Week by week: Pregnancy week - 28 (What to Expect When You Are 28 Weeks Pregnant)

This is the official beginning of the third trimester—the last leg of the journey. Pregnancy week 28 may cause overwhelming emotions, as most women suddenly feel like it's all happening too fast and they aren’t prepared enough to handle childbirth and baby care. It is best, however, to work on keeping your mind and body relaxed and rest as much as you can. Let's look at how you'll be doing on the first week of your third trimester. This is also the time you need to start tracking your baby's kicks.

Pregnancy Week 28 Symptoms

At 28 weeks, the fabulous second trimester is behind you and you are fast approaching delivery. Your baby will grow rapidly from hereon and starting this week, you will begin to experience the discomfort of carrying your baby. As the baby's weight increases, your uterus pushes deeper against all organs, so you may feel intermittent pain in your ribs and abdomen, not to mention a constant desire to urinate. These are very common pregnancy week 28 symptoms and there is no need for alarm. Make sure that you take appropriate steps to minimize the annoyance caused by these symptoms. For example, frequent urination, especially at night is one of the most common pregnancy week 28 symptoms and can interfere with your sleep patterns and leave you feeling fatigued. Reducing your intake of liquids during the latter half of the evening and before you go to bed, will help you enjoy uninterrupted sleep.

Leg cramps and backaches will become a regular feature from pregnancy week 28. In fact, you may even notice some swelling around the ankles this week. It is best to rest as much as you can and do routine stretching to ease the discomfort in your back and leg. Put your feet up as often as possible and support your back with cushions when you lie down. While you can't give up on daily chores, you can start cutting down your workload, particularly anything that involves bending or lifting weights. When you are 28 weeks pregnant symptoms such as leg cramps, swelling and itching will start bothering you. Massaging your legs often around this time helps. A woman who is 28 weeks pregnant has symptoms such leg cramps, swelling and itching. Your third trimester is only a week away and you are probably anxious about your pregnancy after keeping track of it for so long. Being 28 weeks pregnant, the symptoms are not always fun. Many of the symptoms that you may have experienced in your early stages may have eased off by now. In fact the feelings of nausea and morning sickness also subside. Around this time you will have a feeling of well-being. People begin complimenting you about your “blooming” looks when you are 28 weeks pregnant. Some symptoms such as backache, heartburn, leg cramps, constipation, and Braxton Hicks contractions begin to bother your. When you are 28 weeks pregnant, symptoms mentioned above are not necessarily the only thing that bothers you. As your baby gets stronger and bigger you will find that you find it difficult to sleep. Try and take short naps whenever possible and when an opportunity presents itself. In fact its best that you take advantage of any additional sleep that comes your way before the baby is born. When you are 28 weeks pregnant signs such as clumsiness, lower abdominal pain, varicose veins and itchiness, heartburn and indigestion, hemorrhoids, and shortness of breath begin to bother you. Another one of the common 28 weeks pregnancy symptoms is the need to urinate frequently. This happens because the uterus constantly pushes on your bladder. When you are at 28 weeks your visits to your health care provider will increase. You may have to see him/her every two weeks. Discuss with your doctor any concerns you may have about your pregnancy symptoms.

Pregnancy Week 28 Weight Gain

At week 28, your baby's muscles are developing so the weight gain in the third trimester is rapid. Any food you eat should be aimed at assisting your baby's organ and muscle growth. If you had normal or above normal weight before you got pregnant, then you should aim to gain just a pound this week. That said, do not skip a meal or eat less. Instead, focus on eating fibrous foods and consume fresh fruits and vegetables. As such, in the third trimester, women tend to gain an average of 11 pounds - roughly 3 to 4 pounds each month. When you are 28 weeks pregnant weight gain is normal and expected. You will be putting on weight during your pregnancy as there is a little one inside you and it is in the interest of the baby’s and your health that you put on weight. How much weight you put on will depend to a great extent on what you weighed before conception. If you are pregnant for 28 weeks baby weight gain is about 2 pounds and the body fat of your baby is about 2-3 percent. When you are 28 weeks pregnant weight gain is around 24 pounds and this is good as it helps nourish and cushion your baby till it is time for delivery.

