Your developing baby – week 29

by Kaiser Permanente | July 07, 2022

At week 29, your baby is about the size of a butternut squash, weighing close to 3 pounds and more than 15 inches long. Between 29 and 32 weeks, your baby’s:

Eyes can sense changes in light and can blink now. After birth, blinking protects the eyes from dust and other possibly harmful substances.
Sucking movements are getting stronger and your baby can even suck its thumb.
Bone marrow is making red blood cells.
Lanugo, a soft, fine downy hair that once covered the baby, is disappearing.
Healthy fat deposits continue to appear, so your baby’s skin is less wrinkled.
Buds for permanent teeth are starting to form.

Your baby can stretch, kick, and make grasping motions. Believe it or not, they may be dreaming! Babies at this stage have brain wave activity and periods of quiet time when they have rapid eye movements (REM) associated with dreaming.

This article has been created by a national group of Kaiser Permanente ob-gyns, certified nurse-midwives, pediatricians, lactation consultants and other specialists who came together to provide you with the best pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and newborn information.

Some of the content is used and adapted with permission of The Permanente Medical Group.

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