Hello and welcome to the third trimester! You are getting so close to meeting that sweet baby you’re growing. Learn what to expect when you’re 28 weeks pregnant and in the seventh month of your pregnancy.

Baby at 28 weeks pregnant

Your baby is getting bigger every day. She's now 15 inches long and weighs about 2.5 pounds. His or her lungs are nearly mature, but s/he still has a lot of growing to do and fat accumulation on that tiny body is proceeding rapidly!

These are the weeks of consistent, undeniable fetal activity, when babies are big enough and coordinated enough that you really feel their movements and they still have plenty of space to move around. Many babies will start to turn head down to prepare for birth, but if your baby hasn't flipped yet, don't worry! You still have plenty of time for the baby to get into position. 

Your little’s brain continues to develop and expand rapidly, and s/he is beginning to dream and experience REM sleep. S/he even has a regular sleep and wake schedule that s/he’s keeping. When your baby is awake, s/he is practicing the brand-new skills of opening his or her eyes and blinking, sometimes in response to loud noises.

If your baby is a girl, her ovaries now have all their follicles. If you're having a boy, his testes will likely have descended into the scrotum.

Your body at 28 weeks pregnant

It’s so exciting to reach the third trimester of pregnancy! At 28 weeks pregnant, your uterus has expanded 11 inches from the top of your pubic bone. Your belly is measuring between 26 and 30 centimeters, and you’ve probably gained between 15 and 25 pounds.

When you reach 28 weeks pregnant, your doctor may want you to start coming in for a prenatal visit every two weeks. If you're having an easy pregnancy, it might be a few weeks before your visits start to happen with more frequency. At 36 weeks you’ll begin to see your doctor every week.

Remember all those blood tests you had in the first trimester? If they revealed that you're Rh-negative, you'll be given your first dose of anti-D (see Pregnancy Checklist, below). You’ll also receive a Tdap booster sometime between now and 36 weeks, which will help protect your baby in the months before s/he can be vaccinated.

The baby and the uterus are compressing the diaphragm, which can make it hard to catch your breath when you're exercising. Slow down if you have to! You shouldn’t be exerting yourself to the point of exhaustion or breathlessness in pregnancy. And make sure you replenish the calories you burned off with a high-protein snack post-workout.

How big is my baby at 28 weeks pregnant?

At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a cantaloupe melon, measuring at 15 inches long and weighing 2.5 pounds on average.

28 weeks is how many months pregnant? 

At this stage in your pregnancy, you're seven months 0 weeks (7m0w) pregnant.

Common symptoms at 28 weeks pregnant

Here are some of the most common symptoms moms report when they’re 28 weeks pregnant.

• Feeling tired again: After what was hopefully an energetic second trimester, you might find yourself feeling exhausted again. The blame falls to all the weight you’re carrying around, plus that big belly’s tendency to inhibit a good night’s sleep. Try to nap when you can, mama.
  
• Stronger and more regular baby activity: You should be noticing increased, consistent fetal movement now through week 32. 
  
• Achiness in your abdomen: You’re probably used to this one by now: it’s the ligaments being stretched and stretched some more.
  
• Protruding belly: Has your belly button popped out? We thought so!
  
• Swelling extremities: Many women experience swollen hands, feet, and ankles from all the extra fluids pregnancy acquires. If you’re noticing swelling, now is a good time to remove any jewelry; this is easier to do in the morning when the puffiness is diminished.
  
• Pelvic pain: Symphysis pubis dysfunction or pelvic girdle pain, when the ligaments around your pelvis soften prematurely and become too relaxed and stretchy, can make movements like walking up stairs and getting out of a chair challenging and painful.
  
• “Lightning crotch:” Many women report having occasional feelings like an electric shock or sharp stab deep in your pelvis. These have no medical explanation but might be your baby stepping on a nerve in the cervix, or just standard ligament stretching. Although there’s no treatment for lightning crotch, it’s worth a mention to your doctor in case it is something diagnosable.
  
• Clumsiness: That growing belly continues to throw everything off balance. 
  
• Itchy belly: Your stretched-out skin may also be very itchy!
  
• Backache: As your posture shifts to balance and support your belly, backaches are common.
  
• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS): Commonly striking at night, RLS is a series of annoying sensations like creeping, crawling, tingling, prickling, and itchiness on your legs and feet. There’s no treatment and no known cause; keep a journal to try to notice the triggers in you. Some moms find relief through cold showers and hot/cold packs.
  
• Increasing excitement and/or increasing apprehension: The baby’s coming, yay! The baby’s coming, gulp. Both feelings are totally normal and to be expected!
  
• Forgetfulness/absentmindedness: Although there’s no scientific evidence supporting the idea of “pregnancy brain,” many women insist they notice increased forgetfulness in pregnancy.
  
• Nerve pain: If you’re feeling a sharp, searing pain or tingling in your bum and down your legs, you’re a victim of sciatic-nerve pain. It’s an incredibly common pain amongst pregnant women and can occur throughout pregnancy. Lie down on the opposite side to relieve pressure on the nerve, or try this DIY massage technique for relief.

Pregnancy checklist at 28 weeks pregnant 

These are a few things you might have on your list when you’re 28 weeks pregnant.

• Get treated for Rh incompatibility: If you’re one of the 15% of people who are Rh-negative, you’ll receive a treatment of Rho(D) immune globulin this week. Rh is a type of protein found on the surface of red blood cells. If your baby is Rh-positive, an incompatibility can occur and can cause issues like anemia in your baby. You’ll receive another treatment of Rho(D) immune globulin after you deliver.
• Monitor baby’s movements: From 28 weeks, it’s a good idea to test for fetal movement twice a day. Every morning and evening, spend an hour tracking your baby’s movements. Check the time on the clock and begin counting movements of any kind except hiccups. When you get to 10, stop and note the amount of time that has passed. You will likely notice 10 movements pretty quickly, especially in the active evening hours. If you haven’t noticed 10 movements in an hour, stimulate your baby with a snack, a walk, or a gentle jiggle to the belly, and then lie down and pay attention. If your baby still hasn’t made 10 movements in two hours, call your doctor as a precaution – it might mean nothing, but you should check on it.
• Talk about pain relief: If you haven’t already, get to know the pain relief options (both medical or natural) that help during childbirth. Your doctor should talk you through the options. If you want, create a birth plan that clarifies what types of pain management you prefer when the baby comes.

What to Expect at 29 Weeks Pregnant