Chorevia

Day 205 of 280 · 29 weeks + 2 days

Up in the night, again

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 5 sources · Plain-text version

Twenty-nine weeks and two days. More trips to the bathroom at night, and a baby who wakes when you lie down. Tonight you light the way.

Size this week
about the size of a butternut squash
Length this week
around 38.6 cm from head to heel
A dim hallway at night lit by a small plug-in night light near the floor, a woman with a full bump in a long nightshirt walking toward an open bathroom door, one hand on the wall.

Twenty-nine weeks and two days. If you've been up twice already by the time you read this, you're not alone. Today's note is about the night shift: why you're up, why the baby seems to be too, and a small fix for the walk to the bathroom.

Your baby

A single butternut squash on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around 38.6cm from head to heel, about the size of a butternut squash (NHS). For several weeks your baby has been covered in vernix, a greasy white layer that protects the skin and the soft downy hair, and the NHS says it's now starting to disappear (NHS).

Your baby's active periods may also coincide with your bedtime (NHS). Lying down and going still is often exactly when you feel the most kicking.

Your body

Sleep is difficult around now, and pressure on your bladder means more trips to the bathroom at night (NHS). MedlinePlus explains it: your kidneys are filtering extra blood and making more urine, and the baby is pressing on your bladder (MedlinePlus). It suggests avoiding lots of fluid within a few hours of bedtime, and limiting caffeinated drinks (MedlinePlus). Drink well earlier in the day instead; the Office on Women's Health still says eight to 10 glasses of fluids daily (OWH).

Your balance may also feel off as your centre of gravity shifts (NHS). Half asleep, in the dark, with a bump in front of you, the walk to the bathroom is a trip worth making safer.

Try today

  1. The night-light path

    Time: 15 minutes

    1. Walk the route from your side of the bed to the toilet with the lights on, and look at the floor.

    2. Clear it: shoes, bags, laundry, toys, the corner of a rug that curls.

    3. Put a small night light in the hallway and one in the bathroom, low down, so you never need the main light or your phone.

    4. Tonight, sit on the edge of the bed for a moment before you stand, and keep a hand near the wall as you go.

    Make it work:

    A plug-in light with a motion sensor turns itself on as you pass and won't keep anyone awake.

Watch for

  • Normal

    a baby who's busiest just as you settle down (NHS).

    Call your provider

    if that pattern changes or the movements stop; the NHS says to report it (NHS).

  • Normal

    needing to pee more often, day and night.

    Call your provider

    for pain when you pee or a change in the colour or smell of your urine, which may mean a bladder infection (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    feeling a little clumsy.

    Call your provider

    if you fall, even if you feel fine; the NHS says to tell your midwife or doctor (NHS).

  • Normal

    a night that just feels off and turns out to be nothing.

    Call your provider

    if you feel like something just isn't right, even if it isn't on any list; the CDC says to reach out and tell them you're pregnant (CDC).

For you

Broken nights add up. MedlinePlus says short daytime naps can make up for lost sleep (MedlinePlus), so if there's a chance for twenty minutes this afternoon, take it without guilt.

If you're the partner: the night lights are a five-minute job. Buy them, plug them in, and clear the floor on your way to bed every night from now on.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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