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Trimester 3 · Week 30 of 40

Week 30 of pregnancy: Gaining Weight

Your baby's brain is folding and growing fast. A good week to settle where you will give birth, plan work, and ease sleep and constipation.

Last updated 28 September 2026

What's happening this week?

Around 30 weeks your baby's brain is enlarging rapidly, and its surface folds more deeply to make room. For you, broken sleep and constipation are common complaints, and both often respond to simple changes. It is also a practical week: if you have not decided where you will give birth, now is a good time, especially if you plan to travel to your parents' home for the delivery, as many families in India do. If you work, you may want to plan your last working weeks.

Baby's development

The brain is growing rapidly, and the cortex, its thin outer layer, is folding into more ridges and grooves. Folding lets a much larger surface fit inside the skull, and it increases through the rest of pregnancy.

Your baby now has some ability to regulate body temperature, helped by the brown fat that has been building since about 26 weeks. That ability is limited, which is why babies born this early still need incubators and specialist care; it improves as more fat builds up in the remaining weeks. The fine lanugo hair covering the body is beginning to thin and will mostly be gone by around 38 weeks.

Bone marrow, which began taking over blood-cell production from the liver and spleen in mid-pregnancy, is now the main site for making red blood cells. Your baby also keeps gaining fat, which rounds out the body and smooths the skin. The lungs are still developing their air spaces and are not yet mature. The eyes, which opened a few weeks ago, can blink and move, and your baby now responds consistently to sound.

Your baby's size

About the size of a large cabbage

39.9 cm

15.7 in · Length

1300 g

Weight

Week 30

Gestational age

Your baby is likely around 39 to 40 cm from crown to heel. The Hadlock chart's middle weight at 30 weeks is about 1.55 kg; the 1.3 kg shown here is lower, which fits the pattern of Indian babies weighing less than Western references. Both are averages, and healthy babies vary widely either side. The cabbage is a rough comparison only.

Your body this week

Sleep often gets harder around now. The size of the bump, needing to pass urine at night, heartburn, leg cramps and a busy mind can all keep you awake or wake you early. ICMR suggests 2 to 3 hours of rest during the day in pregnancy, which can help make up for broken nights if your routine allows.

Pregnancy hormones slow the gut and the uterus presses on the bowel, so constipation is common. Straining can lead to piles (haemorrhoids), swollen veins around the back passage that may itch, ache or bleed slightly.

Braxton Hicks tightenings, backache and occasional light-headedness may continue. You may feel more tired by evening and notice the bump changing how you sit, walk and bend, so tasks that were easy a month ago can take longer. Emotionally, planning the birth and time away from work can bring relief to some people and stress to others. Sharing the organising with your partner or family helps.

Symptoms you may notice

Every pregnancy is different - you may have some, all or none of these.

Trouble sleeping: Settle on your side with pillows, keep the room cool and dark, and avoid heavy meals and late chai before bed. If worry keeps you awake night after night, mention it.
Constipation: More fibre, more fluid and a daily walk usually help. Isabgol is considered a safe option; ask before using any other laxative.
Piles: Avoid straining, keep stools soft and do not sit on the toilet for long. Tell your doctor about any bleeding from the back passage so it can be checked, and ask before using a cream.
Backache: Change position often, sit with your lower back supported and let others do the lifting.
Tingling fingers: Swelling in the wrist can press on a nerve (carpal tunnel syndrome), causing tingling, numbness or pain in the fingers, often worse at night. Wrist splints help, and most cases settle within a few months of the birth.

Medical care and tests

Third antenatal visit
Routine
28–34 weeks in India; WHO contact at 30 weeks
If you have not yet had your 28 to 34 week visit, book it. The WHO model includes a contact at 30 weeks. Blood pressure, urine, weight, haemoglobin and bump size are checked, and it is a good time to discuss your birth plans.
Growth scan if you have gestational diabetes
Only if needed
28–30 weeks, repeated at 34–36 weeks
India's national guideline recommends growth scans at these points for women with gestational diabetes, to check the baby's size and fluid. Your doctor will explain what the results mean for your care.
Birth preparedness planning
Routine
Third trimester
India's programme encourages every family to plan where the birth will happen, how you will get there day or night, who will come with you and how you will reach help in an emergency. The detailed plan is often made around 36 weeks, but deciding early gives time to arrange things. Ask whether your chosen hospital suits your pregnancy.

