Your Pregnancy

This guide to your pregnancy tells you how your baby is developing each month. It also tells you a bit about how your body may be changing and how you might be feeling. Remember that not all babies develop exactly like each other, so this can only be a general guide: you should ask your doctor or midwife for any specific information about your pregnancy. We all know that babies come in two flavours, however - as most of you won't know what flavour you're getting - for clarity we will refer to your baby as "she".

Remember to check out our Pregnancy discussion boards here for further advice on your pregnancy - from how to combat morning sickness to where to find the best maternity jeans, other Mumsnetters have it covered. Plus, join our online antenatal club and share your experience with other Mumsnetters due in the same month as you.

Your pregnancy at 29 to 32 weeks

Your baby's weight is now increasing much faster than her height. Between the 24th and 37th week she will pile on the grams, at a rate of 15g a day. During this period, your baby will be around 28 to 30cm long and 1400 to 2100g. She's getting chubbier and soon fat will make up 8% of her weight. She will look pink and develop body contours that will give her her baby shape. She will be ditching the downy hair on her head and growing her first proper baby hair: this will have colour although, like baby's eyes, it can change after birth.

As well as getting fatter, your baby's brain is still hard at work, with nerve cells reaching out to meet other nerve cells to form the intricate systems of wiring that determine who we are and what our potential is and control what our body does. Increasingly your baby's brain will be able to control her breathing and temperature. The complex wiring and connections that the brain has to grow mean that it takes a while for the developing baby to coordinate the control mechanisms that the brain performs. How fast you breathe for example, can change depending how hot you are (we don't pant like dogs but we may breathe more shallowly when it is very hot). Your baby will be able to move her eyeballs - although there isn't much to see in your womb so she probably won't be doing it much. But if she sees a bright light she will have what's called a pupillary light reflex - the pupil (the dark bit in the centre of the eye) will get smaller. Even though your baby has the right nerve cells to distinguish colours they won't work until she is born so, to her, everything in the womb is monochrome. All five of your baby's senses will be in working order and research shows that babies have periods of dream sleep at around 8 months.

Your baby will be getting more used to hearing things outside the womb although research suggests the quality of sound is poor because it is muffled by the amniotic fluid (which is bathing the ear of your baby); the insulation of the amniotic sac and the immaturity of your baby's hearing system. Even so, research shows that newborn babies are born preferring their mother's voice to anyone else's.

Your baby will still turn the odd somersault. but increasingly she will get crowded in your womb and her movements will get restricted. They will be more forceful - you can sometimes see what looks like a foot or fist sticking up through your abdominal wall.

Your baby's bones will be storing calcium and other minerals that make them hard and strong and they will now be the main supplier to the body of red blood cells, which carry oxygen and nutrients round the body.

Your baby will still be developing her lungs, each week they get better at breathing but their development continues well into childhood.

If you have a boy baby, his testicles will be moving from higher up in his abdomen down to their rightful place in the scrotum.

How are you changing?

You may feel great right up until the time you give birth and maybe even then - who knows? But you are more likely to feel more tired as the weeks go on and to need more rest. The fatigue of pregnancy is really like no other - it spreads up and over your whole body, leaving you completely knackered. You may also find that you need to eat little and often, because you don't physically feel you can eat a full meal at one sitting. You may also be getting less sleep because of getting up to go the toilet. Your baby is pressing on your bladder and you will feel like passing urine more often. Your belly button will probably have popped out by now too.

You may also feel quite lonely. The changes that your body goes through, the extraordinary process of growing a baby inside you, can make you feel separate at times. You may feel preoccupied by being pregnant and the physical changes it brings. Some women also feel strange that their partner or friends (who haven't had kids) have no real idea of what they going through. You may find that the National Childbirth Trust, or other organisations can give you support, but you do need to try to talk to your partner (if you have one) and concentrate a bit on your relationship. This can be hard if you have any of the following:

Varicose veins:

You may remember your mother having them. Now you know why. A baby in your womb presses on the veins in your pelvis that collect blood from the veins in your legs. As a result, the blood doesn't leave your legs as sprightly as it used to and pools there. Also the hormones in pregnancy affect the valves in your leg veins that should help push the blood up the leg. Consequently, your leg veins start bulging and they may itch and ache. If this is your first pregnancy, they are highly likely to go (well mostly) a few months after birth. If it isn't then they are likely to get worse with each pregnancy and stay behind afterwards. There isn't much you can do to stop them - some people suggest support hose, others that you swim or exercise regularly. When you are sitting, don't cross your legs and if possible raise them higher than the level of your heart.

Sleep problems:

There are many reasons why you may not be able to sleep at night. As your baby gets bigger it is hard to get comfortable. For instance, you may be woken by the pressure on your bladder from her head once she has turned round to take up her exit position. If you empty your bladder before going to bed and lie on your side with a pillow between your legs this may make you more comfortable and sleep longer.

If you have heartburn it will be worse at night and you can be kept awake by a burning pain. Again, avoid eating late at night. I used to chew Tums all the time, which neutralise the acid that comes back up into your mouth, but you should talk to your doctor or midwife first before taking anything.

Restless legs:

If you are not sure if you have had restless legs then you probably haven't. Some women get them in pregnancy and then never again. It's not clear what the cause is, but your legs feel twitchy and you don't know how to stop them wanting to move. This is called restless leg syndrome and is quite common in people who aren't pregnant. No one knows what causes it - theories include too much caffeine, alcohol and low levels of blood sugar. It is probably reasonable to drink less tea and coffee and have warm baths before bed. Swimming is good for pretty much everything, as is a healthy diet with dark green vegetables, red meat (in moderation) and milk and eggs.

Remember, you can chat to other mums about all the "joys" of pregnancy on our Pregnancy discussion boards here.