26 Weeks Pregnant ─ Pregnancy Symptoms

Week 26 Marks the Start of your Third and Final Trimester

104 DAYS TO GO. . .

COMMON PREGNANCY SYMPTOMS FOR WEEK 26

62%

Back Pain
62% of women experience back pain as a symptom during week 26 of pregnancy. More >>

50%

Fatigue
50% of women experience fatigue as a symptom during week 26 of pregnancy. More >>

42%

Mood Swings
42% of women experience mood swings as a symptom during week 26 of pregnancy. More >>

You’ve reached the third and final trimester and will be heavily pregnant by now. You’re in the last lap and, although your belly is probably big, you’ve still got a lot more expanding to do. Your baby will be moving around quite vigorously and may even respond to loud noises and music. Nerve cells in their brains are beginning to connect and its coordination is improving.

WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE?

Your Uterus is expanding, pushing your rib cage outward. This can cause rib pain and discomfort.

The Lungs are beginning to produce surfactant, the substance that allows the air sacs in the lungs to inflate and keeps them from collapsing when they deflate.

The Brain continues to evolve with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop.

The Eyes may begin to open around this time.

The Hands are active and muscle coordination has evolved allowing your baby to put fingers and thumb into their mouth.

Keep your own brain stimulated by going to prenatal classes for fun, company, and information. Your prenatal classes will give you a chance to learn about labor, birth and life with a newborn, and make new friends.

Going to prenatal classes with your partner is a good way for your partner to stay closely involved with your pregnancy. If your partner is reluctant, discuss it with him, pointing out what the classes are for and why you feel that you need his support. You could explain that you want him to be informed about labor so that his is not anxious in the delivery room.

Your baby can now make coordinated movements with its hand and feet, make a fist, and grab hold of its toes. There is still plenty of room in the uterus for all sorts of movements and your baby is extremely flexible. It is quite easy for her to adopt a doubled u position, which her feet up by her mouth or even on top of her head, and to do a full somersault. Your baby’s bones are hardening from the center out so their outer edges are still formed of soft cartilage.