Your week 30 guide

The hands are fully formed and the fingernails keep growing. Your baby uses them, grasping the cord, touching their face and sucking a thumb, all of which builds the coordination needed for feeding. The nails may need cutting within days of birth.

The bone marrow has taken over production of red blood cells. This role has passed from the yolk sac to the liver and now to the marrow, which will handle it for the rest of your baby's life. It is also part of why iron matters so much in the third trimester, since your baby is building their own stores to last several months after birth.

Lanugo begins to thin as body fat improves temperature regulation. The fine hair has done its job of holding the vernix in place and keeping your baby warm, and it is shed as fat takes over that function. Babies born early often still have a noticeable covering of it.

Tiredness, insomnia, constipation, swelling, stretch marks and Braxton Hicks tightenings may all intensify. The combination of being exhausted and unable to sleep is one of the genuine cruelties of late pregnancy, and it is not a sign that you are doing anything wrong. Naps, lower expectations and help with the household are the realistic responses.

Strong movements can sometimes feel surprising or actively uncomfortable. A foot lodged under the ribs or pressure on the bladder can be sharp enough to make you gasp, and changing position often moves your baby off the spot. Discomfort from movement is different from pain that persists between movements, and the latter should be reported.

Carrying additional weight puts real strain on your back and pelvis. Your posture has changed substantially and the ligaments holding the pelvis together are looser than usual. A support band helps some women, and a physiotherapist can advise if pain is limiting what you can do rather than simply present.

Go through your birth preferences with your clinician and your support person. Talking it through out loud tends to surface the questions a written plan hides, and it means the person with you understands what you would want if you are occupied. Ask what usually happens at your birth location, since practice varies more than people expect. InshaAllah, talking through your preferences can help your support person understand what matters to you.

Continue antenatal or newborn care education. Sessions covering feeding, safe sleep and the first fortnight are often the ones women say afterwards they wished they had paid more attention to. Your partner or support person attending too makes a practical difference.

Ask whether your iron intake or blood testing needs attention. Iron is commonly rechecked in the third trimester, and low iron at this stage is worth correcting before birth. Ask for the actual result rather than a general reassurance.

Nourishment when you feel full: As pregnancy progresses, large meals become uncomfortable because there is simply less room for your stomach to expand. Smaller amounts eaten more often help you get what you need without feeling overfull.

Try to keep variety across the whole day rather than within every meal, including protein, fibre, calcium, fruit and vegetables somewhere in it. There is no need to fit every food group into each individual sitting.