28 Week Growth...

How your baby's growing:
By this week, your baby weighs a little over 2 pounds and measures about 14.8 inches from the top of her head to her heels. She can open her eyes — which now sport lashes — and she'll turn her head toward a continuous, bright light from the outside. Her fat layers are beginning to form, too, as she gets ready for life outside the womb.

It's a busy time for your little one. His movements will increase from now until around week 32, when he'll start running out of room to roam. (He'll keep moving after that, but it will feel more like wiggling compared to the sharp kicks you may be experiencing now.) He's also growing strong--and long! He measures about 14 inches from head to toe, and weighs roughly 3 pounds. Your doctor will keep track of his growth by placing her hands on your belly to measure the size of your uterus, also known as fundal height.

This week marks an important milestone for Baby's brain development. Until now, the surface of your baby's developing brain was smooth. During this week, Baby's brain begins to form its characteristic grooves and indentations, allowing the brain’s surface to expand while it develops within Baby's tiny skull.
At about two pounds four ounces and 13.8 inches from head to toe, your baby has certainly come a long way!
Other important developmental advances continue as well:
*Baby will continue to add layers of fat under her skin, and will get plumper with each passing day.
*Hair on Baby's head will continue to grow.
*A boy's testes are usually completely descended into the scrotum by this point.
*Baby's lungs are now capable of breathing air.

How your life's changing:
You're in the home stretch! The third trimester starts this week and lasts until 40 weeks. If you're like most women, you'll gain about 11 pounds this trimester.

You've mastered morning sickness and gotten off the hormonal roller coaster, but now the physical symptoms of pregnancy are taking their toll. And no wonder--your uterus, which normally weighs about 2 ounces and holds less than half an ounce of liquid, has expanded to house your baby, the placenta, and a quart of amniotic fluid. Most of the symptoms of late pregnancy are related to uterine enlargement, including back pain, swelling of the feet and ankles, varicose veins, high blood pressure, heartburn, hemorrhoids, itchy skin, and reflux.

By week 28, your uterus is about three inches above your belly button. Your weight gain may range from about 17 to 24 pounds.
Starting now, you'll probably be visiting your doctor every other week instead of every month. At your next appointment, your doctor may be able to tell you how your baby is positioned in the womb.
Ideally, soon you will feel her settle with her head pointed down toward your cervix — a sensation called "lightening." If you feel the baby's head pushing against your cervix, he or she is probably in the proper head-first position for delivery. Babies in a head-up or breech position during labor may need to be delivered by cesarean section if the doctor can't turn them around.
However, don't be alarmed at a breech presentation at this point – it's not that unusual for Baby to be in a breech position at this point. She still has two months to change position, which most babies do.

Do your legs feel creepy-crawly at night? Tingling in your lower legs and an irresistible urge to move them is known as restless legs syndrome (RLS), and it can make it hard to relax when you're settling in. No one knows what causes RLS, but it's common among pregnant women. Try cutting down on caffeine, which can make the symptoms worse, and massage your calves when they feel tense. Some studies also show that taking iron supplements helps ease your discomfort. At this point, you may visit your doctor or midwife every two weeks; then, at 36 weeks, you'll switch to weekly visits. Depending upon your risk factors, your practitioner may recommend repeating blood tests for HIV and syphilis, plus cultures for chlamydia and gonorrhea during your third trimester, to be certain of your status before delivery. (Identifying and treating these infections is crucial for your health and your baby's.) And if the blood work done at your first prenatal visit showed that you're Rh negative, you'll receive an injection of Rh immunoglobulin to prevent your body from developing antibodies that could attack your baby's blood. (No worries, I'm not Rh negative). If your baby's biological father is also Rh negative, the shot isn't necessary, but most practitioners will do it routinely rather than test the father. (You'll receive another shot of Rh immunoglobulin after you give birth if your baby is Rh positive.)