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30-week-old baby- Rolling, sitting, crawling escalates to pulling up! What you need to know about delayed postpartum depression while your baby fills up the house with their giggles and energy.
Your baby's thirtieth week after birth
At 30 weeks, your little one has better cognitive abilities and memory. Now, they might anticipate what is going to happen next, i.e, if you open the lid of a cookie jar, your baby knows they’re getting a treat. Your toddler is relying more on sensory skills of touch, smell, and hearing. By now, your little one has turned into a keen observer and their fine motor skills are becoming better, which means you will hear them dropping, shaking, throwing, and banging their toys and other objects. Some babies might pick up food using their fingers, and even feed themselves, too. During this week, your baby’s growth spurts, they’ll get better at grasping ability, which will improve further as they grow. You’ll get to know if they are left-handed or right-handed as early as three months of age. However, most in the first year after birth, babies tend to use both their hands.
Your 30-week-old baby's development and physical growth
Your baby’s weight:
- At 30 weeks, your bouncing baby is slowly making its way up the growth charts.
- They are gaining about 1 to 1¼ pounds in weight.
- Also, during this month, they’ll grow about ½ inch to ¾ inch in length.
- As a parent, you’ll see a personal growth curve emerging, if you’ve been following your little one’s weight and length changes during every doctor visit and noting their stats on the standard growth chart.
- Your little one will most likely continue to progress along throughout the first year after the birth.
Your baby’s diet:
- During this time, your little one has started eating a wide range of solid foods.
- At dinner, you should introduce them to almost all food items that your family eats.
- You don’t need to exclude certain food just because you think it might lead to an allergic reaction (unless it has already happened).
- Do not feed eggs in any raw form to your little one.
- Start introducing your baby to one food at a time to see how they react to it.
- Along with feeding your baby solid foods, you should continue to breastfeed them.
- If your baby is lactose intolerant, you can opt for soy milk.
- As your little one’s immune system is still developing, you should offer them a wide variety of food that reduces their risk of food sensitivities.
- If there’s an allergic reaction (of any kind), seek immediate medical help and refrain from serving it again.
Your baby’s sleep:
- Your 30 weeks old baby is battling with developmental and growth issues.
- This will lead to an erratic day napping schedule, however, don’t worry it’s very normal in babies at this age.
- During the day, your little one might have 2 to 3 short naps.
- As your baby might not like sleeping alone in the cot, they might want to sleep snuggled up with you.
- You can expect this behavioral change because of separation anxiety, as well.
- Experts recommend sleeping in the same bed with your baby.
- This helps both the parents and the baby to have a peaceful sleep.
- You might notice an increase in their nighttime feeding.
- Although, your 30-week old baby’s sleep schedule might seem a little disrupted, soon it’ll improve.
Your 30-week-old baby's reflexes
Here are some developmental milestones of your 30 weeks old baby:
- By this age, your little one can understand dimension, and thus you might notice them stacking or placing their toys by size.
- They have stronger muscles, so they might crawl and may even turn their back while sitting.
- At this stage, your little one has a better understanding of emotions and they might laugh, cry, and show emotions that people around them usually exhibit.
- It’s a good time to teach your baby little gestures as they might even copy some of your actions. So, teach them some gestures such as bye-bye and shaking hands. You might notice them imitating various sounds that they hear, too.
- Also, it’s important to remember that every baby is different, and may achieve different milestones at different times!
Your 30-week-old baby's health
Tests:
At your 30-week old baby’s health check-up, your doctor might want to test the following:
- Body, check for rashes or infection, and various muscle movements.
- Head, check the fontanel or the soft spot on the head.
- Eyes, for any eye problems, like a blocked tear duct, etc.
- Mouth, for any new baby teeth or signs of thrush.
- Ears, how your baby is responding to sounds, or check for an infection.
- Heart and lungs, for any signs of abnormal heartbeat and breathing troubles.
Vaccinations:
- Some of the vaccines that your baby will be given include DTaP, Hepatitis B, Hib, Rotavirus, and Flu.
