30 weeks pregnant

Your baby this week

Baby practices breathing motions even though there's no air yet.

• Baby practices 'breathing' by moving the diaphragm — though they're still getting oxygen from the umbilical cord.
• Brain develops dramatically — the once smooth surface starts to have grooves and indentations.
• Baby's bone marrow takes over red-blood-cell production.

Your body this week

Swelling in hands and feet is normal — call your provider if it's sudden or severe.

• Mild swelling in hands and feet is normal, but watch for sudden or severe swelling — could indicate preeclampsia.
• Sleep continues to be challenging — try various pillow setups.
• Mood swings can return as the body prepares for the home stretch.

Common symptoms

• Edema (swelling)
• Mood swings
• Hemorrhoids
• Trouble sleeping
• Frequent urination (baby on bladder)

Things to do this week

• ✓Stay hydrated to reduce swelling
• ✓Elevate feet daily
• ✓Tell provider about sudden swelling, severe headache, or vision changes

For partners this week

Know when to call

• Learn the signs that need a call right away: sudden swelling, a bad headache or vision changes.
• Encourage feet-up time in the evenings.

Typical visits around this week

Based on a typical schedule in Ontario. Your doctor or midwife sets the actual timing.

• Tdap (whooping cough) vaccine

  Weeks 27–32

  Recommended in every pregnancy, whatever your vaccine history, ideally between 27 and 32 weeks. It helps protect the baby from whooping cough in the first months of life. If it's missed, it can still be given later in pregnancy.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Can I get the Tdap vaccine at this visit, or where should I go?
  • I had it in a past pregnancy — do I need it again?
  • Can I get other vaccines at the same time?

• Routine check-ups (about every 2 weeks)

  Weeks 28–36

  From about 28 weeks, check-ups usually come every 2 to 3 weeks. Your provider keeps an eye on your blood pressure, the baby's growth and heartbeat, and will talk about feeling the baby move.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • How should I keep track of the baby's movements?
  • Which symptoms mean I should call right away?
  • When should we register at the hospital or plan our birth place?
  • Are prenatal classes available near us?

Coming up

• RSV vaccine (if baby is due in RSV season)

  Weeks 32–36 · if it applies to you

  If your baby is expected during RSV season (roughly fall to spring), a vaccine in pregnancy is one way to protect them; the other is an antibody given to the baby after birth. Ontario offers the pregnancy vaccine free at 32–36 weeks (national guidance says it can be given from 28 weeks). Your provider will help you choose.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Is my baby due during RSV season?
  • Should I get the vaccine, or should the baby get the antibody after birth?
  • Where can I get the RSV vaccine?
  • If I get it, does the baby still need anything after birth?

A flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine are recommended at any stage of pregnancy. The flu shot is given during flu season, so the timing depends on when you're pregnant.

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Further reading from health authorities

• Pregnancy — Government of Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Your pregnancy — Pregnancy Info, from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
• Week-by-week guide to pregnancy — NHS (UK)
• Pregnancy — American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)