Does the child's weight at 25 weeks of pregnancy affect what the pregnant woman's belly looks like? Could pain and hardening of the abdomen in the 25th week of pregnancy be a sign of impending preterm labor? Can the position of the baby in the uterus still change and what does the baby look like in the 25th week of pregnancy? If you are interested in the development of the fetus, a woman's ailments and interesting facts about the twenty-fifth week of pregnancy, in this post we will answer the most frequently asked questions.
25th week of pregnancy: what month is it and is it worth being attached to the estimated date of birth?
A pregnancy with a book-like, physiological course lasts 40 weeks, but from 37 weeks on it is considered full-term, and babies born after this date are no longer referred to as premature babies. Being 25 weeks pregnant, you wonder what month it is? The woman is now in the middle of the 6th month, slowly finishing the second trimester of pregnancy.
The date of delivery is calculated based on the date of your last period, which may be somewhat difficult in women with irregular periods or with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). This is why the most likely date of delivery is the one estimated on the basis of the XNUMXst trimester ultrasound, confirmed during subsequent examinations: XNUMXnd and XNUMXrd trimester ultrasound.
W 25 weeks pregnant (24.1-25 tc), only 15 weeks remain until delivery, but only about 5% of women give birth on the date indicated by the doctor - usually babies are born a few days earlier or later, and this is a completely normal situation. Sometimes, due to a sudden change in the health of the pregnant woman or the fetus, delivery may take place much earlier, even in 25 weeks pregnant.
Are the big belly and the weight of the mother and baby related at 25 weeks of pregnancy?
The growing belly during pregnancy is of course related to the growth of the baby in the uterus, but not only. The mother's weight at 25 weeks of pregnancy also depends on:
- her starting weight before pregnancy;
- lifestyle (diet and physical activity in pregnancy)
- and possible comorbidities in women that may pose a risk of gaining weight in pregnancy, e.g. gestational diabetes or hypothyroidism.
These and all other diseases in a pregnant woman should be under the constant supervision of the attending physician in order to create the most optimal conditions for the development of the fetus.
In order for the weight in the 25th week of pregnancy to be kept at an optimal, healthy level, you should drink min. 2,5 liters of water and eat a healthy diet rich in lean meat, dairy products, fresh vegetables, fruit and whole grains. It is worth remembering to "eat for two", limiting the caloric surplus to only about 250-500 kcal a day.
In case of problems with composing a menu or eating vegan or vegetarian, it will certainly help consultation with a dietitian. The mother's weight at the 25th week of pregnancy may or may not affect the size of the pregnant belly. Its height and "rounding" are in fact udependent incl. on the woman's height and build, and whether it is her first or subsequent pregnancy. In multiparous women, the abdomen at 25 weeks gestation may be slightly more pronounced than in a primitive.
Baby movements in the 25th week of pregnancy
Do you worry about feeling them in your lower stomach? Should the baby's poor movements during this time make the pregnant woman anxious?
At this stage of pregnancy, the woman feels the fetal movements during the day (and night rest). The baby in the womb spends most of the day sleeping blissfully, but when it wakes up, its intensely developing nervous system stimulates its entire body to be more active. Baby's lower abdominal movements at 25 weeks week of pregnancy it is therefore a perfectly normal symptom - his legs, arms or head may be located there.
However, anxiety should be caused by very rapid, prolonged activity of the fetus, accompanied by severe abdominal pain, spotting / vaginal bleeding, excessive increase in blood pressure and malaise of the pregnant woman. If this happens, go to the hospital as soon as possible.
The poor movements of the baby in the 25th week of pregnancy may in turn be due to the fact that the fetus still has a lot of space in the womb for its gymnastics. This is why the position of the baby in the 25th week of pregnancy, and above all its position (head - the most optimal for natural childbirth, or pelvic) at this stage of pregnancy may change almost from day to day.
The cause for concern should be the complete lack of activity on the part of the fetus all day, even after the pregnant woman ate a meal, sweet fruit or rest in the supine position. Then it is worth going to the hospital, where the doctor who will examine the pregnant woman will immediately refer her to more detailed diagnostics in the event of any abnormalities. The weak movements of the baby in the 25th week of pregnancy will become more and more noticeable for the pregnant woman due to the growth of the fetus, which will become much more tight in the uterus.
Tastes, appearance and weight of the baby at 25 weeks of pregnancy
The fetus has an already developed individual circadian rhythm and is able to follow a source of strong light with its eyes, despite the fact that it is separated from it by the mother's abdominal wall and the eyelids still closed. When faced with a sudden loud noise, the movements of the baby at 25 weeks gestation may become more jerky for a while as it already reacts to noise - it is worth avoiding very noisy places during this period of pregnancy.
The fetus loves it when its mother moves. Lulled to sleep, he feels blissful and safe. Of course, this does not mean that the expectant mother should exert herself excessively. Exercise during pregnancy is just as important as rest. In the 25th week of pregnancy, hardening of the abdomen may be a sign that the pregnant woman is straining too much.
Walking too long, stress or excess responsibilities can stimulate the uterus to contract. Usually they are the so-called predictive contractions: irregular, lasting up to several seconds, disappearing during rest. If they are not accompanied by other, disturbing symptoms, e.g. bloody / brown spotting from the genital tract, they should not cause concern. Frequent predictive contractions, frequent hardening and pain in the lower abdomen in the 25th week of pregnancy, however, should be consulted immediately with your doctor.
The weight of the child at this time fluctuates around within 700 gramsand the length of his body, measured from the top of the head to the lower border of the buttocks (parietal-seat length), is approx. 22 cm.
What does a baby look like at 25 weeks of pregnancy?
His small organism is visually almost fully formed - individual parts of the body, organs and systems during this time intensively mature and improve their functions. Hair appears on the head of the fetus, eyebrows and eyelashes can be seen on the face, and amniotic fluid begins to flow through the nostrils. The child, inhaling it into the lungs, trains its respiratory system. Both the baby's weight at 25 weeks of pregnancy and its appearance begin to take on more and more individual genetically and environmental-determined features.
Examination of the future mother in the 25th week of pregnancy
It is already the penultimate week to perform a glucose load test at the recommended time (OGTT), which PTGiP recommends to be carried out between 24 and 26 weeks. It allows the diagnosis of pregnancy-induced diabetes in a woman.
According to the doctor's recommendations, between week 21-26 you should also repeat:
- diagnostics for the detection of IgM antibodies (toxoplasmosis);
- blood count;
- general urine examination;
- reassay anti-D antibodies (in women with Rh- blood group factor).
In the twenty-fifth week of pregnancy, the antenatal education must not be forgotten either
Every pregnant woman in Poland can, from the 21st week, benefit from free meetings with her midwife or attend a childbirth school that has a signed agreement with the National Health Fund. These classes will allow you to better prepare for childbirth and care for a newborn baby.
Consultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
