28 Weeks Pregnant – Your Body and Your Baby

You’re 28 weeks pregnant — and that means you’re officially in your third trimester! You’ll probably start to see your care provider every second week now. This will continue until your 36th week, when visits will become weekly.

Because you’re getting closer to baby’s due date, it’s time to start making a checklist of those last things you need to accomplish. Make sure you have everything you need for your baby and that all the arrangements are made for your hospital visit. If you haven’t toured the maternity ward of your hospital, it should be happening soon.

This tour will be scheduled through your childbirth class or through your doctor’s office. Don’t skip the birth class as it’s important that you know what to expect and where to go in the hospital before the big day arrives. You don’t want to be wandering around the hospital trying to find your way while you’re in active labour.

If you haven’t looked into independent childbirth classes for more in-depth pain relief strategies and tools for your partner to help, it’s time to get onto it! BellyBelly thoroughly recommends independent classes to give you an extra edge in the birth room.

28 Weeks Pregnant – Your Body

The third trimester of pregnancy is often marked with a lot of aches and pains. Though they are not serious, they can be annoying. Generally, they are caused by the extra weight and strain of carrying baby. There are also a lot of hormone fluctuations going on and these can contribute to those aches and pains.

Shortness of breath often becomes more noticeable after 28 weeks of pregnancy. As baby gets bigger, your lungs become more compressed and breathing becomes more difficult. It’s a good idea to continue exercise all the way through your pregnancy, but be certain to make adjustments for the shortness of breath. Moderate walking is a great exercise now.

At 28 weeks pregnant your breasts may have started to leak colostrum. This yellowish fluid will be your baby’s first food as you wait for a few days after birth for your milk to come in. Not all women experiencing leaking colostrum and it does not indicate what your milk supply will be after birth. If your breasts have begun to leak colostrum try adding breast pads to your bra to keep yourself comfortable and avoid wet patches appearing on your clothes.

28 Weeks Pregnant – Your Baby

Your baby is putting on a lot of fat now. Her skin looks less wrinkled and she continues to look more and more like a newborn. She is likely to be settling into a head down position, but it’s not unusual for babies to move around for a few more weeks.

Start considering what you’ll pack to take to hospital for your baby. It’s not too early to get the bag packed. Start with items you know you want. You’ll have time to add more things as you think of them. If you need daycare after baby is born, now is the time to finalise your choices.

Your baby’s weight is about 1.2 kg and she is about 36-40 cm long – about the size of a cabbage.