Pregnancy week 28 is an important milestone in your journey. In this article, you can read all about your baby’s development, changes in your body, and useful tips for this stage of pregnancy.

Baby: Now the baby is around 39 cm long and weighs approximately 1.1 kg!

From week 21, however, all foetuses grow differently, so there can be a few hundred grams of difference in size and weight from baby to baby. Do you think you have a smaller or bigger baby in your belly?

Development

The baby is growing fast right now, but there is still plenty of room to move around in the womb. And it’s lucky, because the idea is that the baby in the belly will have time to put on at least two more kilos before they get to meet the world! The foetus accumulates more and more subcutaneous fat and the skin is protected (and nourished) by a layer of fat called vernix (foetal fat).

If baby were to be born in week 28, the foetus’s intestines and lungs have become sufficiently developed that the foetus would very likely survive. However, it is far from risk-free to be born this early and your baby would need a lot of care. For each week that the foetus remains in the stomach, major development takes place which increases the chances that the foetus will be born healthy.

About 5% of all babies are born prematurely, that is, before 37 completed weeks. In other words, your baby will most likely rest peacefully (or kick loose!) in the belly for several more weeks before you see each other.

Mother: How are you? Take a few minutes and find out if you need anything specific today. 

Pregnancy is a great hormonal and physical challenge and the most important thing is that you listen to what you need and take care of yourself 💕

Your skin during pregnancy

Your skin is the body’s largest organ, and it can be greatly affected by pregnancy and the increased surge of hormones. It is not unusual to get stretch marks on your stomach, thighs and buttocks during pregnancy. It is also not uncommon for your skin to start to itch, which is partially due to the skin stretching but also because it often becomes very dry during pregnancy. If this is something you experience, it is good to moisturise your skin using oil or an oily body cream. It can be nice to focus on your baby when you moitsurise your belly, as it’s now only a matter of time until you get to hug each other for the first time!

If you have problems with your skin itching a lot at night or during the day, and if you have problems with itching in the palms of your hands and soles of your feet (which is not relieved by using a cream), then you may need an assessment from a doctor. It is important to find out what is causing the itching so that it can be treated. Talk to your midwife if you experience discomfort by calling the local maternity unit ‘s triage.

Partner: If you put your ear to your partner’s stomach, you may be able to hear a rapid heartbeat!

Your baby’s heart beats much faster than your own, so you don’t need to worry if you hear it beating at a fast rate. Normally, a child’s heart rate is 110-160 beats per minute, compared to an adult’s heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute, where 70 beats per minute is most common.

Planning parental leave?

Have you started thinking about parental leave? If not, now is the time to start planning for this one! Who will be on parental leave and for how long is entirely up to you, but it can be good to read a little about parental leave before you decide how it should be divided.