26 Weeks Pregnant

At 26 weeks pregnant, your baby is continuing to grow at an astonishing rate. The weight of your baby is still relatively small at 1.7 pounds, so it has a long way to go, but it will measure around 14 inches from head to toe. The length is about the same as a cucumber. Some of the weight adding on is a little fat, which will continue to be gained over the next 14 or so weeks.

Your Baby’s Development at Pregnancy Week 26

The brain is still developing at 26 weeks pregnant and there are not yet any neutral connections connecting the nerve cells. These will develop over the next few weeks. If you could see and touch your baby’s brain, it will be smooth unlike a fully developed one.

The heartbeat remains strong and there are chances that you will be able to hear it just with a stethoscope. Avoid being worried if you cannot hear the heartbeat. You could also use a Doppler device to hear your baby’s heartbeat but this can have the same problem as the stethoscope. The best way to hear the heartbeat is through your next appointment with your midwife.

If your baby is born now, there is a 60% chance that he or she will survive. This statistic is based on babies that are placed in a neonatal intensive care unit and monitored regularly. There is still plenty of development that needs to happen and the lungs will not be strong enough to breathe without help.

Coordinated movements are possible at 26 weeks pregnant. This means that your baby can suck his or her thumb without a problem. With the size and flexibility, a scan may show that your baby is actually sucking on a toe instead.

Changes in You at 26 Weeks Pregnant

At 26 weeks pregnant, you will find that your uterus is shifter further up past your belly button. Take some photos or take measurements of your waist each week to see how much you are growing. You will be amazed at how different you look without really realizing it.

There are many old wives’ tales about guessing the sex of the baby. If you haven’t found out the sex of yours, you can have fun with these games from pregnancy week 26. One of those is that if you are carrying high, you will be having a girl and if you are carrying low, you will be having a boy. There is no proof that this is the case so do treat it as fun and don’t rely on it!

The shape, size and positioning of the bump will depend on a number of factors. Your muscle tone, the way the baby is laid and your uterine tone will all affect the way your bump sits.

26 weeks pregnant is the time to start thinking about signing up for any childbirth preparation classes available. Lamaze is one of the most popular options in the US but there are plenty of others available. Talk to your caregiver to find out more and what will suit you better.

Symptoms at 26 Weeks Pregnant

Rib pain is common around this time because of the positioning of the baby. You may feel more pain when you sit down because the baby will be pushed upwards. There is little that you can do about this and it is an unfortunate symptom of getting so far in your pregnancy. The good news is that you are over half way there and will have comfort very soon!

Headaches are also common at 26 weeks pregnant and linked to a number of reasons. The increase of hormones is the most common reason stated but it could also be because you are dehydrated. You will need to make sure that you drink plenty of fluid during the day, whether it is water, tea, milk etc. Your baby will need the fluid and take it from you. If you are drinking plenty, you can use a cool compress to help ease the headaches.