29 weeks pregnant: growing, gaining and getting to know each other
Your baby is fully formed and spends the coming weeks maturing and filling out, often loudly at bedtime.
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
At 29 weeks you are early in the third trimester. The NHS says your baby is about 38.6cm from head to heel and now perfectly formed; the coming weeks are for maturing organs and gaining fat. The one thing to do this week: check your whooping cough vaccine is done, or booked, and keep noticing your baby's usual movement pattern.
Where you are at 29 weeks
Week two of the third trimester, and the start of month eight in Cleveland Clinic's grouping (weeks 29 to 32). The NHS reminds you that your baby is due in about 11 weeks. Our pregnancy week calculator shows exactly where you are, and the due date calculator confirms the date.
Your baby this week
The NHS measures your baby at about 38.6cm from head to heel and compares this to a butternut squash. Your baby is now perfectly formed; the work of the next weeks is maturing the organs and gaining fat. The vernix, the greasy white coating that protected the skin, and the soft downy hair start to disappear.
ACOG describes weeks 29 to 32 as the time your baby can stretch, kick and grasp, the eyes sense changes in light, and the bone marrow makes red blood cells. Cleveland Clinic notes that kicks may start to feel more like pokes as space gets tighter.
Your body and common symptoms
- Breathlessness. Your baby is pressing against your lungs. Slow down on stairs and rest when you need to.
- Night-time loo trips and leg cramps. If your baby presses on your bladder, you will be up more often. Stretch your calves before bed.
- A bedtime party. Babies have their own sleep and wake rhythms and seem to wake up just as you lie down. Rest during the day when you can.
- Feeling clumsy. Your balance changes with your bump. If you fall, the NHS says not to panic, as your baby is well cushioned, but let your midwife or doctor know.
- Sleep position. Keep going to sleep on your side, with a pillow under your bump and another between your legs. A UK study found going to sleep on the back was linked to higher odds of late stillbirth than the left side (Heazell 2018).
Bump myths you can ignore
If your scan did not show the sex, or your hospital does not reveal it, the NHS is clear about the old tricks: the position of your bump, a heart rate above 140, spinning a ring over your belly and home gender kits are not reliable. Some doctors, the NHS says, think a coin toss would do as well as the kits.
Is this normal? When to call
Breathlessness on effort, frequent peeing and evening kicks are all normal. Call your maternity unit or OB-GYN straight away if your baby's movements slow down, stop or change (the NHS says call immediately, even in the middle of the night, and do not use a home doppler); if breathlessness is sudden, happens lying down, or comes with chest pain or dizziness; for bleeding or fluid leaking; for regular tightenings or a dull low backache before 37 weeks; or for a severe headache, vision changes, pain below the ribs or sudden swelling. UK: NHS 111 if you cannot reach your unit, 999 in an emergency. US: 911 in an emergency.
Appointments and tests around 29 weeks
| United States | United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Whooping cough | CDC: Tdap during weeks 27 to 36, earlier preferred | NHS: protection for your baby is strongest if you have it before 32 weeks; you can still have it later |
| RSV | CDC: weeks 32 to 36, September to January | NHS: offered from 28 weeks; if you have not had it, ask your midwife or GP |
| Next check | Visits roughly every two weeks (Cleveland Clinic) | NHS 31-week appointment if this is your first baby |
Your checklist for week 29
For your partner
Ask what kind of support she would like in labour, and write it down together: it is the start of the birth plan, and of your role in it.
Previous and next week
Week 28: the third trimester begins · Week 30: three-quarters of the way · The third trimester · All weeks
Questions parents ask
Can you tell the baby's sex from the shape of the bump?
No. The NHS says a high or low bump has more to do with your height, your muscles and how much you eat. Heart rate, the wedding ring test and home kits are not reliable either.
Why am I so out of breath at 29 weeks?
Your baby is pushing up against your lungs and you are carrying more weight, the NHS explains. Get breathlessness that comes on suddenly, happens when lying down or comes with chest pain or dizziness checked immediately.
How many months pregnant is 29 weeks?
Cleveland Clinic groups weeks 29 to 32 as month eight, so 29 weeks is the start of your eighth month.
Sources
- NHS — Week-by-week guide: week 29 checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Whooping cough vaccine checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Your baby's movements checked October 13, 2026
- CDC — Vaccine Recommendations Before, During, and After Pregnancy checked October 13, 2026
- ACOG — How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy checked October 13, 2026
- Cleveland Clinic — Fetal Development: Week-by-Week Stages of Pregnancy checked October 13, 2026
- Heazell et al. (2018), BJOG — Maternal sleep practices and late stillbirth (PMID 29152887) checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.