Pregnancy Week 26
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Pregnancy Week 26
By 26 weeks pregnant your baby is doing a great job of preparing for his or her grand entrance into the world. He or she is almost 14 total inches long and may weigh 1.7 pounds! Some parents find they can hear their baby's heartbeat using a stethoscope at or around pregnancy 26 weeks, but this isn't always the case. Remember many factors including your girth and the position of your baby may affect your ability to hear your baby's heartbeat at 26 weeks pregnant without the help of a Doppler instrument. Your baby is as sensitive during pregnancy at 26 weeks more so now than ever, so you may find you and your little tyke jump or startle at loud noises. Many babies grow a bit more during pregnancy week 26. For example, a male baby boy's testicles at 26 weeks pregnancy will grow and descent into his scrotum. This occurs over a few short days. You and Your Head Headaches are common among women around 26 weeks pregnant and beyond. As you follow your pregnancy week by week you may notice an increase or decrease in headaches. This usually results from the rapidly changing hormones in your body during pregnancy. Interestingly, some women prone to migraines find their headaches are less frequent when pregnant, especially if they had menstrual migraines previous to pregnancy. Others find their headaches worsen, especially around 26 weeks pregnancy as you prepare to enter your third trimester. You can usually take some Tylenol to help reduce the pain of headaches during pregnancy. Often simply lying in a quiet, dark room with a cool cloth over your head will help. If however, your find your pregnancy headaches become unbearable, be sure you talk with your healthcare provider about other safe treatment options for headaches during pregnancy. Many women develop headaches as their blood pressure rises around when they reach 26 weeks pregnant. Most women's blood pressure dips between pregnancy weeks 22 and pregnancy week 26, and then goes back to normal or rises around 26 weeks pregnant. This can result in temporary discomfort. Make sure you keep track of your symptoms around this time. While most women handle the change in blood pressure without problem, others experience rapidly rising blood pressure around 26 weeks pregnant that results in pregnancy symptoms including edema or swelling in the hands and face. If this happens and you note any visual problems be sure you speak with your doctor immediately. These can sometimes be symptoms of early pre-eclampsia, a dangerous complication of pregnancy that requires frequent monitoring.
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