Pregnancy Week 28

The twenty-eigth week, marks the beginning of the third and final trimester.

Although still very small, your baby pretty much looks as it will at birth.

The eyelids, begin to open and the eyelashes have finished forming.

The wrinkles in your baby's skin begin to smooth as he/she gains weight.

By the end of this week, your baby will be about 10 inches or 250 millimeters in length from crown to rump and weigh almost 2.25 pounds or 1000 grams.

Although the lungs, liver and immune system are not yet fully formed, otherwise healthy babies born this week, stand a 90 percent chance of survival without physical or neurological impairment, and the odds only improve with each passing week.

Much of the same symptoms which began in the second trimester are present in the third.

As the baby grows in size, many of these symptoms will become more acute.

They include backaches, shortness of breath, frequent urination, swelling, heartburn, varicose veins, vaginal discharge and weak contractions that come and go known as Braxton Hicks contractions.

As your breasts and belly continue to grow, finding a comfortable position may become more and more challenging.

Many women find this portion of the pregnancy physically and emotionally demanding and it is not uncommon to become tired of the pregnancy and anxious to have it come to an end.