26 Weeks Pregnant

Your Baby's Eyes Are Opening. Learn what's going on with you and your baby-to-be while 26 weeks pregnant.

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• Your Baby
• You
• 7th Month of Pregnancy Video
• Diary of a Daughter

Your Baby

Your baby would now weigh about two pounds and measures around 14 inches- just like an English hothouse cucumber.

Major lung developments are still in progress during this time. Air sacs begin to develop and the lungs start to manufacture and secrete surfactants, which aids in lung expansion during breathing.

Active brain growth is also taking place during this week. The nerves in the ears become developed and are more sensitive to sounds. So this is the best time to let your baby listen to the music and to both you, your partner's and any siblings' voice. Letting my already born older child talk to the baby in my stomach was magical, I remember.

If you have a baby boy, this is the time that his testicles will descend down to the scrotum.

26 weeks pregnant, one highlight in this week is your baby's eyes. The eyes, which were once closed in order to allow the retina to develop, are now starting to open. Some say that you can test this by shining a flashlight at your tummy. You will know that they are indeed open if the baby will kick.

Talking about the eyes, I beat you are already thinking about the color. Well, the iris, which is the colored part of the eye, is still not very much pigmented. So this time, you still wouldn't know the color of the eyes if you could take a sneak peak. Even after your baby's birth, the color of the eyes is still not the final color and may still change up for many months, maybe even years.

Has DAD-to-be started to realise that your baby is soon a fact of life? Why not by him an excellent preparation book? This guide is funny for mom too. Check out "Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads"

You

By this time, your uterus is continuing to grow bigger and you may notice that it is already about 2 ½ inches above your navel. And speaking of your navel, you may notice that it is growing bigger than usual, too. But don't worry, for it will go back to its original appearance after the pregnancy, more or less at leat.

You may probably be starting to experience Braxton Hicks contractions. These are uterine contractions that are usually painless and occur at irregular intervals.

You don't have to worry since these contractions are just false contractions. Meaning to say, your uterus is just doing this as an exercise for it can aid the body in its preparation for childbirth.

But don't be so sure. As early as being 26 weeks pregnant, you have to learn the difference between a true labor contraction and a Braxton Hicks contraction because preterm labor could possibly happen in the second trimester. It did to me; read my diary below!)

Braxton Hicks contractions or false contractions begin and remain irregular, they are felt first in the abdomen and remain confined in the abdomen and groin, disappear with ambulation and rest, and do not increase in frequency, duration, and interval.

True contractions in the other hand are the exact opposite. They would begin as irregular contractions and become regular and predictable, can be first felt in the lower back and travel to the abdomen like a wave, continue to contract even with rest and sleep, and achieve an increase in frequency, duration, and interval.

If you have even the slightest suspicion that your contraction may be real rather than false, contact your doctor immedialtely!

Your lower back will continue to give you a little ache from time to time due to your growing uterus. Activities like lifting, bending, walking, and standing and sitting for long period of time will just aggravate the condition. So you better take time to rest and enjoy the baby that is inside your womb.

All these weird things happening with your body! If you want to have a good laugh about it, read this hilarious book from someone who's definately "been there, done that".

7th Month of Pregnancy Video

Instructions: When watching the video clips, start the videos by clicking the small arrow down to the left, not the large one in the middle of the screen. If you're using Internet Explorer as your browser and the video doesn't start, try clicking twice on the small arrow.

Diary of a Daughter

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