Pregnancy Week By Week

Pregnancy Week 26		(–) Pregnancy Week 25		(+) Pregnancy Week 27
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Your Baby
During pregnancy week 26 your baby will grow to almost 2 whole pounds. Your baby may be measured now by her crown-to-rump length, which is about 9.5 inches, or her total length, which measures roughly 12 inches long!

Changes In Your Growing Baby
As you continue your pregnancy week by week your baby will continue building layers of fat to protect her during birth. During pregnancy week 26 your baby's heart develops even further. Some women are able to hear their baby's heartbeat through a traditional stethoscope by pregnancy at 26 weeks. Don't worry if you can't though, some women aren't able to do this even up until the point of delivery!

Your baby is also busy building neural pathways inside the ears during pregnancy at 26 weeks. These will allow your tiny miracle to respond to noises more routinely while pregnancy. You may notice after 26 weeks pregnant that your baby tends to jump more or startle at the sound of loud noises. This is perfectly normal. Your baby will also start to recognize your voice and that of your partner.

During pregnancy 26 weeks your baby continues to practice breathing and swallowing amniotic fluid. Many boy babies go through a bit of a growth spurt during 26 weeks pregnancy, as their testicles start their descent into the scrotum. Typically this process will be complete in just two or three days.

Your Body's Development
By 26 weeks pregnant your uterus should be roughly 2.5 inches above your navel and will continue growing roughly 1 centimeter every week of your pregnancy week by week. Many women will have put on between 15 and 25 pounds by this time. Keep in mind that weight gain often fluctuates significantly around this time primarily due to changes in fluid retention, so don't get bogged down by your scale and weigh yourself too frequently as this can lead to frustration or disappointment.

Changes In Your Body
As you continue your pregnancy week by week from about 26 weeks pregnant on you might start to become less comfortable. Common symptoms women experience around this time include back pain or pressure and leg cramps. You can help alleviate some of this discomfort by stretching routinely and by eating a nutritious diet to help keep your body charged with the vitamins and minerals it needs to grow properly.

Every week your baby develops your body's hormones also grow, change and adapt. Around this time your body's hormones change and may impact the way your body responds to routine exercise. Keep this in mind because your body becomes more prone to injury after about 26 weeks pregnant.

Some women start experiencing more headaches again as they approach the third trimester. Fortunately Tylenol is often all that is needed to relieve headache pain around this time. If your headaches seem overly frequent or severe you should consult with your doctor. Your doctor might be able to recommend other treatment choices.

Still other women experience some rib pain around this time as the uterus or your baby's feet even press against your ribs. It is quite normal in fact to feel some stabbing or sharp pains under your ribs when your baby moves about. Fortunately a simple change in position often helps alleviate this discomfort.

It isn't uncommon for many women's blood pressure to rise slightly after about 24 weeks pregnant. Most women's blood pressure is lower in the weeks just before this then rises slightly. Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure of course to ensure that your blood pressure stabilizes and does not rise too suddenly. A rapid increase in blood pressure accompanied by other symptoms including pain, swelling or blurry and spotted vision may be a sign that you are at risk for or developing pre-eclampsia. Most women will not develop this condition until the third trimester but it is never too early to be on the lookout for warning signs.

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