When you are in your 28 weeks of pregnancy weight gain is around ¾ -1 pound. This is the last week of your second trimester and your stomach starts to protrude and you look pregnant. It is nice to put on weight but be careful not to pile on the pounds. The amount of weight you gain should depend to a great extent on what your Body Mass Index or BMI was before your pregnancy. If your BMI before your pregnancy was above normal, then be careful about the amount of weight you put on. Make sure that when you are 28 weeks pregnant weight gain is under control as this will help you take care of any complications post-delivery. Your calorie intake should be around 2100-2400 calories so that you are able to put on the expected amount of weight. As mentioned earlier weight gain would depend totally upon you and your baby. Everyone has a different pregnancy and your weight gain may be slightly different from what is expected.

Pregnancy Week 28 Ultrasound

At week 28, your baby will be 14 to 15 inches long and will weigh a little over 2 pounds. If you get a pregnancy week 28 ultrasound done, you will be able to see your baby's hair. While this differs from baby to baby, hair will be more noticeable this week. Also, your baby will now have eyelashes. You will also notice that your baby's muscle tone is more distinct and it seems more filled out. When you are 28 weeks pregnant an ultrasound may not be done unless there is a specific reason such as a complication. By the time you are 28 weeks pregnant an ultrasound will show some lovely images of your baby. Your baby is 14.8 inches in length or more and weighs about 2.2 pounds. The baby’s brain around this time begins to mature and grooves that are commonly associated with a human brain are seen. In some cases the baby will be growing hair on the head though some babies may be born bald. When 28 weeks pregnant an ultrasound will show your baby open and close its eyes if you are lucky enough. Else your baby will be seen with the eyes closed as the activities you do during the day will lull it to sleep. When you are 28 weeks pregnant an ultrasound will be able to tell you if your baby is feet-first, head-first, or bottom-first in the womb.

However don’t panic if the baby’s position is breech position right now. Many babies change positions on their own and get back to normal by the time of delivery. When in 28 weeks of pregnancy an ultrasound (Doppler test), will help you hear the heartbeat of your baby.  When 28 weeks pregnant a 3D ultrasound will give you 3D view of what your baby looks like inside the womb. Cute pictures such as your baby sucking his/her thumb, yawning or snoozing away are going to amaze you. Health care providers believe that the 3D ultrasounds can be done when you are 24-30 weeks pregnant; however there are some centers that feel that the best time for these is in 28-32 weeks of your pregnancy. At 28 weeks you are almost at your third trimester so try relaxing and doing some fun things like planning your baby shower.

28 Weeks Pregnant Bleeding

When you are 28 weeks pregnant bleeding could be due to various reasons. Bleeding during pregnancy period could be dangerous to both the child and the mother. If when you are 28 weeks pregnant and bleeding occurs it is important that you report it to your doctor immediately. The causes of bleeding at this stage of your pregnancy could be due to various reasons.

One reason could be placenta previa. Here the placenta lies near or over the mouth of the uterus or is implanted very low. If this condition occurs when you are 28 weeks pregnant bleeding can be life threatening. Abruption of the placenta when you are 28 weeks pregnant causes bleeding. Placental abruption means that the placenta is detached from the wall of the uterus. As a result of this a blood clot forms between the uterus and the placenta. Woman who are advanced in age, have high blood pressure, and excessive amniotic fluids are at risk. When the symptoms of this condition occur it could lead to bleeding from the vagina, abdominal pain, and tenderness of the uterine and contractions. When you are in your 28 weeks pregnancy period and bleeding of this type occurs it can be dangerous for both you and your child. If bleeding occurs it is important that you immediately seek medical attention. You have to be able to tell your doctor how much blood you have lost and the blood color. In some cases bleeding can be caused by sexual intercourse (recent), vaginal trauma, local lesions, cervical cancer, severe trichomonal or fungal infections, varicose veins of vulva or vagina, a ruptured uterine scar, and polyp. 28 weeks implantation bleeding does not usually happen. This type of bleeding usually occurs in the first few days of your pregnancy soon after ovulation and fertilization.

