24 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 24

24 Weeks Pregnant: Common Signs and Symptoms

At 24 weeks pregnant, a dark vertical line, the linea nigra, appears down the center of your belly. It is caused by hormones released by the placenta that stimulate melanocytes, or melanin-producing cells. It often fades within a few weeks to a few months after birth but may linger a bit longer in some women.

Your kidneys are working hard to filter the large blood volume present during pregnancy. They do more work when you are lying down.

24 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s Development

Your baby is over 12½ inches long.

Brown fat is becoming deposited in your baby’s body. It does more than smooth out wrinkles. It helps the baby retain body heat and regulates the baby’s temperature.

Branches of your baby’s lungs are forming, as are the cells that will soon produce surfactants. This is a chemical needed to inflate the tiny air sacs called alveoli in the lungs when the baby is ready to breathe.

At week 24 of pregnancy, your baby’s inner ear, which controls balance, is fully developed.

24 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care Tips

Heartburn is common late in your second trimester and throughout your third trimester.

Take antacids to absorb and neutralize stomach acid and ease discomfort.

Eat five or six small meals throughout the day, instead of three large ones.

Avoid lying down or bending over after meals for about 3 hours.

Avoid spicy, greasy, and fatty foods.

25 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 25

25 Weeks Pregnant: Common Signs and Symptoms

At 25 weeks pregnant, for first-time moms, in-utero movements become more noticeable. You begin to feel baby’s kicks. Your uterus is sitting approximately halfway between your belly button and the bottom of your breastbone.
You’re also experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions this week.

Your heart is working hard to keep blood flowing through your blood vessels to support your growing baby. As a result, you feel a fluttering or pounding sensation in your chest. Standing up too quickly or becoming dehydrated can make it worse.

If this sensation is becoming too prolonged or you are also experiencing shortness of breath or chest pain, please visit your doctor.

25 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s Development

Your baby’s heart is beating, and its heartbeat can be heard by others when they place an ear to your abdomen.

Capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in the body, have developed under your baby’s skin and in her lungs.

At week 25 of pregnancy, the baby’s nostrils are now beginning to open.

Your baby’s auditory system is continuing to develop, and she may soon be able to distinguish your voice from other voices.

25 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care Tips

You may develop an itchy skin rash known as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP). It is the commonest rash to occur in pregnancy.

This intense itchy rash first appears on the abdomen and can spread to your thighs and buttocks. It clears after delivery.

Take relaxing oatmeal baths to ease your symptoms. Talk to your doctor about using a corticosteroid cream such as triamcinolone to relieve itching. Always check with your doctor about taking over-the-counter-anything during pregnancy.

26 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 26

26 Weeks Pregnant: Common Signs and Symptoms

At 26 weeks pregnant, your uterus is likely feeling like a balloon that is steadily moving higher and higher up in your abdomen.

Baby’s movements, including kicks and jabs, are probably becoming more frequent. If they hurt your ribs, shift your position. Giving your baby a hint that she should move by gently pressing on your abdomen where you can feel the baby often works.

You have gained 16 to 22 pounds and might be seeing stretch marks.

26 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s development

By the end of this week, your baby will weigh 2 pounds and be 13.38 inches long.

If your baby is a boy, his testicles have begun to descend into his scrotum.

At week 26 of pregnancy, your baby begins to sense light at this period, even though its eyes are still shut.

The nerves in your baby’s ears are still developing, allowing her to respond to out-of-womb sounds more consistently.

Your baby’s nervous system is fine-tuning the arms and legs. This means that baby is moving and kicking even more than before.

26 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care Tips

At 26 weeks pregnant, you need to come up with a birth plan if you haven’t done that already. This is a document that outlines your preferences during labor and delivery. It should indicate how your doctor, the hospital staff, and your partner can help you have a positive birth experience. You can outline which options you want and which you’d like to avoid.

Ask yourself, “What would an ideal birth look like?”
Ask yourself, “What’s really important about my birth?”

Understand that if labor takes an unexpected turn, your plan will not stop your doctor from proceeding with appropriate interventions.

Include instructions on how you’d like to receive information.

Write down what consent means to you, what makes you feel safe and respected, and what kind of contact and touch is helpful.

Understand that birth plans need to be fluid and that you are allowed to change your mind about them.

Pregnancy Week 27 & 28

27 to 28 Weeks Pregnant: Common Signs and Symptoms

At pregnancy weeks 27 and 28, you are gaining weight to properly support your growing baby and that weight settles in different areas. For instance, before pregnancy, the average weight of a breast is about 7 ounces, but by the end of pregnancy, it can be double that amount.

Your baby’s kicks continue to increase, and they also increase your bond with baby and the amount of worry you might feel.

At this stage of your pregnancy, hemorrhoids are very common because your amped-up blood flow and growing uterus can cause a lot of pressure inside your abdomen, prompting veins in your rectum to swell.

27 Weeks Pregnant – 28 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s development

Your baby measures 13½ inches long and weighs 2½ pounds.

Baby’s brain is more active than ever. Its newly formed neurons and connections are the reason your baby is able to discern your voice from other voices.

Your baby’s lungs are approaching maturity, and she continues to practice swallowing amniotic fluid. Hiccups are bound to occur. You might feel them as muffled rhythmic movements in your uterus.

27 to 28 Weeks Pregnant: Self-Care Tips

• Here are some tips to help you ease your discomforts of hemorrhoids: take a sitz bath in a bathtub or a small plastic basin that fits directly over your toilet. Avoid standing for too long.
• Drink plenty of water to keep your digestive tract moving.
• Consume plenty of fiber by eating whole wheat, flax, fruits with skins, vegetables, brown rice, and lentils.
• Exercise regularly to help move waste through your intestines.
• Don’t strain while on the toilet.

Pregnancy Week Guides & Information: