You are now 28 weeks pregnant, which is the beginning of week 29. Your baby has grown to be about 38 cm long from head to toe (15 inches) and approximately 1,200 grams (1.2 kg) in weight (2lbs 10 oz).
Your baby's bones are now mature enough to start producing their own blood supply from their bone marrow, taking over this task from their liver and spleen. Their liver starts to store iron supplied from your body. This is Nature's way of meeting a newborns iron requirements for the first 6 months after birth, until they start eating solids.
This week marks the beginning of the 3rd trimester (the final 12 weeks of pregnancy). Your baby is regarded as being born on time if they arrive between 37 and 42 weeks - but remember, only about 5% of babies are born on their actual due date! During these final weeks your baby's main task is to mature their body systems, grow stronger and put on weight. Premature babies born at this stage of pregnancy have a good chance of survival. However, the closer they are born to 37 weeks, the more likely they will be well and healthy and not require advanced medical treatments.
What is my body doing at 28 weeks?
Hooray - you’ve made it this far and you’re now in your third and final trimester! You’ll start visiting your doctor or midwife more than ever at this stage, every two weeks, changing to every week once you get to 36 weeks pregnant (it’ll come sooner than you think!).
There’s be plenty of tests to do now, from blood tests for HIV and syphilis, to tests for glucose tolerance.
You might also be experiencing tingling leg pain, also known as sciatica. As your baby moves around to get ready for birth, her head may decide to rest on the sciatic nerve in your lower spine, leading to some less than pleasant sensations for you: shooting pain, tingling or numbness in your buttocks and the backs of your legs. While the feeling can pass if your baby moves positions, it can also stay with you until childbirth. Try resting, warm baths, stretches or a heating pad to help with the pain.
Common symptoms to look out for:
Physical changes
During the last few months, many women start feeling heavy and tired, as their baby increasingly takes up more space in their belly. This contributes to many physical signs of late pregnancy, such as heartburn, varicose veins, fluid retention and backache. By the time your baby is due, you may be feeling fed up with being pregnant and just want your baby to arrive!
Other considerations
Iron supplements
Most women have a blood test around this time to check their haemoglobin for anaemia. If the level is low, your caregiver may suggest taking iron supplements for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Rhesus negative
If your blood group is Rhesus negative (eg. O Neg), you will also need to have a group and antibodies blood test repeated to screen for antibodies.
Kick charts
A kick chart is a graph or grid printed on a piece of paper with spaces to record the daily movements of an unborn baby, usually after about 26 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Kick charts are not routinely used in Australia, but a few caregivers recommend them for women who have concerns about their baby's movements or women experiencing health complications.
Birth classes
You may start birth classes soon, if choosing to do them. If you haven't booked yet, do this soon so you don't miss out!
Your baby's bones are now mature enough to start producing their own blood supply from their bone marrow, taking over this task from their liver and spleen. Their liver starts to store iron supplied from your body. This is Nature's way of meeting a newborns iron requirements for the first 6 months after birth, until they start eating solids.
This week marks the beginning of the 3rd trimester (the final 12 weeks of pregnancy). Your baby is regarded as being born on time if they arrive between 37 and 42 weeks - but remember, only about 5% of babies are born on their actual due date! During these final weeks your baby's main task is to mature their body systems, grow stronger and put on weight. Premature babies born at this stage of pregnancy have a good chance of survival. However, the closer they are born to 37 weeks, the more likely they will be well and healthy and not require advanced medical treatments.
What is my body doing at 28 weeks?
Hooray - you’ve made it this far and you’re now in your third and final trimester! You’ll start visiting your doctor or midwife more than ever at this stage, every two weeks, changing to every week once you get to 36 weeks pregnant (it’ll come sooner than you think!).
There’s be plenty of tests to do now, from blood tests for HIV and syphilis, to tests for glucose tolerance.
