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🌳Third Trimester•Weeks 28-40
Week 28 of Pregnancy
Your baby is the size of eggplant
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Length
14.8 inches
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Weight
2.2 pounds
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Size Comparison
Eggplant
👶 Baby Development
- •Welcome to the third trimester - the final stretch!
- •Eyes can open and close fully and baby blinks regularly
- •Baby can blink in response to light
- •Lungs are capable of breathing air with medical support if born now
- •Brain is developing billions of neurons with rapid growth in cerebral cortex
- •Baby is adding fat layers making skin less translucent
- •Survival rate if born now is over 90% with NICU care
💭 Common Symptoms
- •Shortness of breath as uterus pushes up on diaphragm
- •Trouble sleeping due to size, discomfort, and frequent bathroom trips
- •Possible sciatic pain shooting down legs and buttocks
- •Frequent urination returns as baby drops lower into pelvis
- •More frequent and intense Braxton Hicks contractions
- •Swelling in feet, ankles, and hands
- •Possible back pain and pelvic pressure
🥗 Nutrition Tips
- •Eat iron-rich foods (27mg daily) for increasing red blood cell production and baby's iron stores
- •Include 1000-1300mg of calcium daily for baby's rapidly hardening bones
- •Stay hydrated with 10-12 glasses of water despite frequent urination
- •Eat 75-100g of protein at every meal for fetal growth
- •Include vitamin D (600 IU daily) for calcium absorption
- •Eat small frequent meals to avoid heartburn and breathlessness
- •Focus on nutrient-dense foods as space for your stomach decreases
✅ To-Do This Week
- •Schedule Tdap vaccine (whooping cough) between 27-36 weeks to protect baby
- •Start counting baby kicks - you should feel 10 movements in 2 hours
- •Tour your hospital or birth center to familiarize yourself
- •Begin actively preparing hospital bag with essentials
- •Schedule appointments every 2 weeks now
- •Discuss labor signs and when to call your provider
- •Start thinking about pain management preferences
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Did You Know?
Your baby can now distinguish between light and dark outside the womb, and may even turn toward bright light! Brain activity patterns show they're likely dreaming during REM sleep.