30 weeks 
pregnant

Pregnancy symptoms during week 30

Belly button changes

Your belly button may be looking different now that you're 30 weeks pregnant. In your third trimester, your expanding uterus can put enough pressure on your abdomen to push your belly button out. And just like that, your "innie" turns into an "outie."

Your belly button may also feel sensitive to the touch or uncomfortable when clothes rub against it. Some women wear looser tops or even put an adhesive bandage over their belly button in late pregnancy to avoid the sensation.

In very rare cases, pregnant women can develop an incarcerated umbilical hernia, which is very painful. An incarcerated hernia happens if a piece of your intestines pushes out through an opening in the tissue, bulges into your bully button, and gets stuck. The intense pain comes from the piece of intestine getting squeezed into a small space.

If this happens, along with pain, you'll probably feel a hard lump next to your belly button. This can be a surgical emergency, so call your provider if you have severe belly button pain during pregnancy.

Brown discharge

During pregnancy, your body's increased estrogen production leads to more vaginal discharge. Brown discharge is that color because it's tinged with old blood, and it's usually nothing to be worried about.

You may see brown spotting or discharge after having sex or getting a pelvic exam. Your cervix is more sensitive during pregnancy, so these things can irritate it and lead to a little bleeding.

As labor gets closer, you may see discharge that looks like thickened mucus and is clear, pinkish, brownish, or tinged with blood. This is your mucus plug, and it's often accompanied by bloody discharge called "bloody show."

Sometimes vaginal discharge during pregnancy can signal a serious problem such as placenta previa, placental abruption, preterm labor, or an infection. Call your provider immediately if the discharge:

• Is bright red and more than about two tablespoons
• Comes out when you're less than 36 weeks pregnant
• Is green or smells bad

Fatigue

In the third trimester, you may be saying hello again to pregnancy fatigue. You probably won't feel the same level of extreme exhaustion as during the first trimester, but you may notice that you tire more easily and need to take breaks to rest. This is to be expected – you're carrying extra weight (including a baby who's rapidly plumping up) and may not be sleeping well.

Fatigue can be a symptom of iron-deficiency anemia. (Your healthcare provider will test your blood for anemia, but let them know if you feel usually tired.) Depression can also cause fatigue or sleeplessness, so if you feel sad, hopeless, or unable to handle your daily responsibilities, or if you have thoughts of harming yourself, call your doctor or midwife immediately.

For relief, try to eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink enough water. Include gentle exercise like walking in your daily routine. Ask for help, rest when you can, and use these tips to get better sleep.

Swelling

You can expect your ankles and feet to swell during pregnancy, especially as you near the end. (It's one reason why slip-on shoes are so helpful in the third trimester.) Swelling happens because your growing uterus puts pressure on your pelvic veins and your inferior vena cava (the large vein on the right side of the body that carries blood from your lower limbs back to the heart). The pressure slows the return of blood from your legs, causing it to pool and forcing fluid from your veins into the tissues of your feet and ankles.

Hormonal changes can add to swelling in pregnancy, plus your body naturally retains more fluids to support your pregnancy. In fact, by the end of pregnancy you can expect to be carrying an extra 2 to 3 pounds of water weight. (You'll pee and sweat it out in the week after you give birth.)

Swelling during pregnancy isn't usually a problem, though in some cases it could signal a more serious issue, such as preeclampsia or a blood clot known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Call your provider if you notice excessive and/or sudden swelling in your feet or ankles, more than moderate swelling of your hands or face, or significantly more swelling in one leg than the other.

Mood swings

The combination of uncomfortable symptoms, stress, and hormonal changes can result in the return of mood swings in the third trimester. If your mood swings are becoming more frequent or intense, or if they last longer than two weeks, you may be battling depression during pregnancy or pregnancy anxiety. Let your healthcare provider know so you can get help during pregnancy. Research has shown that untreated emotional health problems can affect your baby's physical well-being and increase your risk of preterm labor and postpartum depression. Both psychotherapy and medication can be very effective for treating these conditions.

Shortness of breath

Later in the third trimester, a simple trip up the stairs may wear you out. As your pregnancy progresses, you may start to feel winded after doing ordinary tasks.

Your body requires more oxygen during pregnancy, and your growing uterus is putting pressure on your diaphragm – leading to shortness of breath. (Shortness of breath during pregnancy can also be aggravated by a preexisting condition, such as asthma, anemia, or high blood pressure.)

You might get some breathing relief a few weeks before you're due, especially if it's your first pregnancy, because this is when your baby may drop into your pelvis as labor approaches.

While shortness of breath is common during pregnancy, seek medical attention right away if you have sudden or severe shortness of breath, worsening asthma, a rapid or irregular heartbeat, a feeling that you're going to faint, or chest pain or pain when you breathe.

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