Week 28
Your baby is beginning to fill out now, as fat stores are laid down under the skin.
At this stage babies are receptive to touch, and they tend to enjoy it when you rub cream on to your bump (another good excuse for a massage!)
Billions of neurons are busy making connections in that little brain, getting your baby ready to make sense of the world outside the womb.
The beginning of the third (and last!) trimester
You're carrying round quite a weight now, and your body is working extra hard. You'll need an extra 200 calories a day during the last three months of pregnancy to cope with the extra workload - but though we know it's tempting, try not to make it 200 calories worth of chocolate biscuits!
More tips on healthy eating during pregnancy
If you're not already a convert to online grocery shopping, consider giving it a try – it will save you lugging heavy bags around, and it comes in extra-handy after the baby is born.
Have you chosen names yet?
Coming up with a shortlist of names for your baby is often more difficult and takes longer than you might think. To get you started, we've compiled a list of the UK's most popular names for boys and girls.
What it’s like for the mum-to-be in week 28
By the end of the seventh month of your pregnancy, you’ll have put on quite a lot of weight. Your bump has grown, which has shifted your centre of gravity and changed how you perceive your body – although there are specific exercises you can do to adjust to your new circumstances. In week 28, you’ll notice more and more symptoms caused by the weight you’ve put on and your growing belly.
Struggling to get to sleep
Your bump will make it more difficult for you to find a comfortable position in which to lie, so you’ll often find it harder to get to sleep. Not only that, but you’ll struggle to sleep through the night as you toss and turn, trying to find a better sleeping position.
Puffy feet and fingers
Most pregnant women find that their ankles and hands swell to some degree. However, if the swelling gets very bad, especially if you also have headaches, changes in your vision, nausea or vomiting, it's important to ring your doctor or midwife straight away. These could be signs of pre-eclampsia, a serious complication that affects about 5 percent of pregnant women.
