Pregnancy And Baby Care Week By Week Pregnancy 26 Weeks Pregnant

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As mentioned above, pregnancy week 26 is pretty much a trouble free period.Your baby is growing nicely and you are free from drowsiness, nausea and fatigue. In fact, you will surprise even yourself with your energy levels.

However, much like week 25, this week too you may have to contend with an itchy abdomen. As your baby continues to grow, your skin is now stretching constantly causing the area to be sore and itchy. No matter the temptation, stick to olive oil or cream to relieve the itch. Do not scratch as that will only aggravate the problem and worse could leave permanent scars.

During this week, you may notice your leg cramping a little more. Ensure that you keep your legs stretched out as much as possible and try not to be on your feet for long hours. Because your baby is growing you may also experience discomfort around the ribs. This is no cause for worry though, simply a consequence of the growing size of the uterus, which is now pushing into other organs causing minor pains. Other symptoms this week include backaches, headaches, Braxton Hicks contractions, constipation, and heartburn. When you are 26 weeks pregnant symptoms including back pain and discomfort are expected. Your belly also becomes larger. Another common problem during this period is leg cramps. Make sure you stretch your legs as often as possible and eat a well-balanced diet to make sure your body receives the nutrients it needs. When you are 26 weeks pregnant symptoms such as headaches are more frequent. You get these headaches as there are hormonal changes continuously taking place. You can take some over-the-counter medication to help get rid of the headaches. If your headaches persist and are severe then it is best that you consult your health care provider for some possible treatment. Another of the 26 weeks pregnant signs that you may feel is a pain or discomfort in your lower abdomen or ribs.

This discomfort is caused as your baby is getting bigger and stronger, and his/her strength along with your growing uterus presses against your organs. As your baby moves when you are 26 weeks pregnant symptoms include a sharp pressure or pain near your ribs as your baby moves. If this happens shift your position or lie down. When you are 26 weeks pregnancy and symptoms such as your weight shooting up suddenly, blurred vision, and swelling of feet and hands bother you, it is important that you immediately call your doctor. A slight increase in your blood pressure is considered to be normal around this time. Some other 26 weeks pregnant symptoms include heart burn when you eat late meals or some particular food, slight weight gain and cramps.

Around this time in your pregnancy there is a slight feeling of bloating due to retention of water. You may also start noticing stretch marks on your abdomen. You could try creams that are available in the market to make your skin supple and soft as this will help to prevent excessive drying and cracking. 26 weeks pregnancy symptoms also includes fatigue and lethargy so you need to ensure that you have adequate rest throughout the day.

Pregnancy Week 26 Weight Gain

Starting from week 25 it is ideal that you gain only about a pound a week. If you were underweight before your pregnancy then perhaps it's alright if you gain a couple of pounds this week. However, ideally pregnancy week 26 weight gain of approximately one pound is perfect at this stage.

Weight gain during pregnancy depends entirely upon your BMI before you became pregnant. If you had a BMI above the normal then you need to watch your weight gain carefully to ensure you don’t pile on excessive pounds in your second and third trimester as it could lead to physical complications post delivery. When you are 26 weeks pregnant weight gain should be about ½ to 3/4 pound or so. During this week of your pregnancy, you are in your second trimester, and nearing you third trimester. Your stomach starts protruding and you become noticeably pregnant. It is alright if you gain a few pounds this week only if you were underweight prior to your pregnancy. Your weight gain to a great extent depends on your BMI (body mass index) before your pregnancy. If your BMI was above normal then it becomes important that you watch the amount of weight you put on, to make sure that you do not put on excessive pound in your pregnancy especially your second and third trimester. This helps you avoid any complications post your delivery. Pregnancy 26 weeks baby weight gain might cause you some pain in the rib as your baby pushes upward on your rib cage. Due to this pressure you might also have some indigestion and heartburn. Around this time your uterine muscles also stretch and may cause some stitch-like pain down the side of your abdomen. When you are 26 weeks pregnant weight gain as mentioned earlier should be around one pound or so. A woman who is pregnant would need to increase her intake by 300 calories during this time. The overall consumption of calories should be around 2100 – 2400 calories per day.

