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Day 202 of 280 · 28 weeks + 6 days

Every two weeks now

Last reviewed · 3 min read · 7 sources · Plain-text version

Twenty-eight weeks and six days. Your checkups speed up to every two weeks. Today you take one question to the next one: what newborn screening covers.

Size this week
about the size of an aubergine
Length this week
around 37.6 cm from head to heel
A woman with a full bump in a navy jumper talking with a midwife in a bright clinic room, both seated, the midwife listening with a notepad, a partner beside her, soft daylight.

Twenty-eight weeks and six days: the last day of week 28. From here your visits come closer together, and each one is a chance to ask something. Today's question is about the first tests your baby will have.

Your baby

A single glossy aubergine on a plain pale wooden table, soft window light.

Around 37.6cm from head to heel, about the size of an aubergine (NHS). One fact, said once and plainly: in NICHD's Neonatal Research Network data, 92% of babies born at 28 weeks survived, though likely with serious breathing and neurologic complications (NICHD). That's why the weeks ahead matter. If there's no medical reason to deliver earlier, NICHD says it is best to deliver at or after 39 weeks, so the lungs, brain, and liver can fully develop (NICHD).

Your body

The visit schedule changes now. MedlinePlus says prenatal visits come every 2 weeks until week 36, then weekly (MedlinePlus). Expect your weight, a measurement of your abdomen, your blood pressure, and a check of the baby's position, along with talk about delivery timing (MedlinePlus). If you're older than 35 or have a condition such as diabetes or high blood pressure, you'll likely be seen more often (MedlinePlus).

The NHS adds two conversations to have in these weeks: newborn screening tests, and the contraception you'll want after the birth (NHS).

Try today

  1. The newborn-screening ask

    Time: 5 minutes now, 5 at your next visit

    1. Write at the top of a page: "Newborn screening: what, when, and how we hear the results."

    2. At your next visit, ask your midwife or doctor which screening tests are offered for your baby after birth (NHS).

    3. Ask when each one is done, whether before you leave the hospital or later, and who tells you the results.

    4. Write the answers on the same page and keep it with your birth plan.

    Make it work:

    Add the contraception question to the same page; the NHS lists both for this week (NHS), and two questions are easier to remember than one.

Watch for

  • Normal

    a few spots after sex or an internal exam, which MedlinePlus says you can watch at home on a clean pad, checking every 30 to 60 minutes.

    Call your provider

    if it continues, and right away for any other bleeding: about 1 in 10 women bleed in the third trimester, and late in pregnancy MedlinePlus says to always report it (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    most days in the third trimester, with no bleeding at all.

    Call 911

    for heavy bleeding, a stiff and painful belly, or strong, frequent contractions (MedlinePlus).

  • Normal

    brief aches as your body stretches.

    Call your provider

    right away for severe belly pain that doesn't go away (CDC).

For you

The third trimester comes with about 200 extra calories a day in the NHS's terms (NHS); the CDC puts it at about 450 (CDC). Both are a snack, not a second dinner. Have the one you picked.

More visits can feel like more chances for bad news. Mostly they're more chances for ordinary reassurance, and more chances for you to ask. Use them.

Sources

This guide is general education that summarizes published research and guidance from groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO. It isn’t medical advice, and every child develops on their own timeline. Your pediatrician knows your child; if something feels wrong, call them. In an emergency, call 911.

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