Week 28

Your Baby’s Development:

This week marks the beginning of the third trimester, or the point at which your little one begins to prepare for life outside the womb. The next 12 weeks focus on the development of the baby’s lungs and layers of fat. Right now, he or she weighs between two and three pounds and is about 16 inches long from head to toe. He or she blinks regularly, and some studies show that babies at this stage of development experience different sleep cycles, including rapid eye movement, or REM, that occurs during dream stages.

What You Should Expect:

Welcome to the third trimester, Mom! You are on the home stretch now, and delivery is imminent. A common complaint during this trimester is sciatica, or a condition in which the baby puts weight on the sciatic nerve located in your lower spine. Those shooting pains that travel from your back through your buttocks and into your legs will disappear after you give birth, but in the meantime try different sitting and sleeping positions to alleviate extra pressure.