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You are already in your sixth month at the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy. This is the last month of the second trimester and you have only three months or fourteen weeks to go. Your baby has established huge growth milestones this week and you will now enjoy more interaction with your baby.
Super tiny fingernails are visible! Be careful as they can be spiky and sharp when your baby is out.
All of your baby’s eye parts have formed. Your cutie now has visible brows and lashes.
This week, your baby keeps working hard to swallow amniotic fluid. This gesture is essential to the development of healthy lungs.
Super tiny fingernails are visible! Be careful as they can be spiky and sharp when your baby is out.
All of your baby’s eye parts have formed. Your cutie now has visible brows and lashes.
This week, your baby keeps working hard to swallow amniotic fluid. This gesture is essential to the development of healthy lungs.
Your baby has made a lot of progress in the previous weeks, and this week they will open their eyes for the first time. They will begin to have the ability to see because the retina (the part of the eye that allows images to form) has developed to an extent where it can bring pictures into focus. However, they will not be able to see anything in the womb.
Your baby will also be able to blink for the first time. It is an important skill that helps prevent foreign substances from entering the eye and helps lubricate the eye. Those beautiful eyes that have just started seeing would probably be blue, as the colored part of the eye does not have a lot of pigmentation at this time. This might not be a permanent color as it could easily change naturally.
This week, your baby’s nervous system entered another level in fetal development. The baby’s hearing has also become functional. This means that they can hear sounds and respond to them. Words are not in their vocabulary yet, so they use pulse rate, breathing, or movement. Your baby can even respond to music. As the baby’s nervous system improves, it also means their nervous coordination is getting better. The baby can now manipulate its limbs more easily.
This is the week they practice their sucking ability, using their thumb as the instrument. Also, the baby has adopted a circadian rhythm. Sometimes, they are asleep. Sometimes, they let you know they are awake by making you a punching bag.
Childbirth at this stage should be avoided even though the baby can survive outside the womb. By this time, the baby’s circulatory system is fully operative. Blood is being pumped and passed through the body. The testicles have begun to descend into his scrotum for the baby boy. The descent becomes complete by birth.
Your baby is doing a lot of growing, and now your body begins to feel the effects of it. Your baby weighs about 760 grams and is as big as a large scallion. Your baby also measures about 14.02 inches in height. In the remaining weeks of the pregnancy, they will gain more fat and weight.
Your 26 weeks pregnant belly from the top of your uterus is about 2.5 inches above your belly button. Your belly is expected to grow every week by about a half inch for the rest of your pregnancy. Now is also when most women begin to judge their bodies and lose confidence based on the bumps. As much as possible, do not be too hard on yourself as weight gain is shed excessively after labour.Â
At 26 weeks pregnant, you have 14 more weeks to complete your pregnancy journey.
Fetal movements will become more coordinated as your baby’s nervous system develops. And as they grow bigger and stronger, her movements will become strong, sometimes even painful for you.Â
 They could try to stretch out their leg so far that the foot becomes lodged between your ribs. Try changing positions or doing some stretches the next time you’re attacked. When your baby jerks too hard, you can gently adjust her back with your hand. That way, you might be able to send your little one back into her corner.
At the end of your second trimester, your growing uterus swells enough to push your abdomen forward, causing your navel to protrude. This allows you to clean out all the lint accumulated there since you were a child. Your belly button should be back to its normal position a few months after delivery, though it may look stretched-out.”
In preparation for laour and delivery, the ligaments in your pelvis are loosening and becoming more flexible. Your pelvic area and lower back suffer as a result. You might experience this pain when sitting down, standing up from a chair, or walking the stairs.
Be mindful of practice contractions called Braxton Hicks contractions. You would be feeling these contractions more regularly. They may feel like a tightness in your abdomen. Sometimes, they can be more painful. They are more likely to occur in the afternoon and can be triggered by exercise and sexual activity. One way of warding off Braxton Hicks’ contractions is by drinking water regularly.
It is also common for urinary tract infections to surface. The urethra can serve as the opening for bacteria into the body. If left untreated, severe bladder or kidney infections could occur. When you experience symptoms of a UTI, head straight to your healthcare provider for an antibiotic prescription.
Do not feel embarrassed when you can no longer remember simple things. You are not an exception. Hormone fluctuations are behind pregnancy brain, a situation of short-term memory loss in pregnant women.Â
In preparation for labour and delivery, the ligaments in your pelvis are loosening and becoming more flexible. Your pelvic area and lower back suffer as a result. You might experience this pain when sitting down, standing up from a chair, or walking the stairs.
Be mindful of practice contractions called Braxton Hicks contractions. You would be feeling these contractions more regularly. They may feel like a tightness in your abdomen. Sometimes, they can be more painful. They are more likely to occur in the afternoon and can be triggered by exercise and sexual activity. One way of warding off Braxton Hicks’ contractions is by drinking water regularly.
It is also common for urinary tract infections to surface. The urethra can serve as the opening for bacteria into the body. If left untreated, severe bladder or kidney infections could occur. When you experience symptoms of a UTI, head straight to your healthcare provider for an antibiotic prescription.
Do not feel embarrassed when you can no longer remember simple things. You are not an exception. Hormone fluctuations are behind pregnancy brain, a situation of short-term memory loss in pregnant women.
Managing stress is important not only for your sake but also for the ease of delivery and planning for life ahead. It also prevents potentially dangerous complications like hypertension from arising. Keeping an exercise routine could help make this happen.
 Take time to be with friends for emotional support and to manage stress. If stress becomes more severe than usual, you might need to meet your healthcare provider. Take time to go on breaks; we all need that once in a while. Spend time with the ones you love and be grateful for another loved one is coming.
At this point, dehydration should not even be accommodated. It could be among the contributory factors to headaches, insomnia, and placental complications. Regularly drinking water would help reduce the possibility of them occurring. For this period, limit your caffeine intake to 200 milligrams per day, and avoid heat as much as possible. Listen to your body when thirst comes and ensure your urine is colourless or light yellow.
Your baby is receiving the necessary nutrients from the umbilical cord, which has become stronger and thicker. As your baby grows, so also does your appetite. Hence, do not be surprised if you become hungrier. However, ensure you are not craving unhealthy foods. Avoid cravings in this season. Negative eating habits not only harm the body but leave you at risk of gestational diabetes and hypertension.
 Preeclampsia: Preeclampsia is when the placenta doesn’t get enough blood from the mother. High blood pressure plus symptoms of damage to another organ system, most commonly the liver and kidneys which cause protein leakage into the urine, describe preeclampsia, as a pregnancy complication. You might not notice any symptoms of this, which is why you must be compliant with your routine antenatal appointments.
Miscarriage: Watch out for feelings of abdominal pain and bleeding. They may indicate a miscarriage. Quickly consult your health care provider if you experience any of this.
Chronic Urinary Tract Infection: Fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, burning sensation while urinating, and pelvic pain are symptoms of UTI. Speak with your Ob-Gyn or midwife if you experience any of these. Your obstetrician will give you some baby-safe antibiotics to use.
 Excessive leg or facial swelling: Pregnancy can worsen your body structure, swelling is a common sign at this stage.
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