What is Preeclampsia?

3 Questions About Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a serious condition that affects about 5 percent of pregnant women. A woman is diagnosed with preeclampsia if she has high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy along with at least one other symptom which can include protein in her urine or liver or kidney abnormalities.

 Most women who get preeclampsia develop mild symptoms near their due date, and they and their babies do fine with proper care. But when preeclampsia is severe, it can affect many organs and cause serious or even life-threatening problems. The only way to get better is to deliver the baby.

Q1.What is the symptoms of preeclampsia?

Preeclampsia can come on suddenly, so it's very important to be aware of the symptoms. Call your midwife or doctor right away if you notice any of these warning signs:

·         Swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, or excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles.

·         Rapid weight gain — more than 4-5 pounds in a week.

·         Severe or persistent headache

·         Vision changes, including double vision, blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of vision

·         Intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen

·         Nausea and vomiting

Preeclampsia can occur without any obvious symptoms, particularly in the early stages, and some symptoms may seem like normal pregnancy complaints. So you might not know you have the condition until it's discovered at a routine prenatal visit. This is one of the reasons it's so important not to miss your appointments.

Q2.What puts me at high risk for preeclampsia?

It's more common to get preeclampsia for the first time during a first pregnancy. However, once you've had preeclampsia, you're more likely to develop it again in later pregnancies. Other risk factors include:

·         Having chronic hypertension

·         Having certain blood clotting disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, or an autoimmune disease like lupus

·         Having a close relative (a mother, sister, grandmother, or aunt, for example) who had preeclampsia

·         Being overweight (having a body mass index of 30 or more)

·         Carrying two or more babies

·         Being older than 40

Q3.Is there any way I can avoid getting preeclampsia?

No one knows for sure how to prevent preeclampsia, although there's a lot of research going on in this area. A number of studies have looked into whether taking extra calcium, restricting sale intake, or boosting vitamins can help, but the results have been mixed.

Women who are at high risk of developing preeclampsia may benefit from taking low-dose aspirin. Warning: Never take aspirin during pregnancy unless your caregiver recommends it.

For now, the best thing you can do is get good prenatal care and keep all your prenatal appointments. At each visit your healthcare provider will check your blood pressure and test your urine for protein. It's also important to be aware of the warning signs of preeclampsia so that you can alert your caregiver and get treated as soon as possible.

Week by Week: Pregnancy Week - 28

How your baby's growing:

By this week, your baby weighs 2 1/4 pounds (about the size of a large eggplant) and measures 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels.

She can blink her eyes, which now sport lashes. With her eyesight developing, she may be able to see the light that filters in through your womb. She's also developing billions of neurons in her brain and adding more body fat in preparation for life in the outside world.

See what your baby looks like this week. (Or see what fraternal twins look like in the womb this week.)

Note: Every baby develops a little differently — even in the womb. Our information is designed to give you a 

How your life's changing:

You're in the home stretch! The third and final trimester starts this week. If you're like most women, you'll gain about a pound per week this trimester.

At this point, you'll likely visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks. Then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits.

Depending on your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis now, as well as doing cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea, to be certain of your status before delivery. Also, if your glucose screening test result was high and you haven't yet had follow-up testing, you'll soon be given the 3-hour glucose tolerance test.

And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll get an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. (If your baby is Rh positive, you'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth.)

Around this time, some women feel an unpleasant "creepy-crawly" sensation in their lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them while trying to relax or sleep. If this sensation is at least temporarily relieved when you move, you may have what's known as restless legs syndrome (RLS).