You might also be experiencing tingling leg pain, also known as sciatica. As your baby moves around to get ready for birth, her head may decide to rest on the sciatic nerve in your lower spine, leading to some less than pleasant sensations for you: shooting pain, tingling or numbness in your buttocks and the backs of your legs. While the feeling can pass if your baby moves positions, it can also stay with you until childbirth. Try resting, warm baths, stretches or a heating pad to help with the pain.
Common symptoms to look out for:
- Constipation: Pregnancy hormones such as relaxin are busy loosening up the ligaments in your body for when your baby arrives. Another unfortunate effect is that they also relax the muscles around the intestines, leaving you with sluggish digestion. This can lead to – oh joy! – constipation. Luckily, there are some simple dietary tweaks you can make to speed things up: include more fibre-rich food in your diet such as wholemeal bread, beans and pulses and porridge oats. Drink plenty of fluids, and gentle exercise such as swimming or walking can help to get things moving, too.
- Faintness: Your burgeoning bump may be leading you to feel a little light-headed, as increased pressure is put on your blood vessels and reduces blood flow to the brain. If you’re feeling dizzy, make sure you keep your blood circulating well by drinking lots of water.
- Stuffy nose: If you feel like you have a cold, this may be due to the high levels of pregnancy hormones increasing blood flow to the mucus membranes in your nose, and causing them to swell. Nasal strips can help open your nostrils and make it easier to breathe.
Physical changes
During the last few months, many women start feeling heavy and tired, as their baby increasingly takes up more space in their belly. This contributes to many physical signs of late pregnancy, such as heartburn, varicose veins, fluid retention and backache. By the time your baby is due, you may be feeling fed up with being pregnant and just want your baby to arrive!
Other considerations
Remaining pregnancy visits
Your pregnancy visits will now be scheduled a little more frequently. However, the timing of each visit can vary, depending on when your last visit was (26, 27, 28 or 29 weeks), your individual needs and your caregiver's preferences.
Your pregnancy visits will now be scheduled a little more frequently. However, the timing of each visit can vary, depending on when your last visit was (26, 27, 28 or 29 weeks), your individual needs and your caregiver's preferences.
Iron supplements
Most women have a blood test around this time to check their haemoglobin for anaemia. If the level is low, your caregiver may suggest taking iron supplements for the remainder of the pregnancy.
Rhesus negative
If your blood group is Rhesus negative (eg. O Neg), you will also need to have a group and antibodies blood test repeated to screen for antibodies.
Kick charts
A kick chart is a graph or grid printed on a piece of paper with spaces to record the daily movements of an unborn baby, usually after about 26 to 28 weeks of pregnancy. Kick charts are not routinely used in Australia, but a few caregivers recommend them for women who have concerns about their baby's movements or women experiencing health complications.
Birth classes
You may start birth classes soon, if choosing to do them. If you haven't booked yet, do this soon so you don't miss out!
What to do this week:
At around this point in your pregnancy your midwife will check your blood count to make sure you’re not anaemic and prescribe you iron supplements if you are.
You’ll also be checked for gestational diabetes with a glucose tolerance test. You’ll be asked to fast the night before and at your appointment your midwife will take a urine sample to get a fasting baseline level.
You’ll then be given a glucose load – usually a thick, sugary drink – and be tested again – either two hours later or with blood prick tests every half hour. This is to see how your body deals with glucose (the sugar you drank). In a nutshell, if your body can’t produce insulin, which is needed to help reduce glucose to normal levels, it could be a sign of gestational diabetes.
At around this point in your pregnancy your midwife will check your blood count to make sure you’re not anaemic and prescribe you iron supplements if you are.
You’ll also be checked for gestational diabetes with a glucose tolerance test. You’ll be asked to fast the night before and at your appointment your midwife will take a urine sample to get a fasting baseline level.
You’ll then be given a glucose load – usually a thick, sugary drink – and be tested again – either two hours later or with blood prick tests every half hour. This is to see how your body deals with glucose (the sugar you drank). In a nutshell, if your body can’t produce insulin, which is needed to help reduce glucose to normal levels, it could be a sign of gestational diabetes.
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