Your baby at week twenty six of pregnancy
At twenty six weeks, your baby is about 35.5cm in length (about the length of a scallion) and around 907g in weight!
Your baby resumes the breech birth position (head upwards) as this offers him or her more space for their kicking little legs, and should someone put their ear to your belly, they may be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat!
Your baby’s spine is getting stronger than ever, and should your baby be born now, he or she would have an eighty percent chance of survival, with working eyes, the ability to breathe, swallow and digest. Still, your baby is only at twenty five percent of his or her birth weight, and still has a couple more months to really put on more weight. The fat deposits are important for filling out their wrinkly skin and reducing the pink hue to a more opaque and skin tone complexion.
By the seventh month, the lanugos down that fuzzed over the baby’s body will have pretty much disappeared, replaced by fat deposits to keep your baby warm.
At twenty six weeks, your baby’s eyes might have opened! Now the retina is fully formed, your baby will start to be able to focus their vision, although there isn’t much of a view from inside the womb! The eyes are light sensitive though, and if you were to shine a torch into your belly through your skin, your baby may respond with a kick or punch of defiance, or by turning away from the intrusive light!
Your body at week twenty six of pregnancy
As the inside of your womb becomes a lot less spacious, you should be able to feel your baby’s movements in the form of strong kicks, elbow pokes and fist punches, you might even be able to see the feet, elbows or fists as they press against your belly. If you are anxious that you have not seen or felt much movement, consult your medical professional and express your concerns.
You are probably experiencing hot flushes and sweaty moments as your bump causes you to warm up quickly!
What you may be feeling at week twenty six of pregnancy
At this stage of your pregnancy you will probably fall into one of two categories of women; some women love being pregnant and view it as a magical time whilst others really struggle with the physical symptoms and constraints and cannot wait for it all to be over; many women swing between the two depending how they feel on the day and that is not unusual at all!
If you have older children you may start worrying about how a new addition to the family will affect them and how you will manage whilst you are in hospital and in the weeks afterwards. Planning is key and talking to your children if they are old enough to understand about their new sibling will help them to feel involved and excited.
Common symptoms at week twenty six of pregnancy
- Swollen sore breasts
- Frequent urination
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Irritability or unexpected emotions
- Nervousness about the birth and impending parenthood
- Heartburn
- Decrease in appetite
- Clumsiness
- Sore ribs
- Bad dreams
- Constipation
- Blurred vision
- Pelvic discomfort
- Minor swelling of feet and ankles
- Braxton hicks contractions
- Trouble sleeping
- Changes in vaginal discharge
- Hemorrhoids
Tips for week twenty six of pregnancy
- When you feel hot and bothered, wear floaty, breathable clothes, take breaks and perhaps carry a cooling spray to help you through these moments.
- Your skin may also feel dried out, tight and itchy, or may have even broken out into spots, try to avoid harsh chemicals by using natural moisturizers and ointments to sooth your irritated skin.
- When you are tired and uncomfortable it can be easy to neglect pampering yourself but little things can really lift your mood and remind you that it is you and not just your baby that are important in this pregnancy journey.
If you have any symptoms that concern you it is important to consult your doctor as soon as you can.