What's happening in week 28 of your pregnancy?
Your baby is the size of a cucumber at 40 cm from head to toe. He weighs almost 1.02 kg.
His heartbeat can be heard with a stethoscope or get your partner to put his ear to your abdomen. As your baby's lungs are almost fully developed, he's taking practice breaths, too.
He is experiencing REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which means he may be having sweet dreams of you!
How is your baby's brain developing?
The amount of your baby's brain tissue starts to increase this week. More than 50% of the energy used by your baby will be directed towards brain growth over the next few weeks.
What pregnancy symptom might you experience this week?
The weight you have gained so far puts stress on your leg muscles, and may lead to leg and foot cramps. Make this last stretch of your pregnancy comfortable and alleviate the muscle spasms with these steps:
- Massage your calves to loosen the muscle when cramps occur.
- Do gentle exercises before bedtime to prevent night-time cramps. Stretch your calf muscles, rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.
- Exercise regularly. It may have a preventative effect on leg cramps during pregnancy, but do consult your doctor first about appropriate exercises that you can do.
Mom's tip of the week
Regular exercise can also help to keep blood sugar levels at a healthy level – something that your doctor should have already checked by this pregnancy stage to determine if you have gestational diabetes. If not, do go for a prenatal visit.