28 Weeks Pregnant

What Happens During the 28th week of Pregnancy?

Hormonal and bodily changes will be happening to you while you are pregnant. Since you are in the third trimester, there can be an increase in the concerns you face. However, you have to remember that these changes are pretty normal during pregnancy. Similarly, your baby will also be undergoing a lot of changes.

Here, we will walk you through these changes and symptoms associated with the 28th week of pregnancy.

Hormonal Changes and Pregnancy Symptoms

During this time of pregnancy, you might experience a pregnancy brain, which is a condition that can affect focusing on things. It occurs because of sleep issues, hormonal changes, and pressure from your body. Due to these changes, you might notice that you are forgetful of things. Other than that, the changes happening to your hormones will make you sensitive. Detergents, chlorine, heat, and some food items can have this impact on you.

You might notice that there is an increase in heartburn and similar symptoms. It is because of your baby's growth and due to the changes happening to your digestive system. Besides, you might notice an increase in tiredness or even feel nauseous due to the pregnancy hormones at play. Other than that, your breast would be leaking colostrum, which contains a lot of proteins and fats. It is a way by which your body prepares you for breastfeeding your little one after the delivery.

The pregnancy hormones at play can cause Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. It is a condition where relaxin will make the pelvic joint ligaments relaxed. Due to this, you might find difficulties and even feel unstable while moving around. Other than this, the pregnancy hormone can result in hyperpigmentation of the skin. It can affect those who have darker skin adversely. These are the main hormonal changes and pregnancy symptoms present during the 28th week of pregnancy. Since it is a crucial period, you have to stay careful to ensure that you and your little one will be safe. In case of any complications or discomfort, you should not hesitate to seek medical attention.

Bodily Change

Since your body weight increases with every passing day, you might find it challenging to fit into your old clothes. One of the main reasons behind this is that your belly gets big during this time of pregnancy. During this time, your uterus will be around 28 cm, and you might be putting weight on as much as 11 lbs. However, it will be more depending upon the number of children you have. Other than that, your angles and face will be acquiring fat and becoming puffy. It is also something that can happen during the third trimester of pregnancy. The reason behind this could be water retention. However, you can always speak with your medical practitioner to ensure there is nothing to worry about.

Besides, there will be an increase in the pain in your ribs and upper stomach. It is because there will be a rise in the pressure you feel in these regions due to your little one's growth. Sometimes, you might sense that the ribs are stretching, which might be leading to inconveniences. You can reduce the intensity of these issues by having smaller meals at regular intervals. Other than these concerns, you might even have skin itching, which can happen due to stretch marks. During this time, it will be helpful for you to have a checkup for pre-eclampsia. These are some of the main changes happening to your body while you are 28 weeks pregnant.

Fetal Development

When you step into the 28th week of pregnancy, the growth rate depends on if your child is a boy or a girl. Genetics also plays a crucial role when it comes to your little one's development. Besides, your baby will weigh around 2.5 pounds and will be 16 inches tall. It is during this time that your baby starts developing hiccups, which you can feel. The reason behind the occurrence of hiccups is the irregular contractions of your baby's immature diaphragm. Other than that, your baby will start to sleep peacefully in the coming days. Here, your little one will also be making rapid eye movements.

There will be hair growth taking place, and the fine line of hair acting as protection for your little one will start disappearing. When it comes to skin, the wrinkly skin that was present previously will become smooth. These are the main changes happening to your fetus during the 28th week of pregnancy. At this time, an ultrasound scan won't be necessary unless recommended by your medical practitioner. It is to ensure that there are no complications for your little one.

Things to Take Care During the 28th Week

From staying hydrated to reading books on postpartum, there are several things you have to do during this week. Here, we will look into some of the things to take care of yourself and your baby.

Maintaining a Healthy Diet

During this time of pregnancy, you have to ensure that you are on a healthy diet. It means that you should avoid having processed or unhealthy food items, which can be harmful to you and your baby. Since there is a chance of creating sensitiveness to different food items, you can avoid oily, fatty, salty, and spicy food items. Other than that, you have to focus on having vitamin A and iron-rich food items in your diet. Here, you can have chickpeas, spinach, tofu, beef, and enriched cereals. Other than these, you have to focus on having fresh and dried fruits, salads, nuts, and soybeans in your diet.

Apart from the food items you have, you have to drink plenty of fluids. When it comes to water, try to drink around eight to ten-ounce glasses of it regularly. Besides, you can also have fluids, like fresh fruit juices, smoothies, soups, etc. It will be best to avoid caffeine and alcohol of any sort while you are pregnant.

Taking Care of Your Physical Health

If you have been working out in the previous weeks, you don't have to be worried. You can continue them, but ensure that you don't face any complications while doing them. Besides, you have to ensure that you do stretching exercises and warm up your body before moving forward with your workouts. Here, you have to ensure that safety is your priority and you are indulging in pregnancy-friendly exercises. Another significant factor to consider is wearing supportive shoes and bras.

When doing floor-based workouts, like Yoga, you have to rise from the floor carefully and slowly. Some exercises that you can try include walking, swimming, and other low-impact ones as well. Through this, you can work on physical health while you are twenty-eight weeks pregnant.

Enhancing Your Mental Well-being

Since your delivery date is approaching, it is normal to feel anxious and stressed. However, it doesn't mean that you don't have to seek help. If you find it challenging and hard to manage, there is nothing wrong with speaking with your doctor. You can also share your thoughts with your partner, family members, or friends. They could act as your support system in attaining the strength and confidence you require. You can also try out different relaxing techniques, meditation, breathing exercises to be on the safe side. It is because they can help you enhance your mental health during this time of pregnancy.

Other Tips

Here are a few other tips that can help you during your twenty-eighth week of pregnancy.