28th Week of Pregnancy
What changes are occurring with your body?
Each and every week your uterus continues to grow. The top of your uterus can now be felt significantly above your belly button, about 3 ½ inches or more. Most likely your weight gain is between 17 and 24 pounds. Discuss weight concerns with your healthcare provider at your next appointment.
Since you have entered the third trimester, you may notice that the symptoms of pregnancy are changing once again. Many women will begin experiencing leg cramps, constipation, insomnia, and hemorrhoids.
How big is your baby?
Your baby is about 14 ¼ inches long and weighs in at 2 ½ pounds. This still seems very small, but remember that during the last several weeks of pregnancy your baby will gain a significant amount of weight.*
What is happening with your baby?
Your baby’s brain is really beginning to develop into a more complex organ. Up until this point, your baby’s brain has been relatively smooth, but beginning this week his/her brain will develop grooves and indentions along its surface. The amount of brain tissue also begins to increase during the 28th week.
The development of hair also continues. Eyebrows and eyelashes are visible, while the hair on your baby’s head grows even longer. Your baby is also starting to look a little rounder as the fat storage under the skin continues to develop. This is an important part of development that will continue through the remainder of your pregnancy.*
What should you plan for this week?
At your next prenatal appointment you should be prepared for the following:
- Administration of Rhogam if you have the Rh Factor: If the Rh antibody was not found in your blood then you will be given Rhogam at 28 weeks and possibly after delivery.
- Discussion of the fetal movement chart .
- Instructions on how to calculate kick counts.
- Childbirth class options .
- Breast feeding vs. Bottle feeding discussion.
Most likely you will begin visiting your health care provider every 2 weeks until you reach 36 weeks. After 36, weeks your appointments will be scheduled on a weekly basis.
Tips for making your pregnancy better:
You may be feeling that the delivery of your baby is still weeks away, but you do need to begin making plans for the trip to the hospital. This can be especially helpful if your little one decides to arrive early. Make sure you have all of your partner’s phone numbers with you at all times so that you can reach him if you were to go into labor.
What will you do if he is unavailable? It is always good to have a plan B. You will also want to map out the various routes to your birthing location. Some men find this part of planning exciting as they get to be creative and find the shortest and quickest route possible.
Tips for mom’s partner:
Many couples decide to invest in pagers and cell phones as the delivery of their child approaches. Talk with your partner about the different options that are available. Be involved in making these decisions and plans. Discuss your fears of her not being able to reach you and ways that this can be avoided. Maybe there needs to be a specific text message or page that signals that she is going into labor. Talk with other parents who have dealt with these issues so that you can see what worked for them.
* The information that the American Pregnancy Association provides is used as a general guide for healthy pregnancy development, although development may vary due to the mother’s health or a miscalculation of ovulation. Each woman and pregnancy is unique and may be experienced differently. Remember that babies develop at different rates, even before they are born. The purpose of this developmental information is to give you a general idea of how your baby is growing, and you must remember that your baby’s growth may vary from that which is outlined.
