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28th week of pregnancy: what happens to the baby, to the mother, fetal development
At the 28th week, the baby becomes active and receptive, he can respond to the stroking of the mother with reciprocal pushes, this is a joyful and pleasant feeling. A woman needs to monitor her health and consult a doctor if blood pressure is high all the time, leg cramps or severe headache are tormented.
What happens to a woman’s body at the 28th week of pregnancy?
A woman at this stage of pregnancy may have breathing problems, because the enlarged belly presses on the diaphragm. The uterus has already risen to the ribcage. Walking in the fresh air is useful to enrich the blood with oxygen and prevent stagnation of blood in the veins of the legs.
Walking is beneficial in the 28th week of pregnancy
When stroking the abdomen during this period, you can hear the baby’s pushes in response. A woman’s weight increases daily until the 36-37th week. Weight gain of 300 or 400 g per week is one of the indicators of proper nutrition for a pregnant woman.
There is no nausea at week 28, but heartburn may begin. The best remedy for it is to eat more often and not have any spices in the dishes. A woman should pay special attention to some features. For example, during pregnancy, bowel movements should occur daily. If this happens less often, constipation is possible, with all the unpleasant consequences, and you need to inform your doctor about this.
At the 28th week, some women with negative rhesus, as prescribed by a doctor, are injected with anti-rhesus immunoglobulin, taking a preliminary blood test. This is done to prevent the development of hemolytic disease of the newborn.
In the third trimester, the movements of each child are individual. By their frequency, the doctor judges how the baby feels. The doctor may ask the woman to record the number of movements during the day. To do this, you need to be guided by the following rules:
- choose the time when the child is most active;
- lie down or sit down in a calm environment;
- focus on the sensations of the baby’s movements.
In an hour, you need to count at least 10 movements, it can be not only jolts, but also rolling, stretching, etc.
After 2 weeks, the expectant mother will be given a birth certificate and an exchange card, in which the results of all tests will be entered. The doctor will take a swab from the woman’s vagina to determine a genitourinary infection. Also, repeated tests for hepatitis, syphilis and HIV infection are required. This is done in order to prevent the fetus from contracting an infection and to prescribe the correct treatment for the woman in labor, if necessary.
Soon a woman will get acquainted with a new examination method – CTG or cardiotocography. The device allows you to register the baby’s heartbeat and analyze it over time.
Features of fetal development at the 28th week
The baby grows in the mother’s womb, alternating between sleep and wakefulness. His muscles develop, his movements become more varied and active. On some ultrasound scans done at 28 weeks, you can see the baby sucking his thumb or smiling at something.
What happens to the baby at the 28th week can be seen in the photo – he sucks his thumb
The fluff that covered the child’s skin begins to gradually disappear, but the hair on the head grows. As the fetus grows, the embryo’s posture begins to form – arms and legs are pressed to the body and crossed among themselves. He continues to “breathe” by swallowing and releasing amniotic fluid.
You can hear the hiccuping of the child, this is a normal process that should not scare a woman. At the doctor’s appointment, the expectant mother needs to talk about her pain sensations, if any, and report how often the fetus moves.
During pregnancy, it is advisable to adhere to certain principles:
- fractional nutrition – there is no more than 200 or 300 g of food at a time, this will make you feel light, and the products will be absorbed as much as possible;
- drink mainly in the morning, at least 1,5 or 2 liters of liquid;
- you can eat about 1 kg of vegetables and fruits per day in small portions of 200 g at a time;
- it is advisable not to eat unfamiliar dishes that have an unpleasant taste or smell.
A pregnant woman needs to eat not for two, but for two, so that the food has benefits for the health of the child, and not just the feeling of satiety in the mother.
What should pay attention to?
When cramps begin in the calf muscles, this is not always a reason to go to the doctor. But as the gestation period increases, seizures can intensify, becoming more frequent during the day and at night. To relieve pain during a cramp, you need to straighten your leg at the knee and pull the toe towards you. If a simple exercise does not help relieve pain, you need to tell your doctor so that he can prescribe additional examination and treatment.
If leg cramps are an unpleasant but not dangerous symptom for pregnancy, then severe pain in the lower abdomen in the third trimester is a reason for immediate medical attention, you need to call an ambulance
Another alarming symptom of premature birth can be a change in the nature of vaginal discharge, for example, their abundance or an admixture of blood. You need to inform your doctor or call an ambulance about this.
Severe headache, increased pressure and swelling of the face, severe pain in the legs or their swelling also require immediate attention to the doctor. Fever-like nausea and vomiting, similar to common food poisoning, can be signs of pregnancy complications. Therefore, it is advisable to immediately call an ambulance without trying to relieve symptoms with activated charcoal.
How many months are left before the birth, when the woman is at the 28th week, is easy to calculate – about 2,5. To avoid premature birth, you need to pay attention to all the alarming symptoms and immediately talk to your doctor about them.
Changes that occur to a woman during twin pregnancy
The term corresponds to 7 obstetric months. The fruits weigh 1100 g, and their height is 37,2 cm. With a singleton, the weight is 1319 g, and the height is 37,6 cm. They are already asleep and are actively behaving according to the schedule. They are more and more overgrown with fat. Soft tissues turn into bones. In boys, the testicles descend into the scrotum; in the girl, the clitoris is very prominent. The formation of the body of children is almost complete. The woman begins to pull strongly in the lower abdomen. Swelling becomes regular, heartburn and shortness of breath are more and more tormented.