Week by Week Pregnancy Guide – Week 28 of your pregnancy

Here is what happens to you during the 28th week of your pregnancy.

Debjani Arora | Updated: December 17, 2014 1:01 pm

The most exciting part is that you will complete your second trimester and enter into your third trimester by the end of this week. This also indicates that the ‘honeymoon period’ of your pregnancy is getting over and you would be up for some new, unpleasant pregnancy symptoms during the final phase.

Here is what happens during this week of your pregnancy:

Frequent bouts of constipation: As your uterus stretches out more, it also exerts pressure on the colon making constipation inevitable for some expectant mothers. The flip-side is that if you don’t take adequate measures to combat the condition it could aggravate hemorrhoids that is also common during the later stages of pregnancy. The best way to deal with the problem is to have adequate amounts of water throughout the day and eat fibrous foods to ensure smooth bowel movements. Here are few tips to deal with constipation during pregnancy.

Leg cramps, backache and sciatica: As you near the final phase or the third trimester you might experience some new kind of symptoms. Leg cramps are one of them. These cramps could be severe during the night interfering with your sleep. Also with the bulging belly backache is common during this time. Posture correction and light exercises can give some respite to your back. However, sciatica could be a new problem to deal with. As your baby takes the heads-down position, its head can be pressing on the sciatica never which can send pain signals from the buttock to the lower part of the legs.

Increased fetal movements: You might experience a surge in fetal movements during this week. This is the normal progression of your pregnancy. If fetal movements are at its peak during the nights it could again disrupt your sleep. So try sleeping or resting during the time when your baby is less active to compensate for the sleep deficit.

Swelling on the hands and feet: Edema could be another persistent problem during this week making your hands and feet swell due to water retention and increased blood flow.

Apart from this, you may also experience some of the other pregnancy symptoms like vaginal discharge, leaky breasts, heartburn, abdominal cramps, insomnia, etc.

Development in your baby:

Your baby gains enough weight: This week onwards your baby is going to gain weight consistently till labour. That explains why you should expect your weight to increase exponentially during the last phase of pregnancy.

Your baby’s brain development is in its final stages: Your baby’s brain is in its final stages of development which means more neurons are being added to it.

Your baby prepares to take the head-down position: Most babies will take a head-down position by this week to prepare for labour. However, if your sonography shows that your baby is still in the transverse or breech position there is no need to worry as there is still time for your baby to turn in to the right position. Here are six ways to turn a breech baby into normal position.

What you should do:

Go for a glucose tolerance test which is done between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy. In this test 75g of oral glucose is given to the expectant mother and a blood sample is drawn after 2 hours to screen for gestational diabetes. This condition can be harmful both for you and your baby. It can lead to overly large babies, difficult deliveries and also lead to other health problems related to the baby.

Many chromosomal abnormalities can be picked up during this period if the doctor suspects any from your sonography reports. Multiple marker or more invasive tests like amniocentesis or CVS sampling might be advised to rule of the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities if suspected.

In case you go into premature labour now your baby’s chances of survival are fairly high and will be kept in a special ICCU for requisite treatment. However, take enough care that you don’t have to go the the labour room that early.

Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and combat constipation and heartburn. Maintain high levels of hygiene, as with a suppressed immune system, there is always a higher risk of infection. Wash your hands before you eat and even after meals.

To combat the occurrence of stretch marks use a moisturiser on your belly, buttock and breasts.

Stress isn’t a good companion during pregnancy, try and keep your stress levels to minimal. Read about the nine ways in which you can keep pregnancy stress at bay.

Eat a balanced diet and eat six meals a day. This will ensure that you keep your carvings in-check and nourish yourself and your baby at regular intervals. However, don’t go overboard with food as excessive weight gain during this stage can give rise to complications during pregnancy. Know how much is too much when it comes to weight gain during pregnancy.

Apart from shunning tobacco and alcohol, reduce your intake of caffeine and tea too. Find out about the eight drinks that should be avoided during pregnancy.

Gorge on fruits; the vitamins and micronutrients in them are going to play a key role in you and your baby’s well-being. Also read about the 7 essentials every pregnant woman’s diet should have.

Sleep as much as you can. You are going to do yourself and your growing baby a whole lot of good if you listen to your body and give it some much-needed rest. Here are few tips to sleep swell during pregnancy.

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Image source: Getty Images

Published: November 26, 2014 7:04 pm | Updated:December 17, 2014 1:01 pm

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Week by Week Pregnancy Guide – Week 29 of your pregnancy

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