Third trimester | Parenting In the Loop

Pregnancy at 28 Weeks

This beautiful eggplant represents the size of your sweet little baby that has now grown to be about 14 1/2 inches from head to heels and weighs around 2 1/4 pounds at this time in your pregnancy.

Her eyes are blinking and he now has eyelashes.
Developing brain neurons and adding body fad are her main activity..

For you, this is the home stretch, the Third Trimester. You will probably gain about a pound each week from now until deliver. You will visit your caregiver every two weeks from now until 36 weeks.

Your glucose screening will be reviewed and if your result was abnormally high you will have a Glucose Tolerance Test. In addition if you are Rh negative blood type you will get an injection of Rhogam, Rh immunoglobulin which prevents your body from developing antibodies that would attack your baby’s blood.

RLS, Restless Leg Syndrome can affect you at this time in your pregnancy. It is a “creepy-crawly” sensation in your legs that is relieved when you move. Caffeine can make these feelings worse. No one knows the cause of RLS, make sure to mention to your caregiver if you have these symptoms

“Now that it’s later in my pregnancy, I find that if I sleep on either side with a pillow tucked underneath my stomach, I can make it through the night.”

Source: | BabyCenter

Preeclampsia is a serious condition that affects about 5 percent of pregnant women. It is diagnosed by these findings.

high blood pressure after 20 weeks of pregnancy along with one or both of the following
protein in her urine
liver or kidney abnormalities

It can be mild or severe a occur near to your due date. Most women and babies do fine with the proper care.

Severe preeclampsia is another story. It can affect many major organs and be very serious and lift threatening to mom and baby. Delivery of the baby is the only cure for preeclampsia.

Symptoms of preeclampsia can come on suddenly.

Swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, or excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles.
Rapid weight gain — more than 4-5 pounds in a week.
Severe or persistent headacheVision changes, including double vision, blurred vision, seeing spots or flashing lights, sensitivity to light, or temporary loss of visionIntense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen.
Nausea and vomiting

Preeclampsia can occur without any obvious symptoms, particularly in the early stages, and some symptoms may seem like normal pregnancy complaints. So you might not know you have the condition until it’s discovered at a routine prenatal visit. This is one of the reasons it’s so important not to miss your appointments. via Baby Center

Pregnancy at 25 Weeks

Your baby is now about 13 1/2 inches long and weights approximately 1 1/2 pounds. He now has some baby fat on him and is starting to look more like a newborn. He has more hair with color and texture.

Your life at 25 Weeks Gestation

You may be finding it harder to get around at this point in your pregnancy. So be more careful when you are exercising and don’t work out when you are too tired, or have any pain. Your balance may be a little off and you definitely do not want to fall.
Do not lie flat on your back as the weight of your uterus impedes the flow of major blood vessels which can make you lightheaded and dizzy.
Drink plenty of water while you exercise.
Your hair will be thicker now…due to hormonal changes so enjoy your nice locks because you will lose the extra hair after delivery.
You will be having a glucose screening between 24-28 weeks.
Baby names should no be on your schedule too. Make this a fun time for you and your significant other.

“To ease constipation, add oat or wheat bran to anything you can think of — cereal, yogurt, smoothies, or even spaghetti sauce.”

Third Trimester of Pregnancy is Coming Up:

You will see your practitioner every two weeks during weeks 28-36 and then it will become weekly.
Your practitioner will be checking on you physically and emotionally. Physically, he will ask you about contractions, vaginal discharge, bleeding or headaches. Make sure to mention if you are anxious or depressed.
There will be questions about your baby’s movements. If you baby becomes less active you will be instructed to call your caregiver. You may be asked to start counting your baby’s movements for a set period each day.
Weighing-in at each appointment is important as is checking your urine for sugar and protein a sign of preeclampsia.
Your blood pressure will be monitored as well as any swelling of your ankles, hands and face.
Baby’s heartbeat will be monitored also. Your abdomen will be measured too, which is a way to estimate the size of your baby.

Usually you will not have an internal exam until maybe the last four weeks. Your caregiver will probably discuss the signs of early or preterm labor as you get closer to your due date. He/she will also discuss signs of preeclampsia.

You should make a list of questions for your caregiver.
You might want to discuss circumcision and feeding of your baby.

Here are a list of tests coming up for some of you.

Hemocrit/hemoglobin, which tests for anemia
Glucose screening will be done and a Glucose Tolerance Test will be ordered if you screening is abnormal.
Rh antibody screening will be repeated if you are Rh-negative. If you are Rh-neg you will receive an injection of Rhogam (Rh immune globulin) at 28 weeks. This will protect you from developing anti-bodies, which would pose a risk to future babies or even to this child. If you and the father of the baby are both Rh-negative then your baby will also be Rh-negative and you will not need Rhogam.
If you are at risk, now is the time to check again for any STDs including HIV.
Biophysical profiles and non stress tests which check on your baby will be done if you have any complications.

Group B strep test: Between 35 and 37 weeks, you’ll be checked for group B streptococci (GBS) in your vagina and rectum. You won’t be treated right away if the cultures are positive, because early treatment is no guarantee that the bacteria won’t return. Instead, you’ll be treated with IV antibiotics when you’re in labor. (If you’ve previously given birth to a baby who had GBS, you can skip this test because you’ll be given antibiotics in labor no matter what.)

Taking care of yourself and significant other:

Take time for you and your significant other at this time of pregnancy. The next weeks will seem to take forever but they will actually speed by and before you know it, you will have your baby in your arms. So enjoy your time together before the arrival of your child.

Source: | BabyCenter

Parenting in the Loop

Tag Archives: Third trimester

Your Pregnancy at 28 Weeks

Pregnancy at 28 Weeks