Day 211 of 280, third trimester
You are 30 weeks and 1 day
It's worth thinking about where your baby will sleep before you bring him home from the hospital.
69 days until your due date
It's recommended that your baby sleeps in a crib in your bedroom for the first six months. With your baby in your room, you'll be close by when he cries at night and able to see to him easily, which is especially useful if you're breastfeeding.
Babies aren't necessarily quiet sleepers: they wriggle, grunt, and move around, which may disturb you or your partner. If your partner has to work the next day, this may affect him. It will affect you too, but you may be able to catch up on sleep, or at least rest, when your baby naps. Do what's best for all three of you, even if that means your partner spends some nights in the spare room. Some new parents are so exhausted that they sleep whether the baby is snuffling or not.
If your baby sleeps in his own room, you may worry you won't hear him cry, but a baby monitor solves that. Just be aware that when he cries yet again at 3 am, a short trip along the landing can feel like a mile.
Good to know
Should you co-sleep?
You may want your baby in bed with you but worry about rolling onto him. For this reason, the American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend co-sleeping. It's especially dangerous if either of you smokes or uses alcohol or drugs that make you hard to wake, or if you sleep with the baby on a waterbed, couch, or chair. The safest place for your baby is a bassinet near your bed.
Focus on
Your body: Breast changes
In the third trimester, your breasts start preparing to feed your baby, and you may notice unexpected changes and discomfort. They'll become fuller and may feel very heavy, the areolas (around the nipples) darken, and you may feel lumps and bumps as the first milk, colostrum, starts to be made, which may leak a little.
The small glands on the areolas (Montgomery's tubercles) become raised bumps, you may see darker veins because of the extra blood supply, and your breasts may be more tender and sensitive than usual, especially to touch.
Explainer
A supportive bra
Your breasts change to prepare for breastfeeding whether or not you plan to breastfeed. They'll feel full and heavy by now, so wear a properly supportive bra, and get a fitting if needed.
Appointments and key dates around now
- Whooping cough vaccineUsually around 20 weeks, best before 32 weeks
- RSV vaccineFrom 28 weeks
Read the full 30 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.