- Also, inquire about your baby’s vaccination schedule with your healthcare provider.
Consult a doctor, if your baby:
- Unable to sit, even with support.
- Unable to crawl or drag themselves when they lie on their tummy.
- Finds it difficult to get things close to their mouth.
- Don’t try to grab objects in their vicinity.
- Unable to roll in any direction.
- Exhibits no emotions or expressions towards familiar people.
- Extremely rigid and tight muscles, and stays stiff.
- Doesn’t make usual vowel sounds.
- Doesn’t squeal or laugh.
- Looks tired, disinterested, or is fussy and floppy.
If you notice any of these signs in your little one, they might have developmental problems. Most developmental issues can be handled with timely medical intervention and care.
Postpartum baby tips: Week 30 after birth
Understanding your baby’s diaper rash dilemma
- At this stage, you need to keep an eye out for diaper rash.
- It’s more common for babies around 7 and 10 months of age, as they’re expanding their palate which might change the consistency of their poop, irritate their bottom, and trigger that red, blotchy-looking skin.
- Also, if they sit up and crawl around in a soggy diaper, they can chafe.
- During diaper changes, having a rash might make your baby uncomfortable and fussy. However, it’s harmless and will clear up on its own in a couple of days.
- To make sure it goes away in a couple of days, change their diaper more frequently, rinsing their bottom with water and a moist, clean washcloth every time.
- If you are using baby wipes, make sure it’s free of fragrance and alcohol.
- After gently patting your baby dry with a clean towel, apply a soothing ointment or diaper rash cream.
Understanding their names
- After spending months deciding on the perfect name for your little one, they won’t realize that it belongs to them until they’re around 5 to 7 months old.
- To make your baby connect with the name, use their name frequently in conversation.
- Also, when you’re speaking to them, remember to emphasize the name.
- When they know their adorable name, they’ll turn to look at you when you say it.
- This can be considered a big step for social development.
The mother after childbirth: What is happening in the thirtieth week after giving birth?
You need jumpers for your bouncing babies
- If you need your busy little one to hang out in one place for a while?
- Now, you can create instant happiness with a jumper.
- These jumper seats will support your little ones as they bounce up and down.
- You can expect lots of smiles, laughs, squeals, and joy from your baby.
- As they’re in a secure, stationary spot, you can put your baby in a jumper and get to do things around the house.
- These freestanding jumpers come with lots of features which include engaging developmental toys, a swiveling seat for 360 views, music, and lights.
- You can place them anywhere in the house although the large ones can get inconvenient to move.
Your body’s delayed postpartum depression
Sometimes postpartum depression doesn’t kick in right after the birth of your baby. The American Pregnancy Association stated that the symptoms might occur as late as a year later. More often, the symptoms of PPD could be a very confusing, unwelcome surprise. Here are some symptoms of PPD that might be getting in the way of your ability to care for your baby:
- Fatigue.
- Loss of appetite.
- Intense sadness.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Lack of interest in your baby.
- Feeling guilty and/or worthless.
- Losing interest in things you enjoy.
- Feeling hopeless and/or overwhelmed.
- Withdrawing from your family and friends.
- Having thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby.
Additionally, the symptoms and their severity of PPD differ for everyone. But it’s important to consult your healthcare provider as soon as you notice anything out of the ordinary. So that you can get treatment (such as therapy and/or medication) and start to feel better sooner. Do not hesitate to reach out! You are not alone!
Final Thoughts
At 30 weeks old, your little one is not only growing physically, but they’re also becoming more intellectually aware, too. By this stage, your little one loves your company, and also the company of those they get to see daily. Additionally, they are becoming much more social, and their motor skills are developing rapidly too. Do not worry if they aren’t developing as per the chart. The developmental milestones are just guidelines. Every baby grows at its own pace!
FAQs: Your 30-week-old baby - development & growth
1. What are some fun games and activities for my 30-week old baby?
For their cognitive development:
