How Many Months Pregnant Are You At 26 Weeks?
In the 26th week of pregnancy, you are six months and three weeks pregnant. You are just two weeks away from entering the third trimester. By now, your baby develops a human form, and things start to move a bit faster than usual. Here, Momjunction explains the baby’s development, changes in your body, precautions to take and the tips to follow when you enter the 26th week.
How Big Is Your Baby At 26 Weeks?
At 26 weeks, the baby is as big as a scallion (1). The baby measures about 14.01in (35.6cm) and weighs around 1.5 to 1.7lb (600-800g) (2). Here is a look at how your baby is developing inside the womb during the 26th week.
Baby Development In The 26th Week
In this week, the baby’s body parts are developing as follows (3): Fetal movements at 26 weeks: The kicks and punches are more prominent by this time. The baby develops sleep patterns and is likely to be more active during the night. As your pregnancy progresses, the level of discomfort also increases.
What Are The Symptoms You Have In The 26th Week Of Pregnancy?
Here are a few symptoms you might have at this time:
Changes In The Body In The 26th Week
Physical changes:
Enlarged belly: At this week, the uterus is further stretched, and the belly looks bigger with a protruding navel. The top of the uterus can be felt about 2 ½ inches above the belly button.
Swollen breasts
Blue veins are more prominent as there is more blood flow towards the pelvic region and the breasts.
Stretch marks
Emotional changes:
Mood swings
Anxiety
While these are common changes that most women experience, some unusual symptoms may indicate preterm labor, which warrants immediate medical attention.
Your OB/GYN Visit
The doctor’s visit might include:
Physical tests including weight check, blood pressure, and fundal height measurement.
Glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. Testing for glucose impairment is done at first antenatal visit and then repeated at 24-28 weeks. Different countries follow different protocols. Some use two-step screening, where first a GCT (glucose challenge test) is done and if found abnormal GTT (glucose tolerance test) is done. However, most countries recommend a single-step 75gm GTT.
Tips To Follow
Here are some tips that help you stay healthy during the pregnancy.
Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.
Follow a healthy lifestyle and eat home-cooked food. Include fish like pollock, salmon, shrimp, catfish, anchovies, and cod that are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid shark, tilefish, king mackerel and swordfish as they contain high levels of mercury.
Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol. Excessive caffeine is also bad, as it can affect the growth of the fetus.
Continue taking prenatal vitamin supplements like folic acid and iron.
Engage in moderate physical activities like walking.
Stay calm and keep stress at bay.
Your body needs enough rest, so relax as much as you can.
Do not take any medication without the doctor’s permission.
Wear loose, breathable clothes.
Maintain oral hygiene.
Avoid exposure to toxic chemicals.
Avoid cleaning the cat litters to avoid toxoplasmosis.
You should also
Engage yourself in reading books and activities that make you feel happy.
Carry fruits and healthy snacks with you, if you are a working woman.
Spend more time with family and friends.
You need all the support you can get from your partner when you are pregnant. Find out more about it next.
Tips For Dad-To-Be
Here’s what your partner can do:
Help with household chores
Create a good environment at home
Attend all the prenatal visits with you
Plan for maternal shopping and outings
Give you a good neck and foot massage
References:
If the kick counts are less than six in two hours, doctors may do some evaluation. However, these measures are highly variable since some healthy babies may also kick less than usual. You may count at the same time each day for the accuracy count (6).
