28 weeks pregnant: your baby’s development and signs of gestational diabetes

Welcome to your third trimester! You’re now two-thirds of the way through your pregnancy with just one trimester left to go.

It’s normal to feel a bit uncomfortable from 28 weeks pregnant onwards as your baby and the bump protecting them get bigger and heavier. But there are some things you can do to prevent and ease some of the discomfort.

Let’s have a closer look at what’s happening this week, including your baby’s development, spotting gestational diabetes, and the 28 weeks pregnant symptoms not to ignore. 

Reviewed by Sammy, a registered NHS midwife with a background in neonatal nursing, dedicated to providing compassionate, evidence based care to women and families throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period.

You’re now in month 7 of your pregnancy! Your third and final trimester has just started, and you only have 2 months left to go until you meet your baby for the first time. How are those baby name lists looking?

Your baby’s tiny heart has to work harder to pump blood around their body, so their heart rate is a lot faster than yours. At 28 weeks pregnant, their heart’s beating at about 110-160 beats per minute, which is down from the 170 beats per minute it was doing at around week 10. Your midwife might be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat through a special stethoscope¹.

At 28 weeks pregnant, your baby is now just under 38cm long from their head to their heel – about the size of an aubergine¹. They’re getting a little plumper now as they continue to put on weight, ready for life in the outside world³.

As you head into your third trimester, your baby continues to grow, and you get closer to your due date, you might notice some changes happening in your body.

Towards the end of your pregnancy, it’s normal to feel what are called ‘practice’ or ‘Braxton Hicks’ contractions⁴. They’re just your body’s way of preparing for labour, but they can come as a bit of a shock, especially if this is your first pregnancy!

Braxton Hicks contractions are different from labour contractions in a few ways⁴:

• They don’t come regularly
• They don’t last long (usually less than a minute)
• They don’t get more intense or closer together as time goes on

If you’re still not sure if you’re having labour contractions or Braxton Hicks at 28 weeks pregnant, you can always call your maternity unit to be sure.

As your baby keeps growing into your third trimester, so does your bump! That means it could start to put more pressure on your body, so it’s important to avoid sleeping on your back now to reduce the risk of stillbirth⁵.

You can make sleeping with a baby bump more comfortable by⁵:

• Bending your knees
• Putting a pillow between your legs
• Using another pillow to support your bump

Around now, you might be noticing some side effects of carrying around your baby bump, like¹:

• Indigestion as your baby presses against your stomach
• Back ache from the extra weight
• Swollen ankles and feet caused by water retention
• Stretch marks on your bump as well as your legs and breasts⁴
• Pains in the side of your bump as your ligaments stretch 

Most of the symptoms that come with your baby bump at 28 weeks pregnant can be helped by getting plenty of rest¹, so try to get your feet up and let other people give you a hand where you need it.

As well as Braxton Hicks contractions and side effects of your baby bump at 28 weeks pregnant, here are some other symptoms you might notice this week.

You have more blood pumping round your body than usual during pregnancy which, combined with your hormones, can make the odd nosebleed fairly common when you’re expecting¹.

If you do get a nosebleed, here’s what you can do¹:

• Stay upright (don’t lie down)
• Lean forward 
• Pinch the soft part of your nose above your nostrils
• Breathe through your mouth
• Stay in this position for 10 to 15 minutes or until the bleeding stops

One symptom that can keep you up at night at 28 weeks pregnant is cramping in your calf muscles and feet. 

If you get leg cramps, it can help to⁶:

• Rub the muscle that’s cramping
• Pull your toes up towards your ankle
• Vigorously move your foot up and down 
• Rotate your foot one way and then the other 8 times

You might notice that your gums are more sensitive during pregnancy, and they might even get swollen or start bleeding.

It’s important to take good care of your pearly whites while pregnant by brushing twice a day (you can switch to a soft toothbrush if your gums feel sensitive) and cutting down on sugary snacks and drinks⁷.

As you get closer to your due date, your body’s making important preparations to help welcome your little one into the world. That includes starting to produce your first milk (called colostrum), which you might notice leaking from your nipples⁸.

This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. You can always try putting a tissue or breast pad in your bra to help absorb the colostrum if you like⁸.

Gestational diabetes is more common in the second and third trimesters. Learn more about what gestational diabetes is, what causes it, and how to reduce your risk.

Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that some mums-to-be experience during pregnancy. Most women who have gestational diabetes have otherwise normal pregnancies, but it can sometimes lead to⁹:

• Your baby growing bigger than expected, which can increase the risk of induced labour or caesarean.
• Increased risk of going into premature labour.
• Pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure during your pregnancy).
• Your baby developing jaundice.

You’ll be offered regular blood sugar tests throughout your pregnancy, which is how most cases of gestational diabetes are discovered⁹.

If your blood sugar levels get too high, you might experience some symptoms of gestational diabetes during pregnancy, like⁹:

• Feeling very thirsty
• A dry mouth
• Needing to pee more often
• Feeling very tired
• Blurred vision
• Thrush

Some of these symptoms are common during pregnancy, whether you have gestational diabetes or not. If you’re worried, it’s best to speak to your GP or midwife.

As well as your blood sugar levels, your midwife will measure your bump regularly from around 28 weeks pregnant. If your bump measures larger than expected for how far along you are, this may be another sign of gestational diabetes and you will likely be offered further tests¹⁰.

Anyone can develop gestational diabetes, but the risk is higher if⁹:

• You’ve had gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy.
• You’ve had a baby who weighed 4.5kg or more when they were born.
• Any of your parents or siblings have diabetes.
• You’ve had any weight loss surgery.
• You’re of African-Caribbean, Asian, Black, or Middle Eastern origin.
• You’re older than 40.
• Your BMI (body mass index) is above 30.

While there’s no magic wand you can wave to make sure you definitely won’t develop gestational diabetes, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk.

These include¹¹:

• Staying active. Moderate exercise during pregnancy, like walking, swimming, dancing and doing yoga can help balance your blood sugar.
• Eating well. Eating a healthy, balanced diet and cutting down on the fat and sugar in your diet can lower your risk of gestational diabetes and make sure you and your baby get all the nourishment you need.