28 Weeks - Pregnancy

Baby

In the beginning of the seventh month, your baby is really looking like, well, a baby! Her head hair is growing long, if she is so genetically inclined. Her eyebrows and eyelashes are distinct and her eyes are completely formed. If you were to look inside, you would see her blink, grimace, and squint. Her body is starting to plump up as her muscles and bones have grown and developed. Fat will soon begin to accumulate as well. While your baby would need constant medical attention if born now, her lungs are capable of breathing. Your baby is now 2.2 pounds in weight and about 15 inches long.

As your baby runs out of room, you will really feel her twists, turns, and kicks. She is going to be more and more cramped in the coming weeks, and you will notice your baby making waves across your belly.

Mom

As your uterus grows to unimaginable size, most of the pains you are feeling can be related to the growth. You may be feeling back pain, leg cramps, swelling, varicose veins, heartburn, the dreaded hemorrhoids, itchy skin due to stretching, and reflux.

Even if you were the cold one in your house before, now you are freezing everyone out of the house by keeping the heat low or the air conditioning high. As your metabolic rate increases by 20%, you are constantly feeling hot.

In addition to all of this, your uterus is putting pressure on your bladder once again, and you wake up at at night to go to the bathroom. Maybe all this lack of sleep you are getting is Mother Nature’s way of preparing you for nights with a newborn.

If you are having lower back pain and leg pain, you may be putting pressure on your sciatic nerve. Rest and a heating pad applied locally may help with this. If not, see a physical therapist. He should be able to help you with some exercises and ways of moving that will help cure this pain.

If you are still having frequent tingling and cramps in your legs at night, you may have Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS). Up to 15% of pregnant women experience this, and experts aren’t certain what can cause it. Many doctors think it is related to certain environmental factors, like your diet, your sleeping arrangements, or your daily lifestyle activities. Some women find that eating carbs late in the day can worsen RLS.

Although you are probably experiencing some discomfort at this time, just remember that your baby’s birth is just around the corner. It may feel like it’s taking forever, but once you have your baby, you’ll hardly even remember this time. (I know you don’t believe it, but it’s true!) Hang on!

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PLEASE NOTE

This should be used as a general guideline and is for general information and educational purposes only. Please remember that all pregnancies develop at different rates. If you have questions about your baby's development, please contact your doctor or midwife.