You are 29 weeks pregnant

Your baby

Does that kid ever sleep? Around this time, it may seem like your baby sleeps all day and is up all night - kicking and jabbing you to the point where it might literally take your breath away for a...Read more

Your body

If you’ve made it to this point without so much as a twinge, you’re a lucky, healthy lady! But for many by this week, aches and pains may become, well, a real pain as your uterus grows ...Read more

Your life right now

Does it seem like the closer you get to your due date, the more mums come out of the woodwork and bombard you with tales of their own harrowing, long and painful deliveries? They may mean well (by ...Read more

Mums like me

‘I would recommend doing a lot of Kegels daily to build up that area. My midwife also recommends massaging the area with primrose oil. She reminds my DH to do it at every visit. Also, there&r...Read more

Does that kid ever sleep? Around this time, it may seem like your baby sleeps all day and is up all night - kicking and jabbing you to the point where it might literally take your breath away for a moment. Again, these movements will settle down in the coming weeks, as your baby gets bigger and is swaddled more tightly in your uterus. For the time being, though, your little night owl may be keeping you from a good, uninterrupted snooze. Some mums jokingly say it’s their unborn baby’s way of helping them adjust to the sleep-addled demands of new motherhood. She’s easing you into it! Take advantage and have dad rest his hand on your belly so he can feel all the action. And remember: Lots of movement is a sign of your baby’s good health. When she’s active you should be able to feel at least ten movements in an hour. Any less than that, contact your GP.

If you’ve made it to this point without so much as a twinge, you’re a lucky, healthy lady! But for many by this week, aches and pains may become, well, a real pain as your uterus grows and the joints of the pelvis loosen in prep for delivery. Back pain is especially common at this stage of pregnancy. Try not to stop exercising (it will keep you strong!) and be conscious of your posture - slouching when you sit or stand can exacerbate back issues. Core strengthening exercises, which tone your abs and back - tightening your entire midsection like a corset - can also work minor miracles. Since many experts recommend avoiding exercises where you have to lie on your back at this point, talk to your doctor or another health care pro about what moves are appropriate for you to do.

Does it seem like the closer you get to your due date, the more mums come out of the woodwork and bombard you with tales of their own harrowing, long and painful deliveries? They may mean well (by sharing what could happen and what to expect) but often the ultimate effect is that those stories just make whatever anxiety you already had skyrocket into the stress stratosphere. Eek! Try to take them with a pinch of salt and keep things in perspective. For every woman who has a delivery drama, there are many, many more who have completely uneventful deliveries. It’s likely yours will be uneventful too. Many anxious mums are also comforted by the notion that delivery is just one day of your life! (And many already mums will tell you that even after less-than-perfect deliveries they start planning their next baby on the maternity ward!)

‘I would recommend doing a lot of Kegels daily to build up that area. My midwife also recommends massaging the area with primrose oil. She reminds my DH to do it at every visit. Also, there’s research that suggests it may be better to tear naturally than to have an episiotomy. Natural tears may heal faster than when they cut you.’ –kylaplusone

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