28 weeks! 12 left to go!

Your pregnancy: 28 weeks

How your baby's growing:Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (Bella is at 2 3/4 pounds) (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. Her muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and her head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet hwe increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because her bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day.

Your Body:

Let's get right to the point: You're a bloated, water-retaining mess. Chances are good you can't get your sneakers on or your wedding ring off, so get comfy in your slippers. Your pants don't fit (correct! Which is why I wear dresses and stretchy yoga pants). Your shirts don't fit

(my belly is too big and lets be honest, so are my boobs). And now, thanks to the swelling in your feet, your shoes don't fit. You can thank a wonderful thing called edema for that. Go edema!Extreme swelling (as in "Oh my god, what happened to my hands?!") might be a sign of preeclampsia, so make sure to see your doctor. For mild edema, your doctor may recommend support hose—with plenty of room for your belly—and drinking plenty of water. Also, a low-salt diet may not be any fun (No potato chips! No soy sauce!), but it may help to minimize edema and water retention. On the bright side, edema is a great excuse for sitting down, propping your feet up, and asking your partner to bring you a cool drink and this week's US Weekly.

Your Baby:

Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But here's a reason to relax: Due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if your baby is born this week, she'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments: Baby's brain can now control her breathing and body temperature. She can also cough, and her sucking abilities have been perfected. Look out, boobs! Your Mini's skin is looking less wrinkled as she packs on the pounds. She's starting to look more like a Pampers model and less like a Depends model. She's now beefing up on the energizing and insulating white fat she'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for adults!). And speaking of energy, your little Energizer Bunny is on fire these days. You're sure to feel your share of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when you're lying down. You might want to start keeping a kick chart to monitor your baby's movements, and also to later show your 13-year-old child what you endured for him or her. Ask your doctor how to count kicks and how often you should do it. This week your baby is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread or the size of a basketball—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop.

The fetus has its own regular intervals for sleeping and being awake.
The feet are just over 2 inches (5.5cm) long.
The hair on the head is now clearly visible.
The milk teeth have developed under the gums.
The eyes are starting to move in their sockets. Brain waves show rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which means your baby may be dreaming. Eyelids are opening. Eye color may change within the first six months of life especially if your baby's eyes are blue or gray-blue at birth. Remember to talk to your baby often; reading stories, singing songs has been seen to slow the baby's heart rate. He or she can recognize your voice now and will often calm to it later after birth. Your uterus will be about 3 inches (7cm) above your bellybutton. During this time of your pregnancy, your belly will grow about half an inch (1cm) each week. Branches of lungs are quite developed now.