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30 weeks pregnant: eyesight and scans in late pregnancy

30 weeks pregnant is a stage at which, the NHS says, the baby is around 39.9 cm long from head to heel, about the size of a cabbage, and the eyes can now focus (NHS, 2026). This page sets out what the NHS, NICE and ACOG say about week 30.

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Medically reviewed by Dr Mary Davidson, Reproductive endocrinologist, checked on

A woman who is 30 weeks pregnant watering a large leafy houseplant by a living room window

Seek help now if you have any of these symptoms

Bleeding and cramping are common in early pregnancy and often do not mean miscarriage. The symptoms below, however, need to be assessed straight away.

  • Soaking two or more sanitary pads per hour, or passing large clots
  • Severe lower abdominal pain, especially on one side
  • Pain at the tip of the shoulder
  • Dizziness, fainting, or collapse
  • Signs of shock — pale, clammy, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness
  • Pain on opening bowels, or bladder or bowel changes
  • Feeling very unwell, or feverish
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How the sources describe development around 30 weeks

Size and shape, NHS
The NHS week 30 page in its week-by-week guide (NHS, 2026) gives the baby as around 39.9 cm long from head to heel and compares it to a cabbage. It says the eyes can now focus and that their vision will continue to develop inside and outside the uterus.
Vision after birth, NHS
The NHS says that after the birth the baby will be able to focus on your face when you are around 20 to 25 cm away, but will not be able to follow moving objects with the eyes until about 3 months old (NHS, 2026).
Development, ACOG
ACOG’s list for weeks 29 to 32 includes the fetus stretching, kicking and making grasping motions, eyes that can sense changes in light, bone marrow forming red blood cells, and lanugo beginning to disappear (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). It does not date these to a single week.

Weeks are counted from the first day of the last menstrual period, so about two weeks of the count come before conception (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). This page covers 30 weeks 0 days to 30 weeks 6 days.

A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period, so at 30 weeks about 10 weeks remain to the estimated due date (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). Your own due date depends on your last period or a scan, not on the week alone.

Your body at 30 weeks, as the NHS describes it

The NHS says you are three-quarters of the way there, and that you may have trouble sleeping and, when you do sleep, disturbing dreams. It says these dreams are fuelled by your hormones and the anxiety you are probably feeling about the big changes ahead, that talking about them can help put things in perspective, and that if you are feeling under stress you should talk to your midwife or doctor (NHS, 2026).

Whooping cough vaccination

The NHS says you should have the whooping cough vaccine before week 33, and that if you have not had it you should speak to your midwife or GP this week (NHS, 2026). The CDC recommends Tdap during the 27th through 36th week of each pregnancy (CDC, Tdap Vaccination for Pregnant Women, 2025).

Scans and checks in late pregnancy

NICE guideline NG201 says care teams should not routinely offer ultrasound scans after 28 weeks for uncomplicated singleton pregnancies. It recommends measuring the height of the top of the womb at appointments after 24 weeks 0 days, and offering a scan if there is a concern that the measurement is small for the stage of pregnancy (NICE, 2021). In the US, the Office on Women’s Health lists routine prenatal visits about twice a month for weeks 28 through 36 (Office on Women’s Health, Prenatal care and tests, undated).

Work out which week you are in

The Pregnancy week calculator takes your last period, conception date, scan or IVF transfer and shows how many weeks and days pregnant you are today.

Sources

  1. NHS Best Start in Life. Week 30 of pregnancy (week-by-week guide to pregnancy). nhs.uk, 2026.
  2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Antenatal care (NG201). NICE, 2021.
  3. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy (FAQ156). ACOG, 2024.
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tdap Vaccination for Pregnant Women. CDC, 2025.
  5. Office on Women's Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. Prenatal care and tests. womenshealth.gov.

Frequently asked questions

Can the baby see at 30 weeks pregnant?

The NHS says the baby’s eyes can now focus, and that after the birth the baby will focus on your face when you are around 20 to 25 cm away (NHS, 2026). ACOG says the eyes can sense changes in light in weeks 29 to 32 (ACOG, 2024).

Will I have a scan at 30 weeks?

NICE guideline NG201 says routine ultrasound scans after 28 weeks are not offered for uncomplicated singleton pregnancies, though a scan may be offered if there is a concern about growth (NICE, 2021). Your care team decides what you are offered.