Pregnancy Week 26

Your Baby's Growth and Development

By pregnancy week 26 your baby may be 12 inches long and weigh closer to two pounds! Your baby's heart is working diligently at pumping blood. Did you know many women can hear their baby's heartbeat using a stethoscope by around 26 weeks pregnancy? Don't be alarmed however, if you can't. This takes a little practice and some babies simply fail to cooperate during pregnancy.

A Doppler device (prenatal heart listener) is much more effective than a traditional stethoscope at measuring your baby's heartbeat during pregnancy. By around 26 weeks pregnant your baby is still practicing many things including breathing. Boy babies sometimes experience a growth spurt around 26 weeks pregnant, when their testicles start descending into their scrotum. This entire process only takes a couple of days.

Changes In Your Body

During 26 weeks pregnancy you continue to grow and blossom. By now you may have gained as much as 20-23 pounds during pregnancy. Many women find their weight continues to fluctuate on a daily basis during pregnancy. This is pretty normal. I found within the course of any given day my weight may fluctuate by as much as 6 pounds. I was usually heavier in the afternoon, largely the result of excess bloating and water retention. This is one of many reasons I preferred to schedule my doctor visits in the early morning, when I was least likely to be retaining extra fluid.

There are many ways you can help alleviate pregnancy bloating and fluid retention naturally. Some good ways include prenatal yoga and stretching. Believe it or not, regular exercise is a wonderful way to keep things flowing and get your blood circulating throughout your body.

Stretching will also help you feel better in general, and reduce your risk of injury. As your pregnancy progresses your body releases a substance called relaxin. This helps loosen your ligaments and tendons in the pelvis so you can accommodate your baby during labor and delivery. This substance however, also makes pregnant women more prone to injury during pregnancy, so when exercising be sure to take enough time to warm up and cool down, decreasing your overall risk of injury.

Aches And Pains Of Pregnancy

Pregnant women are subject to many unusual aches and pains. Some women for example complain of pain around or right under their ribs during pregnancy. This can occur as your little baby gets stronger and sticks a foot or hand under your rib. Simply changing positions may relieve this pain. Other women find light exercise or yoga helps calm their baby and move them into a more comfortable position. A maternity support belt will help support your growing tummy and easy the strain placed on your lower back.

Other women experience on and off pain in their lower back, buttocks or legs during pregnancy. This may simply be the result of cramping, the stress of added weight, round ligament pain or pain associated with sciatica during pregnancy. There are various steps you can take to reduce pain. I always found a monthly visit to the chiropractor extremely beneficial for combating the minor aches and pains of pregnancy.

Still other women combat frequent or chronic headaches during pregnancy. This is another normal side effect of pregnancy. What can you do about pregnancy induced headaches? Most doctors will recommend rest, stress reduction and a little Tylenol. A bag of frozen peas on your head may also help constrict dilated blood vessels. If nothing else it is fun to try. Frozen corn works just as well (take this coming from a women who experienced a lot of pregnancy related headaches).

One unexpected way to help relieve headaches is by using a supportive pregnancy pillow throughout your pregnancy, and especially after you deliver and begin feeding or nursing your baby. Pregnancy pillows like Snoozer pregnancy pillows help support the head and neck while resting. They also may help promote circulation, and this can result in greater muscle relaxation. Sometimes headaches arise from tense muscles.

When you nurse or feed your baby, you often place strain on your neck and shoulders. For many women, this strain results in daily headaches, which, if not treated, can become debilitating. One of the best suggestions my doctor offered during my pregnancy, because I already suffered from headaches, was to use a pregnancy full body pillow as a nursing pillow. This alleviates most of the strain in your neck and shoulders as you lean forward to feed your baby. You may also find reducing stress improves your mood and this can lead to fewer tension headaches if you are prone to them. So why not try a full body pregnancy pillow? It certainly can’t hurt, and if nothing else, you will find they are tremendously helpful if you are having a hard time sleeping.

Of course, any pain that you consider unusual or out of the ordinary you should ask your doctor about immediately. There are times when pain may be a sign something is out of order. Never hesitate to call your doctor when in doubt, or when traditional remedies don't alleviate your pain or discomfort in any way.