28 Weeks Pregnant

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Here's what's happening during Week 28 of your pregnancy:

28-weeks-pregnant

Your Growing Baby

The fetus can taste and smell, and the eyes can produce tears. The bones are almost fully developed though still soft. Weight gain is rapid from now on. Length: about 15 inches; weight: more than 2 1∕2 pounds. Fetus fact: The brain will increase 400 percent to 500 percent in weight between now and delivery.

Your baby's main job right now is to put the finishing touches on major organ systems, such as her brain, lungs, and liver. As you can probably tell, she's also working on gaining layers of fat. Her body fat is about 2 to 3 percent. Her sucking and swallowing skills are improving.

Your Growing Belly

You're getting larger, and as you get larger, you become more uncomfortable. Your legs may ache or cramp, it's hard to get a good sleeping position, and the baby is big enough to give you some sharp kicks to the ribs!

Remember that hot weather, standing for long periods of time, or low blood sugar can make you prone to dizziness and fainting. Drink water, and stay in the shade if you're pregnant in the summer.

Tips & To-Do's

The No-Time No-Excuses Workout
Just a half-hour of exercise a day will benefit you and your baby. Here’s how to overcome the obstacles and make the most of every minute >>


Things to think about this week
If you know you're having a boy, you and your partner may be battling over circumcision. Consider doing research on the procedure, talking to your baby's future pediatrician for her views, and talking to other parents to see how they resolved the issue. Learn about this procedure before your baby boy is born >>

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Pregnancy Milestones:

Below are some of the most important milestones of your pregnancy. Click on any week to read more, or view our Week-by-Week Pregnancy page to see your pregnancy at-a-glance.

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Week 4: Positive test: You're pregnant! You may be starting to feel bloated, crampy, tired and moody, and experiencing sore breasts, nausea/vomiting and a frequent need to pee.  But don't worry if you're not—that's normal.  Read more about being 4 weeks pregnant.

 

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Week 8: Your doctor may look or listen for the baby's heartbeat with an ultrasound. Once you see or hear it, your miscarriage risk drops to about 2 percent. He'll also give you an official due date—though very few women actually deliver on that day.  Read more about being 8 weeks pregnant.

 

 

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Week 10: Your inch-long baby is now called a fetus. While the icky side effects of pregnancy may be starting to abate, your anxiety about having a healthy baby might be increasing.  Read more about being 10 weeks pregnant.

 

 

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Week 15: The "window of opportunity" for many important screening and diagnostic tests opens this week, should you decide to undergo them.  Read more about being 15 weeks pregnant.

 

 

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Week 16: Sometime between 16 and 22 weeks, you'll start to feel your baby move.  Read more about being 16 weeks pregnant.

 

 

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Week 29: The basketball-sized lump in your belly may be inhibiting shoe tying, leg shaving and the like. The fetus is increasingly sensitive to light and sound.  Read more about being 29 weeks pregnant.

 

 

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Week 36: The baby may drop lower into your pelvis in preparation for delivery. This should make it easier to breathe—yet your pee breaks will become ever more frequent.  Read more about being 36 weeks pregnant.

 

 

Click here to read more about every week of pregnancy on our Week-by-Week Pregnancy page.