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Overview

The 28th week is taking you through the last trimester where you will be gaining weight as rapidly as your body. You are now around three months away from the delivery. There will be regular check ups with the health care provider and discussion of the fetal movement chart. If the Rh antibody was found in your blood you will be given an anti-D injection in this week which will be repeated in the 36th week. If you have joined a prenatal class you will learn childbirth options, how to calculate kick counts and breast feeding versus bottle feeding options. Many of you can feel that the delivery is still quite far away but you can start making small preparations which would be helpful in case the baby decides to arrive before the due date. You can be ready with the nursery and the clothes and toiletries you would be requiring after the birth of the baby. This is an active phase where you are mobile to do the running around and do a little bit of shopping for the cradle or baby cot and prepare yourself for the coming busy phase of your life. You can stock up the nursery with a supply of wipes, diapers and decorate the nursery however some women prefer doing this after the baby arrives. You can sit and decide baby names and also make a list of the people you would be informing along with their contact numbers. You can even start preparing a baby shower if you plan to have one after the baby’s birth. You can continue with your healthy diet and exercise patterns especially if it is suiting you.

Baby’s Development

The baby is now about 16 inches long and weighs about 3 ½ to 4 pounds. The skin is wrinkled at this pregnancy stage but is developing layers of fat under the skin making the baby look a little rounder. Fine downy hair called lanugo and vernix a protective cover is enveloping the baby’s body. The baby has opened its eyes by now and the eyebrows and eyelids are well formed. The baby has also developed taste buds and sucks its thumb. The baby’s enzyme system and other endocrinological processes develop. It moves a lot in the uterus and kicks and stretches its body frequently. The baby’s organs and systems are well developed by now and if born prematurely at this stage the baby can survive if provided intensive, specialized care. The final two months of gestation are vital for the maturation of the body systems and organs which helps to prepare the baby for a smooth and healthy adjustment outside the womb. The lungs approach maturity and the respiratory movements are now coordinated and regular. If it is a boy the testis will now descend to the scrotum. The baby should gain significant weight as the pregnancy keeps advancing. The brain develops further into a more complex organ with grooves and indentations on its surface. The number of brain tissue also increase in this week. The head hair continues to grow and the eyebrows and eyelashes become visible.

Changes with your body

The second trimester is the best as the nausea and vomiting experienced in the first trimester have gone and the woman often looks good as she glows with pregnancy. The pressure of the growing uterus against the stomach can cause heartburn. The fundus or the top of the uterus is about 1/3rd of the distance between the belly button and the xiphoid cartilage. Constipation is common now due to the uterine pressure on the lower colon and the hormonal slowing of peristalsis. The increase in the size of the uterus combined with the maternal weight gain causes fatigue. There are changes in the breasts size and shape preparing them for lactation. The tiny sacs deep within the breast tissue produce colostrum which is followed by milk. The pregnancy weight gain tally is up to about 17 to 24 pounds by this stage. The symptoms of pregnancy will once again start becoming profound as you start nearing the end of pregnancy like leg cramps, constipation, insomnia, frequent urination and hemorrhoids due to excess pressure on the lower portion of the body. You can feel a tightening of the uterus or abdomen from time to time which is referred to as the Braxton Hicks contractions. This is a normal phenomenon as the body is practicing for the real thing. Usually the uterus contracts at all stages of a woman’s life but it is more noticeable now as the uterus is full.

What to expect

You will be visiting the doctor more frequently now for regular check ups. The 28th week is an important one for carrying out certain tests like a glucose tolerance test, an iron or hemoglobin test, and if you are Rh negative then an anti-body test. The glucose test can check for gestational diabetes and the anti-body test for the compatibility between your blood and the baby’s blood. The doctor might be able to find out at this stage if your baby is at a risk of being a breech baby. There is no reason to worry even if the baby is a breech baby as there is sufficient time for the baby to turn its position before delivery and methods by which one can rotate the baby to position it for a normal delivery. You can experience the regular pregnancy symptoms like tenderness in the breast, darkening of the areoles, occasional headaches, itching, round ligament pains, indigestion or heartburn, hemorrhoids and stretch marks on the skin due to stretching of the skin especially as the pregnancy advances. The weight gained by this time will vary from women to women but the weight gained during pregnancy helps in providing protection and nourishment to the baby. A massage can prove to be very relaxing at this stage as this would help in reducing the lower back pain and leg cramps you might be experiencing at this stage. Mild swelling or itching can also benefit from a massage.