When you are 26 weeks pregnant weight gain is around 17 pounds. Do not panic if you do not put on the expected amount of weight during this period. Weight gain totally depends upon the person and the baby. Everyone’s pregnancy is different and when 26 weeks pregnant weight gain may be as expected or may be slightly different. This also depends on how active you are and how you eat. Excess 26 weeks pregnancy weight gain can cause unnecessary complications during childbirth and so a healthy balanced pregnancy diet is important.

Pregnancy Week 26 Ultrasound

A pregnancy week 26 ultrasound will clearly show your baby at about 13 inches long. Your baby should weigh close to two pounds at pregnancy week 26. While you have been feeling your baby's movements, during this week your family and friends should also be able to feel your baby's movements distinctly. Also, the baby's ears are continually developing and in addition to last week's reflex movements to sound, this week your baby can hear what you and those around you are saying. Now would be a good time to start talking to your baby, even read a bed time story or sing a lullaby. 26 weeks pregnant ultrasound

When you are 26 weeks pregnant an ultrasound is less common but it may still be recommended. It is around this time that your baby’s features become more prominent. Your baby makes breathing movements although the lungs are not developed fully. You might hear a heartbeat with the help of a stethoscope placed on your stomach. However when you are 26 weeks pregnant an ultrasound (Doppler) is an efficient and effective way to hear your baby’s heartbeat. By the time you are 26 weeks pregnant an ultrasound will show your child’s toenails and fingernails. If you are pregnant with a boy, the testicles start moving down. The length of your baby from crown to rump is around 9.2 inches as seen on a 26 weeks pregnancy ultrasound. This would not include measurements of his leg and is only from head to bottom. Your baby also starts putting on weight and weighs almost 2 pounds. This is the time your baby begins to open his eyelids which are shut for almost a month. In week 26 your baby’s eyes are almost developed. By this time your baby’s blood circulation is almost functional. When you are 26 weeks pregnant a 3D picture will give you glimpses of what your baby looks like inside the womb. These 3D images are really fun as you can get some amazing pictures of your baby such as yawning, sucking his/her thumb or simply sleeping away. These 3D ultrasounds are done anytime between 20-32 weeks, but ideally when you are between 24-30 weeks. Some centers feel that the best time for these ultrasounds is between 28-32 weeks where you can get some close-up pictures of the baby. When you are 26 weeks pregnant an ultrasound gives you some great images of your baby. At 26 weeks, as you are nearing the third trimester, it is a fairly easy week for you so try relaxing or doing something fun like decorating the nursery. A 26 weeks pregnancy ultrasound is not a common requirement and there is no real need for it unless your doctor asks for it.

26 Weeks Pregnant Bleeding

When you are 26 weeks pregnant, bleeding can be due to various causes. It could be an indication of preterm or early labor. If this bleeding is accompanied with cramps or contractions it is best that you go to your doctor to find out what the matter is just to be on the safer side. Stillbirth or miscarriage may be a possibility in the later stages of your pregnancy. Very often when you are 26 weeks pregnant bleeding could be due to some infection of your cervix. In your 26 weeks of pregnancy period your cervix can get inflamed due to some sexually transmitted diseases. There can be light bleeding or spotting. When there is such bleeding your health care provider with the help of a simple examination tries to find out the cause of the infection. When you are 26 weeks pregnant bleeding could be due to some serious reasons as well. Sometimes the placenta lies low and fully or partially covers the cervix resulting in some amount of bleeding during pregnancy. Placenta accreta is a condition wherein the placenta grows and attaches itself to the uterus. Another cause for concern if you are 26 weeks pregnant and bleeding is if there is placenta abruption where the placenta gets separated from the uterus. In this condition the bleeding can be accompanied by clots. 26 weeks bleeding during pregnancy could also be due to uterine rupture. In such a case you might feel a sharp pain as if something is tearing in your body and this is followed by bleeding in the vagina. In such cases immediate c-section is needed. 26 weeks implantation bleeding is not really possible as this usually occurs in the initial stages of your pregnancy soon after ovulation and fertilization.