Twenty-sixth week of pregnancy

In the 26th week of pregnancy, it is normal to suffer from digestive and breathing problems which can sometimes be quite… embarrassing! Meanwhile, your baby has acquired a sense of balance and is able to distinguish a wide variety of sounds.

Weight and length at 26 weeks

 

How many months is 26 weeks pregnant?

At the 26th week  you are in the second half of the sixth month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy  you can use our conversion table .

26th ^week : frequent symptoms

• Digestive disorders
• Stuffy nose
• Backache
• Rib pain
• Occasional contractions (hard belly)
• Protruding navel
• Constipation
• Insomnia

How your body changes

Organs under pressure

The fundus of the uterus is about 6 centimeters above the navel and continues to enlarge, putting pressure on the organs around it. This could cause or accentuate heartburn , constipation and intestinal bloating .

You may also start to feel some pain in your back , pelvic area or ribs . To relieve them, try shifting your position or walking around a bit .

Embarrassing symptoms? It’s normal!

Air in the stomach, flatulence and night snoring? While the idea may horrify you, for some moms-to-be, pregnancy is about that too. As always. The fault lies mainly with hormones , which slow down digestion and increase the flow of blood to the mucous membranes of the nose , making them more congested .

If you are also experiencing these symptoms, keep active and avoid overly large meals . In the evening, limit the consumption of sugars , which favor the formation of intestinal gas and during metabolism can increase the rate of respiration. Additionally, to reduce nasal congestion, you can try placing a humidifier in your bedroom.

How the child grows

It is about 35 centimeters long , the size of a coconut , and weighs about 780 grams .

Here comes the balance

The eyes are almost ready to open and your little one can tell light from dark . Hearing is increasingly sensitive, thanks to the formation of three small bones essential for sound amplification: the stirrup , the anvil and the hammer . Furthermore, at the level of the inner ear , the vestibular system , on which the sense of balance depends , has reached maturity . This means that your baby is now able to distinguish a wide variety of sounds and to perceive its position inside the tummy , changing it according to your movements.

Beware of loud noises

Even if the womb is a “quiet” place, your baby doesn’t know silence . For all nine months of pregnancy, in fact, he lives surrounded by a symphony of sounds and noises produced by your body, such as the beating of your heart or the functions of the digestive organs . Now that his hearing is so developed, he is able to distinguish perfectly your voice and external sounds , and when he hears a loud and sudden noise he jumps in the belly: it is the so-called startle reflex .

Hear that hiccup!

Your baby has been training for some time to breathe through the hiccup mechanism . New this week, however, is that you might finally be able to hear it. You’ll recognize it right away, because unlike all other types of movement, it has a rhythmic cadence and a duration of a few minutes .

Do you know that…

While it may seem strange to you, many newborns calm down or even fall asleep to the sound of the dryer or washing machine . The reason is that this continuous, monotonous noise (called white noise ) closely resembles what babies have been listening to for nine months in the womb.

For the dad

During the night, your partner may wake up often to go to the bathroom or because she can’t find a comfortable position to sleep, and she may even start snoring. If this disturbs your sleep, she tries to be patient and possibly consider it a workout for when the baby is born! 

Checks and exams to do

Click here to see the tests you can take for free between the 25th and 28th week of gestation

Advice from the 26th ^week of pregnancy

• Your baby’s brain is going through a very intense stage of development right now . Continue to follow a balanced diet, which includes a portion of fish at least two or three times a week , to ensure a correct intake of omega 3 . For the same reason, in case of a vegan or vegetarian diet , introduce an adequate amount of flax and hemp seeds, nuts and soy .

• To keep digestive disorders and heartburn at bay , try taking herbal teas made with fennel seeds , cardamom , cumin and star anise or a little baking soda .

• Against constipation , remember to drink often and consume plenty of fiber . If you’re feeling too windy , however, limit your consumption of unpeeled legumes and some vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower .