Twenty-eighth week of pregnancy - what month is it? Should your baby's lower abdominal movements worry you and could it be a harbinger of preterm labor? How does the baby look at the 28th week of pregnancy and how much should the expectant mother gain weight during this period? If pregnancy is the main topic in your life at the moment, we will cover the 28th week in this text very carefully so that you know what to expect.
28 weeks pregnant: what month is it?
This question is often asked by friends and family, and even neighbors, so feel free to inform them that The 28th week of pregnancy (27.1-28 BC) is the beginning of the 7th month and the third trimester at the same time. If you are just starting your 28th week of pregnancy, labor is on the horizon a little more clearly than it was even a week ago. There are already 12 weeks until a happy solution, Therefore, during this period, most future mothers begin to think more intensely about completing the layette and slowly wonder in which hospital they want to give birth to their baby.
The twenty-eighth week of pregnancy is also that a very good time to start childbirth classes or choose a place where we want to start antenatal education in the coming weeks.
Belly at 28 weeks of pregnancy, or a few words about the appearance of the future mother
In the 7th month of pregnancy, the belly becomes very visible. Back pain in the lumbar region usually starts to bother you more, pressure on the bladder forces you to go to the toilet more often, and when climbing stairs it is harder to catch your breath. The bottom of the uterus begins to rise higher and higher, putting pressure on the diaphragm and other abdominal organs.
On Internet forums, the question often appears: "How much did you gain weight in 28 weeks of pregnancy?"
Weight gain is mainly related to the growth of the fetus, the weight of the placenta and the amniotic fluid. The degree of weight gain of a pregnant woman is related to her starting weight, any comorbidities and the lifestyle she leads. It is worth taking care of a healthy diet and the right balance between rest and gentle exercises for pregnant women, which will help relieve back pain and keep the weight of the future mother in a healthy check.
Placing your baby in the 28th week of pregnancy: see what this medical term means
Many people, thinking about the position of the baby in their mother's belly, enter the phrase in the search engine: 28 weeks pregnant baby pose. In fact, however, we are usually interested in the position of the baby in the uterus, which includes the frontal part.
We meet the location:
- headstock;
- pelvic;
- transverse;
- oblique.
Positioning the baby
This in turn orientation of individual parts of the body of the fetus relative to each other.During this period, some babies are already standing upside down, i.e. in the most optimal position for natural delivery. However, if in your case, in your 28th week of pregnancy, the position of the baby on ultrasound turns out to be the buttock (i.e. the fetus is facing the buttocks towards the birth canal), do not worry! The baby may still turn around, so although it is worth knowing the position of the baby in the 28th week of pregnancy, remember - until delivery, both the head and buttock babies can perform more than one "acrobat" in your abdomen.
28 weeks pregnant: baby's weight
In the 28th week of pregnancy, the weight of the baby grows more noticeably for the future mother, which is manifested in her clearly defined pregnancy belly. The baby measures approx. 36-38 centimeters and weighs approx. 1 kg - there is already something to carry!
Most of your baby's internal organs are shaped, but they are still maturing at 28 weeks of pregnancy. New neural connections are also intensively formed in the baby's brain, because the baby in your belly already recognizes voices, and his eyes react to the light and darkness around the mother-to-be.
What does a baby look like at 28 weeks of pregnancy?
The appearance of the baby in the 28th week of pregnancy really resembles newborns, which we associate with photos and videos from the delivery room. In the twenty-eighth week of pregnancy:
- baby's skin slowly smoothes and ceases to be excessively wrinkled;
- the impression of its excess disappears;
- eyelashes are visible on the eyelids (the child can blink from the 27th week of pregnancy);
- there is already hair on the head (if the baby's genes determine their growth in the womb);
- fingers are equipped with small nails;
- the abundant fluff, the so-called lanugo, the residual form of which you will see on the skin of a newborn baby right after giving birth.
Baby movements in the 28th week of pregnancy
Every expectant mother, at this time, begins to feel more and more the rhythm of your baby's daywho sleeps most of the day, but likes to do acrobatics, usually when mom wants to rest for a while - she goes to sleep or eats something good. During this period, the baby grows intensively, has less and less space and stretches his mother's uterus more.
Should your baby's lower abdominal movements at 28 weeks make you concerned?
If they are not painful and only cause slight discomfort or a kind of "tickling", you have absolutely nothing to worry about. However, if in the 28th week of pregnancy the baby's movements seem to you excessively intense, and moreover, they are accompanied by your anxiety and strange spotting (stained with blood or looking like amniotic fluid) - be sure to consult your doctor or go to the hospital.
Can there be a childbirth at the 28th week?
In physiological pregnancy, preterm labor in the 28th week of pregnancy may occur, inter alia, in after an extremely stressful event, external trauma or a serious infection. Earlier labor may also appear in the course of pregnancy, which was associated with abnormalities such as pathologies within the placenta or oligohydramnios.
Preterm labor can also occur in multiple pregnancies. Any premature baby born in the 28th week of pregnancy will need to stay in an incubatorthat will replace him with a safe womb until his organs are fully prepared for independent functioning.
What tests should the expectant mother perform at the 28th week of pregnancy?
During this period, we perform as standard blood count and general urine test. In women with a blood group with the Rh (-) factor, blood tests are additionally performed anti-D antibodies. If necessary, after consultation with the treating physician, these expectant mothers will be given anti-D immunoglobulin between 28 and 30 weeks of pregnancy.
Also during this period (between 28-32 weeks of pregnancy) is performed XNUMXrd trimester ultrasound examination. The doctor then checks in detail the development of the fetus, the condition and position of the placenta, the amniotic fluid and the condition of the cervix. Once again also confirms the age of pregnancywhich was determined not only on the basis of the date of the last menstruation, but above all during the XNUMXst trimester ultrasound.
If the patient has, for example, inhibition of fetal development or poor condition of the placenta, on the basis of previous ultrasound and third trimester ultrasound examinations, the age of pregnancy is verified again and, if necessary, additional diagnostics is recommended. It is worth making an appointment in advance for the third trimester ultrasound and other tests in the 28th week of pregnancy.
Consultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
