28th week of pregnancy – course, tests, diet, child development

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Less than three months left until the end of pregnancy. You have just started her 28th week and your baby is so developed that he would have a very good chance of survival in the event of a premature birth. Check how the 28th week will go and what you should pay special attention to during it.

28th week of pregnancy – course

At 28 weeks of pregnancy, your little one is already very impressive. It is about 36 cm from the top of the head to the feet, but some children measure as much as 40 cm. At the same time, the child weighs more than a kilogram, but until it is resolved, its weight will probably increase three times more. The baby is already developed so much that in the event of premature birth it would have as much as 90 percent. chance of survival. Still, one should take into account the possibility of numerous developmental defects.

The entire third trimester is usually quite tough for women. Week 28 is no different in this respect. Some of the unpleasant symptoms of the first trimester come back. Additionally, the body is burdened with the effort of carrying a baby. Cheer up, you’re on the home straight.

28rd week of pregnancy – baby’s development

The 28th week of pregnancy is a time of intensive growth for your baby. At this stage, your little one becomes physically stronger as their body weight increases. What’s more, then the shape of the child also changes. It becomes rounder in the 28th week of pregnancy. Nevertheless, it is not yet in full bloom. This happens at the end of pregnancy.

One of the activities that absorbs the baby’s energy the most is developing the structures of the brain. At 28 weeks of pregnancy, your baby’s brain begins to change shape. It then becomes more wrinkled. Then it becomes possible to isolate the six layers of the cerebral cortex. Then the temperature control center begins to function. This means that the baby no longer needs a nap (lanugo) to cover the body and protect the baby’s skin from water.

Some babies lose this characteristic nap as early as the 28th week of pregnancy and it remains only on some parts of the body – for example on the back. However, it should be remembered that there are also children who are still born from lanugo and lose them only after a few days. The fluff is very delicate and falls off the baby’s skin when wiped. Interestingly, lanugos are also found in animals, but in their case it remains permanently.

The baby still spends a lot of time developing the reflexes that will be necessary for him after he is born. Now it draws oxygen from the mother’s blood, but in the first breath it draws it from the air. Therefore, already in the 28th week of pregnancy, you can notice that the baby is regularly “ventilating” it with amniotic fluid. The lungs continue to be coated with the surfactant, a substance that reduces surface tension. Thanks to this, the pulmonary alveoli after childbirth will not be stuck together like a wet bag, and will expand beautifully.

The 28th week of pregnancy is the moment when the baby is primarily asleep. However, the toddler is already making eye movements, which means that he is already dreaming, i.e. in REM sleep. At this stage, the baby has already shaped eyes that could not be opened before due to fused eyelids. In addition, the toddler has already developed eyelashes.

Find out why natural birth is good for your baby’s brain

How do your baby’s sexual organs develop at 28 weeks of pregnancy?

In boys, usually around the 28th week, the process of descending the testicles to the scrotum takes place, while girls have the outer labia already formed. The ultrasound performed at this stage is quite clear when it comes to determining the child’s gender. Of course, everything, provided that it does not set at the wrong angle, and the doctor simply does not make a mistake, which is rare, but it happens.

What does the baby feel at the 28th week of pregnancy?

Many stimuli reach the child at this stage of development. In the 28th week of pregnancy, her eyesight is quite functional. For this reason, he may start to feel anxious, for example when the mother suddenly leaves a dark room and finds herself in a well-lit place, e.g. on the street on a sunny day. Doctors also recommend that you speak to your baby during the 28th week of pregnancy. It has been proven that the mother’s voice is soothing to the little one. Talking to him makes the baby calm down.

For many families, the 28th week of pregnancy can be a bit stressful, but also full of joy. The child may be mobile at this stage. Then it is placed in the birthing position, i.e. with the head pointing downwards. Nevertheless, this moment often comes many weeks later. In order to find out what position the child is in, a test should be performed. If his result does not show that the baby’s head is not pointing downwards, do not be of concern to him.

28th week of pregnancy – changes in the mother’s body

Many women said that it was at the 28th stage of their pregnancy that they felt most “pregnant”. This is due to, inter alia, From the fact that it is then that women are heavier by 8-12 kg. In addition, the bottom of the uterus changes position as it moves both up and forward. This makes movement much more difficult for a woman, as the physiological posture of the spine is disturbed. Then his pain is rather the norm.

Due to the large size of the uterus, the woman’s digestive system has a difficult time working. Both the stomach and intestines work under difficult conditions. This makes it difficult for the body to eat more food. What’s more, even small meals in the 28th week of pregnancy can end up in heartburn, flatulence and constipation. Doctors advise women to eat more often but smaller portions. It is recommended that these are meals containing a lot of fiber. It is also advisable to drink plenty of water.

Find out what the risk of excess weight gain in pregnancy

28th week of pregnancy and health problems

One of the more common symptoms during the 28th week of pregnancy is a runny nose. This is due to the increased activity of the mucous membranes. At this stage of pregnancy, women may begin to snore, even though they have not had the condition before. People who are too sensitive to snoring are advised to buy earplugs; on the other hand breathing exercises are recommended for women who want to stop snoring. For example, while sitting, breathe in slowly, hold it in your lungs for a few seconds, and release it.

In the 28th week of pregnancy, women sometimes complain of itchy stomach. The cause of this ailment is, among others, constant stretching of the skin just on the stomach. However, it can also be caused by excessive bile building up in a woman’s body. It is important to know that this is normal up to a certain point, but when the itching becomes unbearable it is advisable to consult your doctor.

