Good news, you already enter the last stage of your pregnancy. Welcome to the third trimester! Just 12 more weeks until you meet your baby.
How Many Months is 28 weeks pregnant?
There are 40 weeks in a pregnancy, starting from the first day of your last menstrual period. If you are 28 weeks pregnant, you are in month 7 of your pregnancy. Only 2 months more to go!
If you have more questions and want to know more about weeks, trimesters, months and due date during pregnancy you can visit our post about how to calculate pregnancy.
Your baby at 28 weeks pregnant
By 28 weeks, your baby weighs around 1.1 kilograms (2.2 pounds), is around 37.6cm long and perfectly formed. That’s approximately the size of a pineapple!
Your baby’s eyes are blinking and they can sense light filtering in from the womb and its little heartbeat is so strong that can now be heard through a stethoscope or by putting an ear to your bump.
Its brain is also continuing its development by generating billions of neurons in preparation for the outside world. The central nervous system can direct rhythmic breathing movements and control body temperature.
Although your baby’s lungs are nearly fully mature by now, the formation of alveoli (little air sacs) will continue throughout pregnancy and after birth. In fact, the lungs do not become fully matured until your baby is 8 years old.
In addition, at 28 weeks your baby begins to dream, as they enter a state of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, a period of sleep where most adults humans experience dreams.
If birth occurs now your baby has a good chance of survival, although medical interventions including assistance with breathing, feeding and temperature control would be needed in the special care baby unit.
.. but what do babies dream about in the womb?
It is assumed that all we dream about the things we know. Therefore, it can be assumed that babys only dream about the things that they already know, like the sounds they hear and the sensations they feel while still inside the womb.
Your body at 28 weeks pregnant
At 28 weeks pregnant, your belly continues growing as your baby grows and you have likely gained between 7 and 10 kilograms (17 to 24 pounds) .
By now, your baby has likely shifted into place for delivery, with its head near the cervix. However, some babies will not shift until after week 30, and some may never move into position, like breech babies.
In addition, as the baby settled into a proper position for birth, its head and your enlarging uterus may rest on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of your spine, making your sciatic nerve painful.
Around 28 weeks pregnant some women experience restless leg syndrome, a restless feeling in their lower legs when relaxing.
If you are feeling uncomfortable while sleeping, you can use pillows as best you can to get comfortable. Try one supporting your bump, another for your back and then one between your legs or you can buy a pregnancy pillow.
At this stage, a glucose tolerance test will also be offered to test for gestational diabetes. You will be given a thick, sugary drink. to determine how well your body copes with glucose by producing the correct amount of insulin.
Can I find out the baby’s gender at week 28 of pregnancy?
By the 28th week, your doctor may be able to determine the sex of your baby if they are lying in a position that makes their genitals visible.
Find out what to expect next week or any other week!