BABYCENTRE UPDATES...30 WEEKS

You are now 30 weeks pregnant (or in your 31st week if that's how you prefer to count it).

How your baby's growing

From now on, your baby will gain weight fast. Her lungs and digestive tract are nearly mature and she's probably been able to open and shut her eyes for a while now, so she can see inside you.

Your baby's lungs and digestive tract are almost fully developed. While your baby may soon slow up growing in length (he measures about 15.7 inches / 40 centimetres from crown to toe by now), she will continue to gain weight until she's born.

This week your baby continues to open and shut her eyes. She can probably see what's going on in utero, distinguish light from dark and even track a light source. If you shine a light on your stomach, your baby may move her head to follow the light or even reach out to touch the moving glow. Some researchers think baring your stomach to light stimulates visual development. But don't expect 20/20 vision when your baby is born - newborns can see a distance of only about 8 to 12 inches / 20 to 30 centimetres. (Children with normal vision don't reach 20/20 vision until about age 7 to 9.) To complete the picture, your baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes.

A pint and a half / around a litre of amniotic fluid now surrounds your baby but that volume decreases as she gets bigger and has less room in your uterus. As you and the baby continue to grow, don't be alarmed if you feel breathless, as if you can't get enough air; it's just your uterus pressing against your diaphragm. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though. At about 34 weeks (or just before birth, if this is your second or third pregnancy), your baby's head will move down into your pelvis as the baby gets into the right position for birth. That will make breathing and eating a lot easier.

How your life's changing

You've probably gained quite a bit this month - typically 1.4-1.8 kg/3-4 lb. Gaining 450 g/1 lb a week is quite normal during the last three months. Your baby's demands for nutrients are at their greatest in the final pre-birth growth spurt. You may love or loathe your increasing size - either way, remind yourself of 50 reasons why it's great to be pregnant.

It's never too late to stop smoking, as your baby will benefit from an increased oxygen supply within days of you quitting. Try to encourage those close to you who smoke to give up, too - not only will this help you to stop smoking but it may help your baby in the longer term. Research has shown that babies are at higher risk of cot death / SIDS if a parent or caregiver smokes around them.

Getting a good night's sleep can become more difficult again in the third trimester. As your bump grows, getting and staying comfortable is harder and you may find pressure on your bladder means midnight trips to the loo make an unwelcome but necessary return. Vivid dreams can also affect the quality of your sleep leaving you feeling disturbed or inspired! Don't forget to ask your husband about his dreams, too.