Nutrition this week

Fibre is your main tool against constipation and piles. Choose whole grains such as whole-wheat atta, brown rice, jowar, bajra and daliya, plus plenty of vegetables, pulses and fruit.
Drink more than 2 litres of fluid a day, as ICMR advises. Water, chaas, nimbu pani with little sugar and thin dal all count, and you need more in hot weather.
Guava, pear, soaked raisins and ripe papaya are useful fibre-rich fruits to rotate through the week.
Isabgol is a bulk-forming laxative considered safe in pregnancy. Take it with plenty of water and keep it apart from your iron tablet. If constipation is making it hard to keep taking iron, tell your doctor rather than stopping.

Movement and exercise

A daily walk helps keep your bowels moving and may help you sleep.
Gentle evening stretches and slow breathing can help you relax before bed; save more energetic exercise for earlier in the day.
If you stand at work, take sitting breaks; if you sit, get up and move around regularly. A prenatal yoga class can help with posture and relaxation; tell the teacher how far along you are.
Stop any activity that causes pain, dizziness, bleeding or leaking fluid, and seek advice.

Things to keep in mind

Choose where you will give birth with your doctor's input. Think about distance and night-time travel, whether obstetric and newborn care are available round the clock, costs and what your pregnancy needs.
If you will give birth in another town, for example at your parents' home, plan the move for a time your doctor agrees, carry all your reports and your MCP card, and meet the new doctor well before the due date.
At work, avoid heavy lifting, long periods of standing and strenuous tasks. Talk to your employer about adjustments and check your organisation's maternity leave policy for the details.
Plan transport to hospital for day and night, with a back-up option.

When to contact your doctor

Call your doctor or midwife the same day if you have

Burning when you pass urine, or a temperature of 38°C or above.
Itching of your palms or soles, particularly at night.
Pain, warmth or swelling in one leg.
A persistent headache or sudden swelling of the face, hands or feet.
Low mood or anxiety that has lasted two weeks or more.

Get emergency care now if you have

Your baby moving less or differently from usual.
Heavy bleeding, or severe constant abdominal pain.
Regular tightenings, backache that comes and goes, or a gush of fluid before 37 weeks.
Severe headache, blurred vision or flashing lights, or pain under the right ribs.
Fainting, a fit, chest pain or severe breathlessness.

In India, call 108 for an ambulance, 102 for free transport for pregnant women in many states, or 112 for any emergency - or go straight to your nearest hospital with a maternity unit.

If something feels wrong, trust that feeling and call - you never need to wait for your next appointment.

Questions to ask your doctor

Is the hospital I have chosen suitable for my pregnancy?
If I give birth in another city, what should I take and when should I travel?
Is isabgol or another laxative suitable for me?
Until when is it reasonable for me to keep working?

Week 30 checklist

Decide on your place of birth
Plan day and night transport to hospital
Keep your reports and MCP card in one folder
Eat a whole grain and a fruit every day
Drink more than 2 litres of fluid

Frequently asked questions

How do I choose where to give birth?

Consider travel time, including at night, whether doctors and newborn care are available around the clock, costs, and what your doctor recommends for your pregnancy. If you have risk factors, a hospital with specialist facilities may be advised. Visit if you can, and ask about their policies on birth companions and visitors.

Is it safe to travel to my mother's home for the delivery?

Many women do, but plan it with your doctor. Travelling earlier in the third trimester is usually easier than in the last weeks, and flying is generally avoided from 37 weeks in a single pregnancy. Check with the airline too, since airlines often ask for a letter from your doctor confirming you are fit to fly in late pregnancy. Carry your records and meet the new doctor soon after arriving.

Why am I so constipated now?

Pregnancy hormones slow the gut, the growing uterus presses on the bowel, and you may be moving less than before. More fibre, more fluids and daily walks usually help, and isabgol is considered safe. Tell your doctor if you have severe pain, blood in your stool, or constipation that continues despite these steps.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a substitute for care from your own doctor or midwife. Pregnancies differ, and timings here are typical ranges rather than deadlines. Read our medical disclaimer and editorial policy.