A third complaint that women in 28 weeks often complain of is leg cramps. It is caused by leg fatigue resulting, for example, from prolonged sitting or standing. It is also caused by blood stagnation in the legs, resulting from the pressure of the enlarged uterus on the pelvic nerve. Another reason is poor diet and being overweight.

What should a woman eat in the 28th week of pregnancy?

It is very important to keep the amount of iron in your body under control throughout the third trimester. Its decrease may result in anemia dangerous not only for the mother, but also for the child. Talk to your doctor about whether supplementation with iron-containing preparations is necessary in your case. It is best to provide the body with a complex of vitamins and minerals necessary for the proper course of pregnancy and child development, eg Pregnancy Complex – Viridian pregnant woman or LittleMe Day + LittleMe Night Health Labs – for the benefit of mother and child. If there is no such need, by 28 weeks of pregnancy, simply try to eat foods that contain them in large amounts – for example meat, especially liver.

In the 28th month of pregnancy, many women experience nutrient deficiencies. This is due to the need to pass them on to the baby, which in turn means that there is nothing left for the mother. This leads to a weakening of the woman’s immune effect, which in turn also poses a threat to the child – the toddler will be less protected against infections.

In 28 tc. During pregnancy, it is recommended to eat large amounts of proteins, such as meat, fish, soybeans, beans, cheese and milk. They contain valuable amino acids for both the baby and the mother. Thanks to them, the child’s muscles are built. Women are also advised to consume:

1. whole grain bread,
2. Brown rice,
3. nuts,
4. flakes,
5. eggs,
6. jacket potatoes (with skin).

28th week of pregnancy – what does the baby look like?

Usually, babies in the third trimester of pregnancy measure 24 cm when curled up; 34 cm – when straightened. The retina of the child’s eye is already formed at this stage of life and the eyelids are open. However, the baby is still not accumulating fat, although it is already 100 g heavier than in the previous stage of pregnancy. Hair appears on its head, although what the baby looks like in the 28th month of pregnancy depends on the parents’ genes. Ultrasound examination in the 28th month of pregnancy shows that the baby is in the embryonic position.

Find out what the pregnancy ultrasound is about

28th week of pregnancy — baby movements

From the 28th week, the toddler begins to be more and more physically active. Compared to the previous weeks, his mobility is more stable and regular. However, it is noticeable that the child is sometimes more and sometimes less active. The little man also needs rest. After being more active, there is a stage of calming down. Doctors recommend that you constantly monitor your baby’s movements at this stage.

If the baby’s physical activity is low at this stage of pregnancy, it may mean that the baby’s life is at risk. According to doctors, a toddler should make no fewer than ten movements during the two-hour registration period. If it does not maintain activity at this level, you should immediately contact a specialist. The sooner we react, the more likely we are to save the child’s life.

Tests in the 28st week of pregnancy

Check-ups are performed every 4 weeks during pregnancy. After 34 months of pregnancy, the frequency of tests doubled. The woman should then take part in the research, even if she feels well and does not notice the child’s disturbing behavior. All of this is done in order to detect possible disorders in advance, which may pose a threat to both her and the child. These studies are:

1. general urine test – it can be used to determine whether a woman is healthy or sick. Sugar and protein in the urine are a warning sign that a person is ill. Of course, these are usually small amounts, but their mere presence suggests that we are dealing with a health risk. The presence of sugar and proteins means that kidney filtration efforts have decreased.
2. blood count in pregnancy – this test is needed to determine the number of red blood cells. If there are less than 3800 / mm3, it may be a sign of anemia. Thanks to the test, it is also possible to find out how many white blood cells there are in a woman’s blood. Here, in turn, if there are more than 10 / mm3, it may suggest an infection. Morphological examinations should be performed once a month.
3. Ultrasound – thanks to it we will find out, for example, how much a child weighs in the 28th week of pregnancy. An ultrasound scan is performed between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. In addition to determining the aforementioned weight of the child, thanks to it, it is possible to determine where the child is located. Moreover, we will also determine the location and condition of the placenta. This means that we will determine its thickness and maturity. The doctor will also determine the amount of amniotic fluid.

Routine tests also include blood pressure measurement. The doctor will perform them during the first visit. This is an important test as pressure fluctuations may occur during pregnancy. It is true that they are usually small, but you should also keep this under constant control. If the pressure exceeds 140/90, it may be a symptom of high blood pressure or poisoning.

Important tests are also tests of HBs antigen and antibodies for toxoplasmosis. They are performed not only in the 8th month of pregnancy before delivery. The first test shows whether the baby’s mother has hepatitis B. If so, the baby will be given immunoglobulin after birth to protect the liver. The second study can determine if there is any new infection.

An interesting fact about the 28nd week of pregnancy

A pregnant woman has 1000 times more estrogen. Thanks to them, pregnancy proceeds properly, so the baby can also develop under favorable conditions. Estrogens cause the uterus to enlarge and the milk ducts to develop. Interestingly, it is estrogens that make pregnant women have mood swings. In addition, they cause a woman to have an increased need to build a home hearth, i.e. plug the socket.

A pregnant woman has a higher body temperature. This makes her hungry more often, as her metabolism increases by 25%. It also means that he sweats faster and has a greater appetite. Her heart beats faster as well, which means that about 1,5 liters more blood flows through her body. So the heart has to move blood faster and it beats faster.

Read also:

1. 27rd week of pregnancy
2. 29rd week of pregnancy

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