When you are 28 weeks pregnant, your baby is about to pass a very special milestone. After this week, your infant has over 95% chance of surviving if being born. A good reason to celebrate, don’t you think?!
This article will walk you through fetal development, pregnancy symptoms, and aches, what month you are in, and what it’s like to be 28 weeks pregnant.
Week 27 | Week 29
Find some beautiful videos on fetal development here.
This week is the start of the 3rd trimester, and your baby’s brain and lungs are developing quickly. You, Mom, may be suffering from several side effects of pregnancy, such as itchy skin, heartburn, and backaches. If you haven’t started your baby registry or attended a birthing class yet, now is a good time to get going!
What to Expect at 28 Weeks Pregnant
In this article…
How Many Months is 28 Weeks Pregnant?
Counting weeks and months during pregnancy can be quite confusing. What makes it difficult is that pregnancy is calculated from the first day of your last period. For example, you ovulate at the end of being “2 weeks pregnant”.
When being 28 weeks pregnant, fetal age is 26 weeks since your child didn’t exist before ovulation.
You are entering the third trimester this week, and you are at the end of being 6 months pregnant – in your 7th month.
Think of it this way: You are six months pregnant when you have completed six months of pregnancy. So when you are 28 weeks pregnant, you have completed 6 months. (Just like you are 1 year old when you have completed one year of living…)
Your Baby’s at 28 Weeks
PinDid you know that babies born after 27 weeks of pregnancy have a survival chance of over 90%? Isn’t that fantastic?! If something would happen now, that would force you to give birth,, the odds really are that your baby will survive.
Here are the great milestones of your baby this week:
- Your baby’s weight is about 2.25 pounds (1 kg). This actually means that your infant has increased her weight 10 times in just 11 weeks!
- The height now measures around 14.8 inches from head to heels (37.5 cm). The body is now getting rounder, and around 3% of the body is composed of fats. Muscle tones are also starting to develop.
- In addition to the ability to blink, your little one now has eyebrows and eyelashes, and the eyes are formed.
- Hairs in the head are also starting to grow.
- The brain now has billions of active neurons. This week the baby’s fetal brain activity can be seen. It is now possible to see clearly that a baby can dream during sleep. Brainwave activities can be measured and may now show the different sleep cycles like the rapid eye movement phase – a stage indicating that a dream is taking place. It is possible that fetuses dream a lot earlier, but research has a hard time confirming it for humans.
- Other features added are the ability to cough and to suck intensively. It is possible that you can feel the baby moving from vivid dreams (although I wonder about what!? :-) ) and from coughing.
- The lungs are now more developed than before. Premature babies born during this week have the capability to breathe, but of course, since the lungs are not fully developed yet, they will need medical support and devices.
Has DAD-to-be started to realize that your baby is soon a fact of life? Why not buy him an excellent preparation book? This guide is funny for mom too. Check out “We’re Pregnant! The First Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook”. (Link to Amazon)
Mom’s Body when 28 Weeks Pregnant
PinYour uterus is now around 3 inches above your belly button.
Your weight gain during this time should range from 17 to 24 pounds, which is necessary for you and your baby’s development inside your womb. To learn more about pregnancy weight gain included what it comprises of, click here.
You may experience longer periods of leg cramps than before.
You may also have itchy skin, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, heartburn, swelling, backaches, and indigestion. Yes, that’s a lot to cope with! But the good thing is you are almost there – a few more weeks to go, and your little baby will be out!
One dangerous complication that can occur during this period is gestational diabetes – rising of your blood sugar. So it is necessary to have your blood sugar level checked during this time. You can test your blood sugar at home, with kits like these ones. Testing at home is in addition to a proper test by a doctor or midwife, not instead of it. But it can be a first step to monitor your blood sugar if you feel a bit worried.
Restless legs syndrome may be prominent at this time. It is a feeling characterized by an unpleasant sensation and an irresistible urge to move the body. It can also be described as itching, tickling, or burning sensation in the muscles. It is common in the lower legs but may also affect the arms and the torso. The cause for this is unknown but stretching and massaging the legs, and cutting down on caffeine can help minimize the aggravation of the symptoms.
Scatia, or what is commonly known as tingling leg pain, can start to worsen starting this week as the baby settles into a proper position. The head may rest in the sciatic nerve in your lower spine, causing you to feel tingling, numbness, and sharp and shooting pains in your lower back and buttocks, which would radiate down to the back of your legs. The pain can sometimes be intense but it will just disappear once the baby changes positions.
To manage the discomfort of the condition, you can apply a heating pad to the affected area. You can also have a warm bath, take stretches, and have a good best rest.
All these weird things happening with your body during pregnancy! If you want to have a good laugh about it, read the hilarious book “Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth” from someone who’s definitely “been there, done that”.
Believe it or not, it is time to start preparing for giving birth. You might think that three months is a looong time, but it can go fast, and also not all babies decide to stay all 40 weeks.
Check out our articles about giving birth here and read about natural childbirth here.
And if you haven’t started to plan for your prenatal course, it is time!
Get immediate expert help with your pregnancy questions through JustAnswer Pregnancy:Week 28 Pregnancy Video
Diary of a Daughter
What’s it really like being 28 weeks pregnant…? Here’s a true diary from a 28-weeks-pregnant mom (Me..!)
I was released from the hospital the day before my birthday. AND the birthday passed without giving birth. So at least we will have separate birthdays… ;-)
I still often have contractions, particularly in the evenings. Very tough, both physically and mentally.
My iron is down again; to Hb 96. :-(
Are you also 28 weeks pregnant? Please share your experiences and thoughts by leaving a comment below!
More About Being Pregnant
- Premature survival rates week by week
- Healthy eating during pregnancy
- Vote in our pregnancy polls to learn about pregnant life for other moms
Week 27 | Week 29
References:
Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Joanne Stone MD and Keith Eddleman MD, The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
Nilsson, L; Hamberger, L. A Child Is Born
Soderberg, L., Mammapraktika. B Wahlstroms.
Image: Image of 28 weeks belly by Graham and Sheila
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
Easy to read and understand.
Nice and helpful article