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Your baby's twenty-ninth week after birth
At 29-weeks, your little one will have growth spurts that’ll switch into full gear. Your baby’s milk teeth are making their presence felt to the world. They might have around 3 tiny teeth jutting out and more often, these teeth are a little crooked. However, they’ll self-correct with time. Your little one’s hand-eye coordination has improved dramatically due to regular practice. Due to the constant crawling, your baby’s legs are much stronger than before.
In addition to physical developments, you’ll notice that your little one can grasp the meaning of simple words such as yes and no. They might respond to them verbally, too. Additionally, based on the circumstances, your baby might develop moods such as happiness and sadness. Finally, your little one is much more aware of their environment. They can also differentiate between day and night.
Your 29-week-old baby's development and physical growth
Your baby’s weight:
- By now, your little one is gradually making their way up the growth charts.
- As of this month, they’ll gain around 1 to 1¼ pounds in weight and grow about ½ inch to ¾ inch in length.
- As a parent, you’ll be able to see a personal growth curve emerging, if you’ve been following your baby’s weight and length developments at every doctor’s visit and noting where their stats fall out on the standard growth chart.
- However, remember that every baby is different and they all grow at their own pace.
- Most babies will most likely continue to progress along throughout the first year according to the standard growth chart.
Your baby’s diet:
- At this stage, your little one, for the most part, has already grown up.
- By 29 weeks, your baby has a steady diet of purees that is easy to eat and digest.
- It’s time to take that extra step of offering them some delicious finger foods.
- Finger foods include anything healthy and easy to consume, such as steamed vegetables.
- To make sure it suits your baby’s palette, you can lay out a couple of foods in front of them and let them decide which tastes better.
- Remember that during this age, kids still have a strong gag reflex, which is an action that can sometimes be confused for choking.
- So, please keep this in mind while feeding your little ones!
Your baby’s sleep:
At 29 weeks, your little one’s sleep can be uninterrupted sometimes for long periods. However, here are some instances where your baby might experience broken sleep during this time:
- Teething: By now, your baby might have started teething. These growing milk teeth might cause pain to your little one. It’ll affect their sleep cycle and might keep them awake at night.
- Night feeding: Most babies might not need night feeding, however, some would still insist on being fed at night. Both scenarios are normal. But, you should gradually wean the baby off this habit.
- Physical developments: At 29 weeks, your baby is growing at a rapid pace and their brain is developing as well. Studies suggest that a baby’s sleeping cycle is deeply affected as they learn how to crawl.
Your 29-week-old baby's reflexes
Here are some of the developmental milestones that you can expect from your 29-week old baby:
- Due to your baby’s strong muscular system, they can not only sit upright but stand up as well.
- However, they can stand up only with your support.
- It’ll take your baby some time to master the art of standing without any help, so be patient and offer them support.
- To some observers, your little one’s vocabulary might seem basic and non-existent.
- As parents, you need to realize that it might seem like some mindless baby babble but it’s a language in itself.
- So, don’t worry because your little one will soon start to communicate with you.
- At 29 weeks, your baby might get fussy if they are away from you.
- They are learning the concept of distances between themselves and the parent.
- As parents, you can go about this in two ways.
- First, you can let your baby cry it out as it helps them attain independence.
- Secondly, you can provide an immediate response, as it will have long-term benefits because your baby will feel emotionally grounded.
Your 29-week-old baby's health
Tests and Vaccinations:
- During this time, you have to administer some standard vaccinations such as DTaP, Hepatitis B, Hib, and Rotavirus.
- Additionally, if one or more members of your household have active tuberculosis, you should get a tuberculosis test done, too.
Consult a Doctor, if:
- Your little one has a very high temperature and shows no signs of subsiding.
- Your baby is exhibiting no emotions or expressions towards known people.
- Your baby does not talk much, often stays aloof, and they’re not playful or active.
Postpartum baby tips: Week 29 after birth
Understanding constipation in babies
As you start introducing some new foods to your little one, it can cause some constipation. This can result in your baby straining to poop, hard or painful bowel movements that might look like little pellets or they might even go several days without pooping. Here are some things that you can do to help your constipated little one:
- Keep your baby hydrated – When they’re constipated, give babies a couple of ounces of prune, apple, or pear juice daily as it’ll soften their stools.
- High-fiber foods – Some foods that will ease constipation include pureed or soft prunes, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, beans, and vegetables. Also to get things moving you can give them brown rice, whole-wheat pasta, and oatmeal.
- Cutting back on “binding foods” – Exclude food such as bananas, white rice, and white pasta, and cereal or puff snacks from their diet as it can contribute to constipation.
- Write it down – Additionally, you can keep track of your baby’s diet. It helps you figure out which foods might be causing constipation.
Consult your pediatrician for guidance on treating constipation, if you’re concerned, or don’t see any improvement.
Understand how to discipline your baby
- By now, your little one can understand certain individual words, especially if you deliver them in a certain tone of voice.
- The most important word your baby might ever learn is “no.”
- You’ll soon need to use it a lot and some moms find it’s hard to say.
- Some moms don’t want to become a naysayer in their child’s life or the one who constantly puts an end to all the fun.
- Experts suggest that, rather than simply saying “No” all the time, direct your (under the age of 1) baby’s attention elsewhere as it’s a much more effective tactic.
- Save the word “No” for when you need your baby to respond immediately.
- Such as if she’s in danger.
- You can say “No” firmly if your baby reaches for an electrical outlet. Then whisk them out of the situation.
- They might go back to the same behavior a minute later because babies have an irrepressible drive to explore.
- Once they get older, they’ll be much more responsive to “No”.
The mother's after childbirth: What is happening in the twenty-ninth week after giving birth?
Your body and Lactational Amenorrhea
When you exclusively breastfeed, it might reduce your chances of getting pregnant. However, do not consider this as a reliable form of birth control and it’s commonly known as the Lactational Amenorrhea Method or LAM.
When you’re breastfeeding your little one, they will naturally put pressure on your nipple. This will send a message to your body to produce a hormone that will prevent ovulation.
But LAM only happens if:
- Your baby is less than 6 months old.
- Your little is nursed on demand. If they’re fed at least every 4 hours during the day and at least 6 hours during the night. This means no water, formula, food, or even pumping, only by nursing exclusively from your breast.
- You haven’t experienced any spotting or gotten your period.
You need to keep your baby safe
- At 29 weeks, your little one might be pulling up, standing, or even walking on their own.
- You can opt for an exer-saucer or stationary activity center as it will allow your little one to safely stand and play.
- It’s time to complete the next phase of baby-proofing.
- You need to add child-safety locks to drawers, cabinets, and doors on furniture.
- For instance, babies love to use lower knobs to pull themselves up so child-proof your entertainment center.
- While standing up, your little can reach the giant stack of magazines on your coffee table or picture frames displayed on end tables so remove them.
- Also, remove any breakable or possibly dangerous objects from every surface.
- Their tiny hands have a way of finding things, so make sure you’ve baby-proofed the house.
- Additionally, remember to bolt heavy furniture to the wall as if your baby grabs onto an unstable dresser or bookcase, it will toppling onto them and cause serious consequences.
Final Thoughts
At 29 weeks, your little one is well-acquainted with their surroundings. They might get a tad bit demanding with their requests and will make no qualms about letting everyone know about it! Keep in mind that babies grow at different rates so don’t worry if your baby’s growth and development are a little slow. Remember to enjoy this time with your baby, and try to capture their best moments on camera or in a baby journal!
