Pregnancy Week 28: Baby Size & Practice

At 28 weeks

At 28 weeks your baby is about the size of a baingan (brinjal), around 37.6 cm from head to heel (NHS), and their heart beats at around 140 beats per minute. Their major organ systems are fully developed and they may be practising breathing movements. This is the start of the third trimester, when heartburn, backache and swelling become more common.

Your Baby at 28 Weeks

Your baby's heart rate has slowed from around 170 beats per minute at 9 to 10 weeks to around 140 now, and it will be about 130 at birth, still much faster than your own 80 to 85. Someone may even hear it by putting an ear to your bump, though finding the right spot is tricky (NHS).

The major organ systems are fully developed, and the lungs are mature enough to breathe air and are producing surfactant. Your baby may be seen practising breathing movements on an ultrasound, can recognise familiar voices including yours, and may startle at loud noises (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).

Hiccups are normal, and many babies are still in the breech position, head up, at this stage; most move head-down by the time they are getting ready to be born (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).

Your Body This Week

Welcome to the third trimester. Heartburn and indigestion, backache from the extra weight and looser joints, and puffy ankles, feet or face, especially in hot weather, are all common now, and rest helps with many of them (NHS).

Sleep on your side from now on: lying on your back puts pressure on major blood vessels and can reduce blood flow to the uterus, and research shows side sleeping from 28 weeks can halve the risk of stillbirth. Taking off tight jewellery and putting your feet up can ease swollen hands and feet (Pregnancy, Birth and Baby).

When to call your midwife or doctor: Get any swelling checked, because it can be a sign of pre-eclampsia, a condition where you may feel perfectly well but your blood pressure rises dangerously high very quickly (NHS). If you are concerned about your baby's movements, contact your midwife or doctor immediately and do not wait until the next day.

Garbh Sanskar This Week

A small daily practice for this stage, from Mamta’s 1:1 sessions. It is tradition and gentle self-care, not medical advice, so keep every check-up and follow your doctor or midwife first.

Mantra: The Gayatri mantra from the Rig Veda is a meditation on the radiance of Savitr and a prayer to stir the mind and insight; traditions differ on who chants it, so follow what feels right in your family. Recite it softly a few times while seated or lying on your side; the Garbh Sanskar mantras guide explains its background.
Music: Your baby can now recognise familiar voices, including yours, so singing softly along to a bhajan or lullaby you love can be a warm way to bond, and your partner can join in. Keep it at an easy, comfortable volume.
Gentle movement: As the third trimester begins, Mamta teaches a slow walk followed by rest on your side with pillows, rather than lying flat on your back. Keep your breathing easy and continuous throughout, and walk only with your doctor's or midwife's clearance.
Food: Traditionally, Charaka's seventh month keeps milk and ghee in the diet with less salt and fat, which suits a simple plate of rice, dal and vegetables. The NHS notes you may need only about 200 extra calories a day now, so keep portions modest, alongside the iron, calcium and folic acid your doctor recommends; with gestational diabetes, follow your diabetes team.
Garbh samvad (a line to say to your baby): Hello, little one, it's me. I love talking to you.

Check-ups Around This Week, Wherever You Live

Week 28 is a common check-up point, with blood tests and vaccines in several countries, though your own doctor or midwife will set your schedule.

Where you live	What is usually offered
India	The third of at least four recommended antenatal visits falls between 28 and 34 weeks, and if you are first seen after 28 weeks a single glucose tolerance test is advised. FOGSI recommends one Tdap vaccine between 27 and 36 weeks, which can replace the second Td dose.
UK	The 28-week appointment includes blood tests and an anti-D injection if your baby is at risk of rhesus disease. The RSV vaccine is offered from around 28 weeks up to labour, and the whooping cough vaccine is ideally given by 32 weeks.
USA	Visits traditionally move to every two weeks between 28 and 36 weeks, though schedules are now often tailored. The CDC recommends Tdap in every pregnancy between 27 and 36 weeks, early in that window, and gestational diabetes screening runs from 24 to 28 weeks.
Australia	Gestational diabetes testing (24 to 28 weeks) and a full blood count (26 to 28 weeks) fall around now, and Rh-negative mothers are offered anti-D now and again at 34 to 36 weeks. A single RSV vaccine dose is given between 28 and 36 weeks.

Schedules change and differ between hospitals, so your own care team’s plan always comes first.

Questions About Week 28

What is my baby's heart rate at 28 weeks?

The NHS says it is around 140 beats per minute at 28 weeks, slowing to about 130 at birth. That is still much faster than an adult's, partly because a baby's small heart cannot pump much blood, and beating faster also helps keep them warm.

Do I need to eat more at 28 weeks pregnant?

You do not need to eat for two. The NHS says that in the third trimester you may need around 200 extra calories a day, about the same as two slices of wholemeal toast.

Is it a problem if my baby is breech at 28 weeks?

Not at this stage. Pregnancy, Birth and Baby says many babies are head up now and most move into the head-down position by the time they are getting ready to be born, and your midwife or doctor checks your baby's position at later appointments.

Practise With Mamta, Wherever You Are

Mamta guides expecting mothers through private 1:1 Garbh Sanskar sessions online, scheduled in your own time zone, from the first trimester to the last week. Start with a free conversation on WhatsApp or read how sessions work.

Sources

Mamta is not a doctor. Medical points on this page come from the sources below, checked in October 2026. Sizes are approximate and babies vary; your scan report is what matters.