28 Weeks Pregnant

Welcome to the first week of your third and final trimester. Although you're definitely looking pregnant by now, you're not quite at that stage of feeling so big you're getting clumsy. You can still navigate your way comfortably around and not feel as if all you want to do is to lie down. Although by the end of the day your ankles and feet may be getting a bit swollen, by the next morning they should be back to their normal size.

This may be the time you need to branch out into some proper maternity clothes. Going for larger sizes with stretchy waistbands may have worked until now, but by 28 weeks you ll probably need some clothes which are designed and cut with a pregnant belly in mind.

Can someone please open a window?

If you're one of the unlucky ones who experience nausea throughout their pregnancy, you may find some relief in your third trimester. By now, you've experimented with different foods to see what you can tolerate and what's unbearable, but even cooking smells and just the thought of some foods may still turn you off.

Some pregnant women develop a complication with extreme nausea and vomiting, called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. Hospitalisation and rehydration with intravenous fluids can become necessary in women who are simply unable to keep any fluids down. Fortunately, this is not a common condition and medical treatment is effective. Women who have experienced this level of unrelenting nausea say that there is almost instantaneous relief of their symptoms at the moment of their baby's birth.

Who's that sitting in my chair?

Think about investing in a comfortable chair if you don t have one. You will be spending an increasing amount of time sitting before you have the baby and after it is born. Feeding a newborn consumes hours of every day, so does cuddling, gazing and staring at their little face. A chair which isn t too hard to get up and out of is essential. Look for one with well positioned arm rests, good lumbar support and which doesn t push into the back of your knees. A footstool is an added bonus and you ll find this increasingly useful as your pregnancy proceeds.

Superannuation for your baby:

Your baby is growing up a storm in your 28th week. Putting on weight and filling out beautifully. All those extra kilojoules it needs to fuel its growth will start at your mouth with the foods you are eating. There's been an enormous amount of research in the field of pre-natal, maternal influences on children long-term. One of the most influential factors within your control is your diet and the quality of the foods you eat whilst you are pregnant. It has also been proven that ceasing cigarette smoking and illicit drugs, avoiding alcohol, and generally living in a safe, clean community are other primary factors in determining a positive outcome for children as well. What this means is how you look after yourself when you are pregnant will affect your baby in a major way, as it grows into adulthood.

Your physical changes this week:

• Stretch marks could be appearing on your tummy now. If you've avoided them until now, don t be alarmed. There is nothing you can do to stop them forming. Although they start out red and very visible, within a year or less they will fade to white and not be nearly as noticeable.
• Squatting and bending down is getting harder. You ll discover the easier way of doing things in a hurry. Picking things up with your toes takes some getting used to but it can be done. Lots of pregnant women invest in a set of extendable calipers - look in a toy shop for some. If you have a desk job, organise your work station to suit you. Your computer chair may need to be adjusted a couple of times a day.
• Your breasts could start producing colostrum, an early form of breastmilk. This is a clear to yellowish coloured thick fluid, which is very high in antibodies. It is a sign that your breasts are starting early lactation, getting ready to produce milk for your baby after it is born. If you have breastfed a baby previously, you may find you produce colostrum a little earlier.