27 Weeks, 2 Days - The 28th Weeks

My Symptoms
Tired. That about sums it up. I don't know if it's all the other stuff going on in my life or pregnancy, but I'm exhausted. I am also really feeling the weight now. Stairs make me out of breath along with any type of physical exertion. I have trouble getting up after sitting on the couch or laying down. Picking things up off of the floor is sometimes difficult. But, I still love feeling the baby move. She was pretty quiet this week, but when she does kick it's nice and strong. I felt another batch of what was probably hiccups too. They don't last that long, but I'm guessing that's what it was. This week should be interesting as I have a doctor's appointment on Thursday and am planning on signing up for childbirth education classes. I'll provide more info on those as the time comes. Also, as far as weight gain, I've caught up with the averages. According to my scale I've gained about 18 pounds, so that's right in the range for now. We'll see what the doctor says. No Braxton Hicks contractions yet, that I notice. By the way, I'm in my 3rd trimester now! That's right, the last one.

The Baby
Your baby weighs about 2.4 pounds. This is an amazing growth compared to just 11 weeks ago, when it weighed only about 3.5 ounces at 17 weeks of pregnancy. Your baby has increased it's weight more than 10 times in 11 weeks! In the last 4 weeks, from teh 24th week of your pregnancy to this week, its weight has doubled. Your baby is growing rapidly. Crown-to-rump length is close to 10 inches. Total length is 15.75 inches. Until this time, the surface of the baby's developing brain has appeared smooth. At around 28 weeks of pregnancy, the brain forms characteristic grooves and indentations on teh surface. The amount of brain tissue also increases. Your baby's eyebrows and eyelashes may be present. Hair on the baby's head is growing longer. The baby's body is becoming plumper and rounder. It's beginning to fill out a little because of increased fat underneath the skin.

Some fetuses like to suck their thumbs, even before they’re born. This week your baby's brain is taking on a wrinkled appearance because of its rapid growth. The wrinkles are called convolutions and are normal in fetal development. Most of the lanugo has disappeared at this point and your baby may have a full head of hair by now.

By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

Your baby's eye lashes are developing, as subcutaneous fat is deposited. If you have a baby boy, his testes will probably begin descending. Your baby is about 13.8 inches long (35 cms) and weighs about 2 pounds 4 ounces (1 kilogram)! A baby born at this time has a good chance of survival with the help of medical technology.

The Mom
Your uterus is now well above your umbilicus. Sometimes this growth seems gradual. At other times, it may seem as though changes happen rapidly, as if overnight. Your uterus is about 3.2 inches above your belly button. Your weight gain by this time should be between 17 and 24 pounds.

Your uterus is around 3 inches above your navel. If you are RH negative, you’ll be getting a RhoGam injection right around now. Remember that your grumpiness is largely due to our friends, the hormones! And those tightening sensations? Braxton Hicks "practice" contractions.

Do your legs feel creepy-crawly at night? Tingling in your lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them is known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), and it can make it hard to relax when you're settling in. No one knows what causes RLS, but it's common among pregnant women. Try cutting down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse, and massage your calves when they feel tense. If you're not already getting folic acid through a prenatal vitamin, you may want to try taking a supplement. Folic acid — and iron supplements, if you're anemic — may help ease the symptoms.At this point, you may visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks; then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits. Depending upon your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis, plus cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea during your third trimester, to be certain of your status before delivery. (Identifying and treating these infections is crucial for your health and your baby's.) And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll receive an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. (You'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth if your baby is Rh positive.)

You will probably begin to see your practitioner every 2 weeks now. Some women really like the added visits, while others feel that they are running out of time before the baby is born. If you haven't begun discussing labor plans with your practitioner, now is the time to start!
If you have taken childbirth classes you have a good idea of the interventions and alternatives associated in childbirth. If you haven't, please do some reading on the subject. The most common things that people have questions about are: episiotomy, fetal monitoring, and pain relief. Some women will want to use a birth plan to convey their wishes for their labor, birth and postpartum. This is a terrific idea! It is also a good communication tool between you, your partner and your practitioner. Your breasts my leak colostrum now, although if they do not leak, this is not an indication that you can't breastfeed. You may also find out what your blood type is. Some women, if Rh negative may need a shot called Rhogam to prevent complications. Make sure you know your partner's blood type, if he is also negative, then you are safe.