Fetal development - 28 weeks pregnant

Written for Canada
Approved by the BabyCenter Canada Medical Advisory Board

You're in the home stretch. The third trimester typically starts at week 29 and lasts until week 40 and sometimes even beyond. (Don't worry -- 42 weeks is the maximum! After that, a woman usually is induced to give birth.) Most women gain an average of 11 pounds/ 5 kilograms during this trimester.

By this week, your baby weighs nearly 2.3 pounds/ a little over 1 kilograms and may measure 14.8 inches/ 38 centimetres from top to toe. At about this time, your baby can open his eyes and turn his head in utero if he notices a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. His fat layers are forming and his fingernails appear.

You're probably vacillating between feeling as if you've been pregnant forever and being nervous about labour and birth. Checking off things on your to-do list can help. Start selecting possible baby names and begin thinking about life after the birth as well.

You'll probably be seeing your midwife or doctor more often in these last few weeks.