Our pregnancy continues step by step and from this moment we enter the third trimester of pregnancy.
In this trimester the discomfort due to the baby's weight gain is increasingly important and we will begin to feel the need to "prepare the nest" for our baby ...
How is my baby
At this point of pregnancy the baby enters the "Stage of maximum growth". You are going to start gaining about 200g a week.
He's starting to look more like a newborn. You accumulate fat under your skin that begins to round out your baby shapes. The baby's skin thickens and the baby is wrapped in a whitish substance called vernix caseosa, It protects you from direct contact with amniotic fluid.
The weight of your baby is about 1.100 grams and the total length can reach 35 centimeters.
Their lungs already have a development that would allow, with certain care, that the baby breathe and gas exchange to take place, in case of being born prematurely.
The central nervous system has a phase of great development in the 28th week of pregnancy. The brain no longer has a smooth surface, the first grooves appear and the weight of the brain also increases. In addition, he is mature enough to lead the respiratory movements and even control the baby's body temperature ...
Your baby has quite developed senses and distinguishes the voice of his mother. Take the opportunity to talk to him and put music on him ... It is important that you have decided his name and that you call him by that name. If you have older siblings make them participate and ask for their opinion about the possible names, so they will feel an important part in that decision.
Now it moves a lot and you perfectly notice those movements. You may even notice from time to time who has hiccups.
Changes in mom
Now is an important growth time for both baby, so the skin of the abdomen has to be stretched very quickly. Keep it well hydrated, you can use a good pregnancy-specific anti-stretch mark cream, it is from this moment when you will need it most. You may even notice itching, which are produced by such an abrupt stretching. If you notice the itch all over the body or if you feel it on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet you should always consult it.
Even if you have slept well throughout your pregnancy, from this moment on it is normal for you to start having some trouble resting. Try not to eat copious or very heavy dinners, do relaxation exercises and go to bed as soon as you start to feel sleepy.
Noticing that your baby is moving calms you down and can be a very pleasant and satisfying feeling, but sometimes, the movements are so abrupt that may annoy you. Also, the baby you already know what you like and what you don't, if the position that is comfortable for you, the baby does not like, he will not stop moving until he change it for another that is more comfortable for you.
Now is a good time to start childbirth classesYou are still agile and you can exercise without major problems, you will also finish the course several weeks before delivery, so that if you need to do any of the classes or practices again, you will have time.
Testing
We are in a very quiet moment when it comes to testing. If the pregnancy is normal and especially low risk in surely you won't have any proof special this moment.
The only exception is in the if the mother's blood Rh is negative. In that case, in week 28 you must administer anti-D gamma globulin to mother, to avoid that if the baby is Rh positive, there is a reaction in the mother's blood and produces antibodies against the Rh factor, which would be very dangerous in the face of other pregnancies. This vaccine should also be administered after delivery whenever the Newborn is Rh positive and the mother is Rh negative.
Pertussis vaccine. It is a vaccine of recent implantation in pregnancy. According to the Autonomous Communities, it is administered in one week or another of pregnancy, but never before week 28. Check with your midwife where you should go to request it and at what time. On this link I leave you more information about it.
Control ultrasound. Only done if there is suspicion of some alteration, if the ultrasound at week 20 had any altered parameters or if you have gestational diabetes, for example.