pregnancy week 29
29 weeks pregnant.
Rapid weight gain begins. The baby fills out and starts to look more like a newborn each week.
Updated 29 July 2026 · Sources: NHS and ACOG
Your baby this week
Cheeks are filling in. The skin is less wrinkly and reddish — more pink and rounded. Vernix coat is still present.
- Rapid weight gain
- Bones harden
- Muscles strengthen
- Lungs maturing fast
What may be changing in your body
You may notice colostrum (early milk) leaking from your breasts. Sleep is increasingly tricky. Hip and lower-back ache are common.
Leaking colostrum
Your breasts may leak drops of yellowish first milk, which is completely normal and no reflection of future supply either way. Breast pads solve the practical side.
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Tingling, numbness, or weakness in the fingers — often worse overnight — comes from fluid pressing on the wrist nerve. Wrist splints worn at night help many people; mention it to your midwife.
Constipation
Progesterone slows the gut and iron supplements can slow it further. Fibre, fluids, and daily walking are first-line; ask a pharmacist before using any laxative.
Hip pain when side sleeping
Months of side sleeping load the hips. A mattress topper or a pillow between the knees to keep hips stacked reduces the ache.
Varicose veins
Bulging leg veins come from pressure on pelvic blood vessels and relaxed vein walls. Compression stockings, elevation, and avoiding long standing spells keep them manageable.
Feeling the baby in your ribs
Feet and bottoms lodge under the ribs as space tightens. Sitting tall, side stretches, and time on all fours can persuade a small foot to move.
Your week 29 checklist
- Buy breast pads if colostrum leaking has started.
- Research and shortlist your baby's GP practice or paediatric care arrangements.
- Write your list of people to notify at the birth and decide who sends the announcement.
- Keep up daily movement awareness — call your maternity unit immediately about any reduction.
A useful partner move this week
Take the birth announcement job off her plate: build the list of who gets told, in what order, and agree what you will and will not share online. It seems trivial now, but on the day it is one decision neither of you wants to be making between contractions.
What comes next
Most babies move into a head-down position between weeks 32–36, ready for birth.
Common questions
Is leaking colostrum at 29 weeks normal?
Yes — many people leak small amounts of colostrum from mid-to-late pregnancy as the breasts prepare for feeding, and many others never leak at all. Neither pattern predicts how feeding will go after birth. Breast pads handle the practicality, and there is nothing you need to do about it medically.
Why are my hands numb and tingly during pregnancy?
Fluid retention narrows the carpal tunnel in the wrist, compressing the nerve that supplies most of the hand — symptoms are often worst at night or on waking. Night wrist splints, keeping wrists neutral, and hand exercises usually control it, and it typically resolves in the weeks after birth. Tell your midwife if weakness makes you drop things, as physiotherapy can help.
How much weight should I gain in the third trimester?
Weight gain guidance depends on your starting BMI, but a common pattern is roughly 0.2 to 0.5 kilograms per week in the third trimester. More useful than the scales is the overall picture: balanced eating, staying active, and steady growth at your antenatal checks. If you are worried about gaining too much or too little, raise it with your midwife rather than restricting food yourself.
How many months is 29 weeks pregnant?
Pregnancy months do not divide evenly into weeks, so clinicians date pregnancy in weeks. At 29 weeks, you are in trimester three.