrasound and a non-stress test (NST). For the NST, you’ll have sensors put on your belly to detect and measure your contractions and the babies’ heart rates. The test is designed to check how a baby’s heart rate responds when they move. If everything seems okay with the NST and the ultrasound, your doctor will rule out fetal distress and preterm labor to assure you that your twosome is doing just fine.

Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 30

At week 30 of pregnancy, your dreams might be getting even weirder— if you’re actually sleeping, that is. That could be the result of hormones, but it could also be anxiety, so consider doing some prep work to help you rest easier. One idea? Do a test drive to see exactly how long it takes you to get to the hospital. Then maybe you’ll stop having nightmares about giving birth in your car. Here are other common 30 weeks pregnant symptoms:

Heartburn

If you’re feeling the burn, pay attention to which foods may be causing it. (Often, it’s greasy, heavy, spicy or acidic food.) Avoid them as much as you can, especially before bedtime, since this annoying 30 weeks pregnant symptom can make sleep hard to come by.

Trouble sleeping

You’re tossing and turning because you can’t get comfortable, and because your mind is racing. It’s a vicious cycle that leads to another issue: fatigue.

Swelling

A little puffiness is to be expected and will typically go down if you put your feet up for a while. Just know that sudden or severe swelling can be a sign of a problem, so keep an eye out for that.

General discomfort

Thanks to your big belly, your back aches, your hips ache and your feet… well, they ache too!

Shortness of breath

Those lungs just keep getting more crowded, right? Baby is still up high near your rib cage at 30 weeks, but should drop down into your pelvis a little later in your pregnancy—maybe as soon as week 33 or 34. You’ll know when they do, because you’ll be able to take a deep breath again. Aaah!

What to expect at 30 weeks pregnant

At 30 weeks pregnant, a lot of those early symptoms are returning. Ugh. You’re probably starting to feel exhausted and moody again, and you need to pee all the time again too. This can be frustrating (which isn’t helped by the mood swings!), but with just 10 more weeks to go, you can do this. Rest as much as you can, and find ways to take care of your physical and mental health.

Your Pregnant Belly at 30 Weeks

Whoa! You might notice your 30 weeks pregnant belly getting pretty hard and tight at times. Yep, at 30 weeks pregnant, Braxton Hicks contractions are pretty common. These are your body’s way of gearing up for the main event (labor, of course). Braxton Hicks tend to happen after exercise or sex, or when you’re tired or dehydrated. If you get them, sit down or lie on your side, relax and drink water. If the contractions don’t stop, or if you have four or more in an hour, call your doctor. It could actually be preterm labor.

Total 30 weeks pregnant weight gain should be about 18 to 25 pounds. If you’re pregnant with twins, you can expect to gain about 1.5 pounds per week in the second and third trimester. Fundal height—the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus—should be around 28 to 32 centimeters.

Worried about the weight gain? Don’t be. The extra pounds you’ve put on will act as reserves to help you breastfeed baby. There’s no need to agonize over them or to rush to shed weight; it will have taken you nine months to put the weight on, and it will take at least that long to take it off. Do keep your eye on the scale, however, because sudden or drastic weight gain could be the sign of a serious pregnancy complication called preeclampsia, so you should notify your doctor right away if the number on your scale jumps higher than it usually does week to week.

What is baby’s position at 30 weeks?

During pregnancy at 30 weeks, baby’s position is most likely head down (although it’s okay if they’re not yet!). Your 30-week fetus is floating comfortably in about one-and-a-half pints of amniotic fluid. It may seem cramped in there, but they still have room to move around. Over the upcoming weeks, your belly will grow even further past your rib cage to accommodate baby, but they’ll still get a little more crowded as you approach your due date.

Tips for 30 Weeks Pregnant

Ten weeks to go! Here’s what to prioritize this week and beyond.

Wear forgiving shoes

The last trimester of your pregnancy is probably not going to be the most fashion-forward. Comfort reigns supreme, and your shoe situation should be no different. Your feet are probably swollen and achy most of the time, and tight shoes aren't going to help the ouch, so find some shoes that have give or leave room for your feet to expand.

Make sure you’re ready

It might seem early to get your hospital bag prepped and by the door, your car seat in the car and baby’s space all set up, but trust us, it’s better to be ready too early than too late (and you don’t want to have to try to remember all that while you’re in labor). Besides, getting everything ready is kinda fun!

Get familiar with the mucus plug

If you don’t know what the mucus plug is, now's the time to learn. In short, the mucus plug stops up the cervical opening and protects baby from any bacteria. Once it’s getting close to the time for baby to come, you’ll lose your mucus plug. This shouldn’t happen quite yet, but it’s good to know it’s coming since it’s, um, mucus-y.

Keep up with the Kegels

Doing your Kegels helps keep your vaginal and perineal muscles in good shape, which will be super helpful when it’s time to give birth. Kegels could also help you avoid peeing your pants, which, let’s be honest, is a real possibility these days.

Wins, Challenges and Wisdom

As you wind down in these last few weeks of pregnancy, you may be feeling increasingly uncomfortable and anxious about all that’s to come. Take a deep breath, put your feet up and read these tips and words of advice from other moms who’ve been there.

• Win: “As an awesome coincidence, I turn 30 today and my Wednesday ticker change makes me exactly 30 weeks pregnant!” - smcniff
• Challenge: “I've been super uncomfortable since pretty early in my second trimester. My hips hurt, my feet hurt, my back hurts and I feel saddle sore without riding. Most of my time is spent sitting and trying to get comfortable.” - jessib10
• Wisdom: “I kept up running and going to the gym because I didn't have a reason not to. I felt fine, I never had any pregnancy fatigue, I had a really easy pregnancy—there was nothing keeping me from going. I also worked up until the day I was induced. I'm a big proponent of listening to your body because each of us is different. If yours is telling you to slow down, then comparing yourself to others isn't really in your best interest.” - blu-eyedwife