Pregnancy Facts - Week 29
How big is your baby in week 29 of pregnancy
At week 29, your baby is about 10.1 inches (25.6 centimeters) big when measured crown to rump, and weighs about 2.5 pounds (1.2 kilograms).
Your baby's development in week 29 of pregnancy
While your baby may appear big when looking at your bump, there's actually lots of room to flip around in the uterus. When your baby reorients themself though, you will typically feel punches and kicks. In a few weeks, your baby should settle down and stick with a position. Currently, your baby is most likely in the longitudinal lie position, which is vertically either right side up or upside down, or the transverse position, lying across the womb like you would on a couch.
The ideal direction for your baby to face at the time of vaginal birth is cephalic, which is head down, butt up. There are many variations of cephalic, the most common being vertex, but all are generally manageable in a vaginal delivery by a doctor or midwife. Cephalic is ideal for a vaginal birth because the head is the biggest part of your baby's body and once it passes through the birth canal, everything else is easy peasy.
A baby is in breech position when they are head up, feet down in the womb. Approximately 1 out of 25 babies born at term (37-42 weeks) are in breech position. The birth canal is not a waterslide, so feet first is not the preferred way.
Commonly, delivering a baby in breech position is done by C-section to minimize the chance of complications. Not as many vaginal deliveries are done for breeched babies these days, so it may be difficult to find someone experienced enough to do one if your baby is breeched. If giving birth vaginally is on your bucket list and your baby is breeched, speak with whoever will be doing the delivery.
But no need to worry if your baby is breeched right now. Your baby is still several weeks away from being too big to move around. There's plenty of time for things to change.
If you're having twins (or more than two), your babies could be in any permutation of transverse, cephalic and breech.
Week 29 fetal viability: about 93%.
What's happening in week 29 of pregnancy
Stuff you may be dealing with right now, in no particular order:
- Constipation - when you do poop, you'll be so happy that you'll want to share it on Instagram #shithappened 💩🙌
- Heartburn - that feeling you get deep inside your chest is the baby crowding out your stomach and your slower digestive system
- Hemorrhoids - Johnny Cash sang it best: and it burns, burns, burns, the ring of fire, the ring of fire
