Medically reviewed by Tanja Premru-Sršen Slowly but surely, you are rounding the corner of the second trimester at 26 weeks pregnant, and the third trimester is inching closer and closer by the day!
Pregnancy week twenty-six will bring many changes for you and your baby; read on to find out all about them.
Around the week twenty-six of your pregnancy, some of the main pregnancy symptoms you can expect are going to include:
Your eyes probably feel irritated and dry at this point in your pregnancy.
This happens because pregnancy hormones decrease tear production, which can sometimes lead to dry eyes and blurred vision, as a result. If you feel any discomfort, use eye drops to ease it.
However, if you happen to experience more severe vision issues, contact your healthcare provider right away, as it could be one of the main signs of preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a serious condition characterized by high blood pressure. It is essential to be aware of the warning signs, even though it usually shows up a bit later in the pregnanc. However, it can sometimes happen in the twenty-sixth pregnancy week.
Symptoms of preeclampsia include swelling in the face, puffiness around the eyes, more than slight swelling of the hands, excessive or sudden swelling of the feet or ankles, or rapid weight gain (more than 5 pounds in seven days). If you notice them, visit your healthcare provider urgently.
If you have not experienced lower-back pain already, you will start feeling the pains around twenty-six weeks pregnant.
This happens due to your growing uterus shifting your center of gravity and stretching out and weakening your abdominal muscles, as well as hormonal changes that loosen your ligaments and joints.
Many pregnant women feel more likely to slip, trip, and fall than you usually would, as well as experiencing pregnancy brain during the second trimester.
This clumsiness is temporary, and it happens due to your loosened joints that shift the center of gravity, the added weight you are carrying, and pregnancy hormones.
For your and your baby’s safety, be extra careful in the shower, on the stairs, and on other slippery and dangerous surfaces.
If you already have migraines before you get pregnant, do not be surprised if you feel your head throbbing with a migraine flare-up during the second trimester.
Avoid your migraine triggers, such as strong sounds, smells, and stressors, and advise your healthcare provider before taking any strong migraine medications, as they could harm your baby.
At this point in the baby’s development and baby’s growth, your baby is about 13.82 inches long and weighs about 2.01 pounds, which is about the size of a scallion.
At this stage of baby’s development, your baby’s brain-wave activity is gearing up.
This means that your baby can hear noises and sounds but can now also respond to them with an increase in pulse rate or movement. You probably feel the baby’s movements now, and you will feel them more and more as the baby’s arrival approaches.
The baby’s eyes are now open, and those little baby’s eyes now can see the inside of your uterus; not much of a view. However, once the baby arrives, they will be able to enjoy the sights of the world around them.
If your baby is a boy, his testicles begin their descent into his scrotum, but this trip will take two to three months.
To stay safe and well-prepared during your pregnancy, you need to fulfill certain tasks to keep up with the journey.
The list of things you need to complete during your twenty-sixth week of pregnancy will include:
You are probably having trouble sleeping at this point of your pregnancy due to the frequent trips to the bathroom keeping you awake.
If you want to get a good night’s sleep, cut back on the fluid intake after dinnertime.
Drink if you are thirsty or want that warm cup of tea before bed, but do not overdo it; sleep is just as important as hydration.
At this point of your pregnancy, it is imperative to take cleanliness seriously, especially in the kitchen, where you prepare the food you consume and, therefore, your baby consumes.
So, clean up everything: your hands, dish towels, countertops, and the food itself.
Be extra vigilant about this for raw meats, eggs, and fish.
Since your belly gets bigger by the day and your back is starting to hurt, it is pretty easy not to practice good posture.
But bad posture can exuberate pains all over your body, which will only make the journey more difficult.
Being active and doing your best to stay organized and on track might become more challenging as your belly grows and you have all that extra weight to carry around. However, it is not too bad at this point of the pregnancy.
You might not be feeling like working out now, but it will make your labor and post-partum recovery much easier.
It is imperative to avoid harmful things and activities to protect you and the baby inside of you during your pregnancy.
During week twenty-six, make sure to stay away from:
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