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30 Weeks Pregnant
 The Baby The baby is about 15 inches (38 cm) long and weighs almost 3 pounds (1300 grams). Continue to grow rapidly, little one, and stay in your warm nest for now.In most western countries, women have blood tests done early in pregnancy. One of those tests determined your blood type. One thing the test looks for is the so-called "Rh factor," which is a type of protein on the surface of the red blood cell. You can be either Rh-positive or Rh-negative. The fetus can inherit the Rh factor from the father or the mother. If the mother is Rh-negative and the fetus is Rh-positive, problems may arise. If the mother is Rh-negative, she may develop antibodies to the Rh-positive baby. If a small amount of the baby's blood mixes with her blood, for example during a medical procedure like amniocentesis, her body may respond as if it is allergic to the baby, making antibodies to the Rh antigens in the baby's blood. This condition is called being Rh "sensitized." The mother's antibodies may cross the placenta and attack her baby's blood, breaking down its red blood cells and producing anemia. This condition can become quite severe. If the blood type screening reveals the risk of Rh-incompatibility, the health care provider (HCP) may offer an injection of Rh immunoglobulin (RhIg), a blood product that can prevent sensitization of an Rh-negative mother. It is used during pregnancy and after birth. If a woman with Rh-negative blood has not been sensitized, her HCP may suggest that she receive RhIg around the 28th week of pregnancy to prevent sensitization for the rest of pregnancy. If the baby is born with Rh-positive blood, the mother will be offered another dose of RhIg to prevent her from making antibodies to the Rh-positive cells that may have crossed into her blood system before and during the birth, which could lead to Rh-incompatibility with a subsequent pregnancy. However, every subsequent pregnancy requires additional treatment with RhIg. Any time an Rh-negative woman has treatment for miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, or induced abortion, she also needs treatment to prevent any chance of the woman developing antibodies that would attack a future Rh-positive baby.If a woman develops antibodies, RhIg treatment is not effective. A mother who is Rh sensitized will be checked during her pregnancy to see if the fetus is developing the condition. In most cases, the baby is born normally, but shortly after birth receives a blood transfusion for the baby to replace the damaged blood cells with healthy blood. In the most severe cases, the baby may be delivered early or even given a blood transfusion in utero. Rh disease has become quite rare in modern societies where early diagnosis and treatment is available. Research has shown that there may be a link between mothers who receive a RhIg shot that was preserved with a mercury-containing compound, infants who received shots preserved with mercury, and increased risk of autism. It is worth asking your HCP if the RhIg shot (and your child's shots) are mercury-free.
 MotherNow that your tummy is getting bigger and bigger, it might be getting in the way. Even just standing for a short period can be more exhausting.  If you work sitting at a desk, maintain good posture, take frequent breaks, and try to squat and do pelvic tilts throughout the day. Pretend you've dropped something under your desk so you can crawl down and do your exercises! Walking and hiking will usually go fine as long as you have good, strong shoes. Your balance may be shaky, so you may need to be more careful when standing on a stepstool or ladder. Because your joints have become more flexible, be more careful with sudden movements. You have a greater risk of straining your ankle or hurting your knee. Some moms find it's time to switch from playing sports or riding a bike, to a pregnancy yoga or swim class.You have probably felt a strangely hard or tight sensation in your belly by now, something you have never experienced before. It feels as if you suddenly have a volleyball in your abdomen. This phenomenon is called a Braxton Hicks contraction.During a Braxton Hicks contraction, part of your uterus briefly contracts, usually for no more than 30 seconds. These contractions are normally so mild you may only notice them when you are relaxed and paying attention. Sometimes they may make you catch your breath. If you've been exercising, haven't had enough to drink or eat, if you've been extra busy or have had some really great sex with a nice orgasm, you may experience much stronger Braxton Hicks. This is totally normal. The baby experiences it as a gentle hug, and later in the pregnancy, these mild partial contractions will help prepare your uterus for birth. Second time moms may have longer, stronger, even uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions. Again, your uterus knows what to do and is getting started earlier. If the contractions bother you, try your relaxation techniques from your childbirth class - breathe into your abdomen and relax.
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If you find that the Braxton Hicks contractions are really bothering you, ask your HCP.Your body may simply be telling you to take it easy - or you might have a bladder infection. |
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 FatherHopefully you're getting a lot out of the childbirth and baby care classes you are taking with your partner. One thing may be really spooking you: what if your baby decides to arrive near its due date, but it decides to come so quickly you can't make it to your birth place or the midwife can't get there in time? You've got to catch your own baby! Most dads will feel better with some basic baby-catching information. Know that in most cases, a baby who decides to come really fast is normally going to be just fine.First of all, if you are an action-oriented type of dad, it may make you feel more prepared to put together a small birth kit to carry in your car and have ready at home. The birth kit can contain: - Lots of clean towels
- Hand sanitizer for you
- Receiving blankets to keep the baby warm after birth
- A newborn diaper and a tiny newborn hat
- A bulb syringe to suck snot out of the baby's nose if necessary
- Some extra plastic bags
Put it all in a big plastic bag that you can use as a seat protector if the mom is leaking fluids on the car seat. Just knowing that the birth kit is handy may help reassure you.So imagine you are at home at night in bed with your partner. She's woken up a few times at night complaining of back cramps. You've comforted her and rubbed her back and she's gone back to sleep. She wakes up early the next morning to a very strong contraction. The contractions get closer and closer together and become seriously strong. She doesn't want to walk around, she just wants to lie on her side and relax. You want to get her into the car and off to the birth place, but she won't move. She tells you to leave her alone. Her feet are cold and she suddenly tells you she wants to vomit. These are all signs that she is in the last stages of labor, called transition, before she starts to push the baby out. This would probably be a good time to call your midwife; she may be able to join you at home. The risk is, if you drag the laboring woman to the car or taxi, she may have the baby en route, which is less safe than having the baby at home. If you don't have a midwife but you do have access to an emergency medical team, you can call them instead. Try to calmly tell them your partner is birthing your baby at home. It might be worth learning ahead of time what the protocol is in your community. In some places, the emergency medical team has the responsibility for taking over the scene. In other places, the mother and father are allowed to go about their business with the emergency personnel acting as backup.
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If what you see coming down the birth canal looks like a thick worm - look closely to see if it appears to be a weird part of the baby's head or a hand, or if it is the umbilical cord. If it is the umbilical cord, this is a true emergency. Help the mom to get onto her hands and knees with her butt in the air and call the emergency services.This baby needs to be born with medical attention at hand. |
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If the water breaks and it is brown or green or smelly, this is a sign that the baby has pooped, or "passed meconium," in utero. This is sometimes a sign that the baby may be in distress. This baby should be evaluated as soon as possible. |
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If the baby is yellowish in color at birth, have the baby evaluated by a medical professional. It may be a sign of birth jaundice, which is risky to the baby. |
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