It's the official start of the third trimester — congratulations!
You may not always feel like celebrating if you're dealing with common week 28 symptoms like back pain and sciatica. Hopefully, though, you're still fairly comfortable now that you're in month 7 of pregnancy.
Baby is getting more skilled by the day and can now blink and even dream. And that's only the beginning ... If you're 28 weeks pregnant, you're in month 7 of your pregnancy. Only 2 months left to go! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy. Your little work-in-progress now weighs about 2¼ pounds and is almost 15 inches long when measured head to toe. Your baby is settling into the proper position for birth, which will be head-down toward your body's nearest exit! Baby is busy these days blinking — outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes. That skill is just one of an already impressive repertoire of tricks she's working on, like coughing, more intense sucking, hiccupping and, perhaps most important, better breathing. Dreaming about your baby at 28 weeks pregnant? Your baby may be dreaming about you too. Brain wave activity measured in a developing fetus shows different sleep cycles, including the rapid eye movement phase — the stage when dreaming occurs. This is it — at 28 weeks pregnant, you're two-thirds of the way to the finish line as you enter the third trimester. And what a difference a trimester makes! Gone, most likely, are the days when you could call pregnancy "comfortable" — that is, if you ever did. Now, your baby's kicking (or lack of) is keeping you up at night and worried during the day, your feet may be swollen, you're getting tired all over again and your backache is a pain that just won't quit. And even though she hasn't started crying yet, it may seem like your baby's getting on your nerves already — literally. As she gets settled into position for birth, your little one's head and your growing uterus may rest on the sciatic nerve in the lower part of your spine. If that happens, you may feel sharp, shooting pain, tingling or numbness that starts in your buttocks and radiates down the back of your legs — otherwise known as sciatica. The pain of sciatica can be quite intense at times, and though it may pass if your baby shifts positions, it can also linger until you've delivered. A heating pad, a warm tub, stretches or just some self-imposed bed rest can help with the discomfort. So can pregnancy-approved physical therapy and some complementary and alternative therapies. Sensitive skin can surface during pregnancy — even in someone who’s never had sensitive skin before. Some parts of the body may react because they’re dry and flaky, others because of heat rash or an external irritant, like the lotion you’ve been using for the past 10 years, which is suddenly driving you crazy. Typically the most sensitive spot is the belly, as it stretches. Other potential trouble spots include your hips and thighs. Your raging hormones make you more sensitive to contact with substances that might not normally affect you, such as sunlight, heat, detergents, chlorine and even certain foods. And if you’ve got eczema, you can expect some major flare-ups — or if you’re very lucky, a nine-month respite. For itchy spots, a dab of calamine lotion should do the trick. If any rash or irritation lasts longer than a couple of days, ask your practitioner about next steps. Avoid products that are laden with tons of additives, dyes or fragrance, any of which can exacerbate the problem. Beginning in week 28, doctors recommend that you start monitoring baby’s movement by doing kick counts. Kick counts are just what they sound like — you’ll count the kicks, taps, flutters or rolls you feel during a specific period of time. During the third trimester, you should usually feel 10 movements within about two hours, though every pregnancy is different. A good time to do them is whenever you feel your baby moving, like after a meal or early in the morning. First, remove any distractions around you and note the time you started. Then, put your hands on your belly and start to count any movements you feel. Once you arrive at 10 movements, write down the end time. If you don’t notice 10 movements within a two-hour period, call your doctor, who may want to do a quick check-up. Just know that in time, you’ll get a good sense of your baby’s kick patterns and how things are going in there. Remember, though, that if there's a noticeable decrease in your baby's movements, call the doctor or head to an urgent care or hospital as soon as possible. Do you know if you're Rh positive or Rh negative? If not, it’s important to find out. The Rh factor is a protein found in most people's red blood cells. If you have it, you're Rh positive; if you don't have it, you're Rh negative. Unless you're pregnant, your status usually doesn't matter much, but problems can occur if, for example, you're Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive. In the case of Rh incompatibility, your immune system may view your baby's blood cells as "foreign" substances and mobilize an army of antibodies to attack them. If you are Rh negative and your baby is Rh positive, you’ll need a vaccine-like injection of Rh-immune globulin, known as RhoGAM, this week to prevent the development of antibodies. Though finding a breast lump during pregnancy can be scary, rest assured it’s more than likely nothing to worry about. Having breast cancer during pregnancy is very rare, especially if you’re under 35, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) — plus the many changes that are happening to your breasts while you’re expecting can cause them to feel much more lumpy, heavy and firm than you’re used to. Tender lumps are common during the third trimester, but still, they shouldn’t be ignored. Ask your provider for a breast exam at your next checkup. Babies absorb the majority of their iron stores during the third trimester, so nosh on iron-rich foods like chicken, beans, spinach, tofu, beef and enriched cereals. Apart from Popeye, vitamin C is iron's best bud since it can improve iron absorption. So take a glass of OJ with that iron supplement during pregnancy, a side of red pepper with those shrimp or some fresh strawberries in your oat bran cereal. Getting the Tdap vaccine when you're pregnant is not only safe, it's smart. Tdap — short for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis — protects your baby from whooping cough, which can be very dangerous for newborns. When you roll up your sleeve, your vaccination passes antibodies to your baby, providing protection until your infant is ready for their TDap shot at 2 months. If you haven’t had a flu shot, now’s the time to get one of those too. Now is a good time to research childbirth classes. You can choose a class at the hospital, with a local instructor or from a teacher online. Just make sure you sign up early so you can finish several weeks before your due date. Ask whether your course includes lessons on infant care, CPR and breastfeeding (it should). Have special requirements? There are classes for second-timers who need to brush up on their techniques, classes for moms who are attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and classes designed for those expecting multiples. Whichever class you choose, make sure your instructor is certified by a national childbirth education organization. And here's a bonus: Your insurance company may cover your tuition, so be sure to submit your bill. Before you got pregnant, you may not have thought too much about whether or not to circumcise a baby boy if you had one. But if you've got a son on the way, it's a decision you'll have to make — and it may be a tricky one if you don’t have religious or cultural traditions guiding you. If you're having a boy, you may want to think about this now. Get your pediatrician’s POV too!Your Baby at Week 28
At a Glance
28 weeks pregnant is how many months?
How big is my baby at 28 weeks?
Baby's getting into position
Baby might be dreaming
Your Body at Week 28
Sciatica (tingling leg pain)
Feeling sensitive (skin)?
Pregnancy Symptoms Week 28
Tips for You This Week
Reviewed September 3, 2024 From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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