Fetal Development at Week 28

Welcome to your third trimester of pregnancy! Week 28 means that you're two-thirds of the way through and getting closer to the much anticipated arrival of your little one. Right now, both you and your baby are seemingly growing larger every day.

Size

Your baby weighs about 2 lbs. and is approximately 15 inches long. She has about 2 to 3 percent body fat but is adding more fat every week as her number of fat cells keep increasing.

Eyes

Your little one can blink his eyes, which have recently developed lashes. With this developing eye sight, he may be able to see some light filtering through the womb if you were to shine a flashlight onto your belly.

The Brain

Until now, the brain has been mostly smooth, but as it starts to mature, it forms the grooves we associate with our brains. From this point on, the amount of tissue within the brain also rapidly increases.

Hair and Skin

The skin is wrinkled but will smooth out as the layer of fat just under the skin develops during the next few weeks. The body is also covered with lanugo, a fine downy hair, and vernix, a waxy, white protective substance.

Movement

You're probably feeling the baby move all around now as she kicks, stretches and moves frequently about the uterus. These movements are not only felt by the mother but also are visible to others.

References

• Welcome to the Third Trimester!
• Your Pregnancy: 28 weeks
• Pregnancy Week 28