30 Week Growth...

How your baby's growing: Your baby's a bit more than 15 1/2 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and fills out your uterus. Her eyes open and close, she's able to distinguish between light and dark, and she can even follow a light source back and forth. Once she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have a visual acuity of only 20/400 — which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. ("Normal" vision in adults is 20/20.)

By this week, your baby's senses are developed to the point where she can taste, touch, see, and hear what's going on around her. She'll also react to stimuli--for instance, if you poke your belly, she may kick or hit back at the spot you've touched. It's exciting to interact with your baby even before she's born. Try rubbing your belly and talking gently to her when she kicks--you may find that you're already able to calm her down.

and about 14 inches in length. She’s also filling out a bit as she continues to gain weight, and these layers of fat help her to appear less wrinkled.

As practice for breathing after birth, your baby is mimicking breathing movements by repeatedly moving her diaphragm in a rhythmic way. This can trigger hiccups if she inadvertently inhales amniotic fluid. A pint and a half of amniotic fluid now surrounds your baby, but that volume decreases as she gets bigger and has less room in your uterus.

Here's what else is happening this week:
*Baby's head continues to grow, and brain growth speeds up even more.
*Baby's hearing is improving; nearly all babies can react (by movement) to sound by this week.

How your life's changing: You may be feeling a little tired these days, especially if you're having any trouble sleeping. You might also feel clumsy, which is perfectly understandable. Not only are you heavier, your balance is off and your joints are loosened, thanks to pregnancy hormones. Those loose joints can actually cause your feet to grow a shoe size --permanently.

Remember those mood swings you had earlier in pregnancy? The combination of uncomfortable symptoms and your hormones may result in a revisit of those ups and downs you felt in the first few months. It's normal to worry about what your labor will be like or whether you'll be a good parent, but if you can't shake the blues or feel increasingly anxious or irritable, talk to your doctor or midwife. You may be among the 10 percent of expectant women who battle mild to moderate depression during their pregnancies.
And if you think you might like some kind of pain relief for labor and delivery, now's a good time to look into your options.

As you grow rounder, you'll find that everyone has an opinion about your pregnancy. You'll hear old wives' tales about gender (if you're carrying low, it's a boy; high, it's a girl), sex (intercourse can cause premature labor), childbirth (pain-relief drugs will harm the baby), and much more. While it's hard to ignore these unsolicited opinions, use your judgment to sort out the myths from the facts. And of course, speak to your health-care professional if you have any real concerns.

At this point, you should be gaining about a pound a week. Since the average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 to 30 pounds, you may still have about five pounds to go.

By now, you might be dreaming more vividly—these dreams may be related to your concerns about the new baby, your parenting ability (especially if this is your first child) and how life will be changing for your family. It's also normal to have recurrent dreams about childbirth or unexpected experiences with Baby. If you're finding it hard to sleep at night, try taking a catnap during the day to make up for it. If you work during the day, find a break room or safe, quiet place where you can get a little rest.