Welcome to the third trimester! You’re in the home stretch now—panic and excitement may be setting in. You’ll be visiting your ob-gyn/ doctor more often; you can expect to have an appointment every two weeks. Over the next few weeks, you will probably start to feel a bit more uncomfortable and tired. You might be 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.
Pregnancy Developments and symptoms at 28 Weeks Pregnant:
Many women find things get more uncomfortable in their third trimester.
- You might have back pain and leg cramps, indigestion and heartburn, and your hands and feet might get quite swollen.
- Trouble sleeping: As you get closer to your due date, you’ll likely have more and more trouble getting comfortable sleep. It could be hormones or nerves—or both!—causing your inability to snooze.
- Shortness of breath: Baby continues to crowd your lungs and diaphragm, making it tougher to catch your breath. Give yourself permission not to push too hard and to take breaks.
- Aches and pains: The third trimester can be really uncomfortable due to hormone fluctuations and the general toll pregnancy is taking on your body. To manage, try yoga, stretch your body, swim, walk and/or try your a prenatal massage. Try wearing a maternity support belt if you’re on your feet a lot.
- Braxton Hicks contractions: These practice contractions might be getting stronger, more noticeable or more frequent as your body gets ready for labor. These “practice” contractions are thought to help prepare your uterus for labor. Monitor them and be sure that the contractions are only occasional. If they’re regular, continue getting closer together and don’t stop when you switch positions, you could be in preterm labor and should call your provider ASAP.
- Sciatica (tingling leg pain): As your baby 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. - Leaky breasts: In the third trimester, you might notice small dots of a yellowish substance inside your bra cups. This is colostrum, the very first breast milk your body makes. It’s so rich in antibodies and nutrients that some call it “liquid gold.” Not all pregnant women leak colostrum, but if you do there’s nothing to worry about. Your body is getting ready to feed your baby, and the hormone prolactin is becoming active. If the leaking is bothersome, pick up some nursing pads and start tucking them into your bra.
Baby Development
- At 28 weeks, baby is the size of an eggplant. 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!
- Your baby is busy these days blinking — outside in the real world, blinking is necessary to help keep foreign objects out of the eyes. Your baby’s major organ systems are now fully developed.
- Their lungs are mature enough to breathe air and are producing surfactant, a substance that helps their lungs to expand and contract properly. Your baby’s senses of hearing, smell, and touch are developed and functional.
- Your baby’s brain will triple in weight this trimester. The cerebrum will develop deep, convoluted grooves that provide extra surface area without taking up more room in the skull.
28 Weeks Pregnant: What you should be preparing for
- Keep track of your baby’s movements –
- Your baby is getting bigger and stronger, which means you’ll be feeling a lot of baby kicks and other movements in the third trimester. 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.
- Once you’re feeling kicks regularly, take notice of your baby’s patterns of rest and movement. 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. Notify your healthcare provider right away if you notice your baby’s movement changing or slowing down, which can signal a problem.
- Find out your Rh status–
- 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.
- Up your iron– Babies absorb the majority of their iron stores during the third trimester, so nosh on iron-rich foods like chicken, beans, spinach, tofu, and enriched cereals.
- Schedule your Tdap vaccine –
- 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.
- Consider making a birth plan- You don’t have to create a birth plan – they aren’t required or expected. But you may enjoy the chance to think through your preferences as you prepare for your baby’s birth. A birth plan lets your medical team know your desires during labor and delivery, from whether you want pain medication to who’s cutting the umbilical cord. If you make one, talk it through with your doctor or midwife at an upcoming prenatal visit.
- Prepare for baby costs – To prepare for the top baby costs you’ll experience during the first year, do some research now. Knowing ahead of time what you’ll spend on regular expenses (like diapering, formula, and clothes) will help you budget.
- Find a doctor for your baby –
- It may feel early, but it’s actually a good time to start the process of choosing a doctor for your baby. Look for a pediatrician who’s covered by your health insurance, is conveniently located, and has hours that work well with your schedule.
- After your little one makes their big appearance, they’ll have their first check up with a pediatrician right away. Some doctors visit newborns in the hospital (or send another doctor from the practice) while others won’t see you until you bring your baby in for the first office visit. In many instances, the hospital’s pediatrician will take care of newborns until they’re discharged – either instead of or in addition to the babies’ own doctors.
Conclusion
Always consult with healthcare professionals for guidance tailored to your specific needs and circumstances. Enroll in our free lactation webinar to understand more about pain suffered during breastfeeding, possible causes, and solutions for the same.