What to watch out for in the 26th week of pregnancy - what symptoms should worry the future mother? Does laying your baby down at 26 weeks of pregnancy mean the same thing as laying your baby down? Can a growing belly cause varicose veins and hemorrhoids in the 26th week of pregnancy? Is the weight of the baby in the uterus correct and how to check it in the 26th week of pregnancy? If you want to know the answers to these questions and read interesting facts about the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy, read on.
Week 26 of Pregnancy, which month is it?
Read this paragraph instead of pulling out a calculator. A physiological pregnancy lasts 9 months, i.e. a full 40 weeks. No wonder that the relatives of the pregnant woman are slowly getting lost in the calculations and are looking for a calculator to calculate: 26th week of pregnancy, which month is it? When reading our entries from the pregnancy calendar, you don't have to rely on guesswork. We will always suggest what the answer to such frequently asked questions is. Thus, the 26th week of pregnancy (25.1-26 tc) marks the end of the 6th month, and thus the XNUMXnd trimester.
Already next week, the woman will begin the final three-month preparation for childbirth and meetings with her baby. This one usually passes quickly, however, it may prove difficult for a woman due to the growing belly and numerous pregnancy ailments. Therefore, in addition to the question of the pregnant woman: "26th week of pregnancy, which month is it?", It is worth being sincerely interested in her well-being and offering a helping hand in her daily duties, which often become more and more burdensome for her.
Swollen breasts, constipation, and a growing belly at 26 weeks pregnant: how do you deal with these conditions?
Pregnancy and her 26th week is a special time for every woman, but it is not always easy and carefree. Many pregnant women are teased by, among others:
- heartburn;
- constipation and haemorrhoids;
- back pain;
- problems with sleeping and drawing full breath.
These ailments at the 26th week of pregnancy are a tedious everyday life for many women.
Digestive system problems such as a burning sensation in the esophagus and hemorrhoids are caused, inter alia, by growing belly, specifically the uterine pressure on the abdominal organs. This causes stagnation of food content in the intestines, a local increase in pressure in the blood vessels and the regurgitation of the digested meal into the esophagus.
What to watch out for in the 26th week of pregnancy to counteract digestive system ailments?
A pregnant woman should avoid fatty, spicy dishes, eat smaller portions of high-fiber meals more often and drink min. 2,5 liters of water. Moderate exercise also improves intestinal transit and blood circulationTherefore, if there are no medical contraindications, pregnant women can go for leisurely walks, do pilates or yoga for pregnant women. Thanks to this, also the mother's weight gain at 26 weeks of pregnancy will be easier to keep in healthy reams.
Too much weight gain is conducive to the occurrence of:
- diabetes;
- hypertension;
- or varicose veins of the lower extremities.
It can also contribute to preterm labor and the onset of obesity in the baby in the future.
Interesting facts about the 26th week of pregnancy that may be of interest to expectant mothers are the milk production that begins in their breastsas evidenced by their swelling and tenderness. Some pregnant women observe the leakage of small amounts of thick, yellow secretion, i.e. the first milk, the so-called colostrum. To protect your clothes from getting dirty, you can buy breast pads, which are placed in the bra cups. If the woman, around the 26th week of pregnancy, has not noticed the first milk outflow, don't worry. It really doesn't have to be a sign of future breastfeeding problems.
Which examinations should be borne in mind in the 26th week of pregnancy?
Before the scheduled medical visit, the pregnant woman should perform general urine test and complete blood count. It also the last week to perform a diagnosis of gestational diabetes in time. You should come for the glucose load test between 24 and 26 weeks of pregnancy. As prescribed by the doctor, a retry is also performed test for toxoplasmosis (IgM antibodies) and is investigating anti-D antibody level in women with the blood group factor Rh-.
What to watch out for in the 26th week of pregnancy?
If a woman suffers from caries, gingivitis or periodontitis, and has not yet reported to the dentist for checkup, it is definitely worth visiting his office.
Toxins secreted by carious bacteria can cause numerous complications, including premature birth, so in the 26th week of pregnancy, it is no longer worth delaying a visit to the dentist, and at home, diligently take care of the daily oral hygiene.
Future acrobat, dancer or football player: do the movements of a baby in the 26th week of pregnancy always have to be strong and clear?
Pregnant women often like to joke that the baby's movements feel in the uterus as if they were to give birth to a professional boxer or football lover. In fact, the baby's movements in the 26th week of pregnancy are already so clear that when the fetus with its kick or movement it may cause her to feel certain discomfort with your mother. This is because the growing baby has less and less space in the womb to stretch and be active.
The positioning of the baby in the 26th week of pregnancy means the orientation of the various parts of its body in relation to each other e.g. whether the head is bent or tilted in relation to the torso. What is more interesting for pregnant women is the position of their baby in the womb visible during ultrasound examination: is it oblong head (most conducive to vaginal delivery), oblong pelvic, or maybe transverse or oblique? A baby at 26 weeks gestation is still able to move around the uterus fairly freely, but some fetuses are already in a head down position. By the time you give birth, however, this can change many times.
Your baby's poor movements at 26 weeks of gestation need not be a cause for concern. The fetus still spends most of the day sleeping blissfully. If a woman has not felt her baby's movements for many hours, she can eat something tasty and healthy, e.g. a square of dark chocolate or fruit, lie on her left side and try to see if the fetal activity increases.
If, despite this, the child has not moved all day and the expectant mother feels anxious and / or has severe abdominal pain, cramps or bloody spotting from the genital tract, it is urgent to go to the hospital for CTG examination. As a result of many factors, both health and environmental, a woman may experience premature birth in the 26th week of pregnancy, so the disturbing symptoms can never be underestimated.
Baby's weight at 26 weeks of pregnancy: how much do the twins weigh at this time?
The fetus measures approx. 35-37 cm from the top of the head to the feet and begins to develop at its own individual pace. The child's weight at the 26th week of pregnancy is about 750-900 grams and is estimated by the doctor on the basis of the fetal body measurements taken during the ultrasound. Some babies have a slightly higher body weight than others, but this should not cause any concern for parents if the baby's weight at 26 weeks of gestation does not differ from the norm indicated in the percentile grids. When the doctor finds any abnormalities, he will certainly talk to future parents about it.
The fetus is still accumulating fatty tissue intensively, and its skin becomes less and less transparent, taking on a healthy, slightly pink color. Babies in the 26th week of twin pregnancy weigh about 2 kg together, so mothers who are expecting two babies at the same time already have a really big belly, and a significantly enlarged uterus may cause them to intensify pregnancy ailments, e.g. back pain, difficulty breathing or moving.
The lungs of the fetus in the twenty-sixth week of pregnancy already produce surfactant, i.e. a substance that prevents the lungs from collapsing as a result of sticking together of the alveoli. The respiratory system matures relatively slowly, so in the event of premature birth in the 26th week of pregnancy, the baby will not be able to breathe on its own and will require intensive medical care in an incubator for several months.
However, the development of modern medicine means that children born so early have a chance of survival, although they are more likely to develop various health complications in the future.
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.
