26 Weeks Pregnant

How your baby's growing at 26 weeks of pregnancy

There's a lot happening to your baby this week. His lungs are becoming more developed. His airways are branching out, and at the end of each branch, tiny air sacs are growing. These sacs will absorb oxygen into the blood stream once your baby is born.

In your baby's mouth, his tastebuds have finished developing. His adult teeth begin to grow as tiny tooth buds in his gums, and his lips are becoming more sensitive.

See what he looks like now and read more about your baby's development at 26 weeks of pregnancy.

How your life's changing at 26 weeks of pregnancy

You may be getting hot flushes, which can be difficult to bear if the weather is warm. These are quite common in the second and third trimesters.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy and increased blood flow to your skin are to blame and it can get worse at night. You may sweat more than usual and get red, patchy skin on your face, neck and chest.

Hot flushes don't usually last very long but they can be uncomfortable. Try to stay in an air conditioned room and help yourself keep cool by wearing loose, cotton fabric clothes.

When you're in the middle of a hot flush, you can spray your face and body with water and sit under a fan. If you're finding it hard to fall asleep because of the heat, sprinkling your bed sheets can be refreshing.

Stay well hydrated with plenty of fluids through the day. This will help your body regulate your temperature.

Breathlessness will also get worse now that your bump is getting big and leaving less place for your lungs to expand fully.

Don't worry, your respiratory system adapts so your body can absorb oxygen more efficiently. Take things slow and rest as often as you need to. Try this upper body stretching exercise to relieve breathlessness. It will also help to improve your posture.

If you notice other worrying symptoms, such as chest pain, palpitations, a racing pulse, or damp, sweaty fingers and toes, call your doctor immediately.

What you can do at 26 weeks pregnant

If you haven’t already, start doing pelvic floor or Kegel exercises regularly.

It's important for you to strengthen your pelvic floor. This is the area from the end of your tailbone in the back to your pubic bone in the front. It holds your uterus, bladder, vagina and bowels in place.

The muscles in your pelvic floor get strained during pregnancy because they support the weight of your baby. They also get stretched when you give birth. All this weakens them.

It's because these muscles are weak that you leak urine when you sneeze, cough or laugh hard. Kegel exercises, strengthen these muscles.

Doing these exercises three times a day from now on will not only help you control your bladder, it will also speed up healing after your baby is born by increasing blood flow to the area. These exercises also improve your vagina's muscle tone, making sex more enjoyable.

All you need to do is squeeze your pelvic floor as if you were trying to hold back urine and stop yourself from passing gas at the same time. Hold the squeeze for 10 seconds at a time and then release. Repeat the squeeze 10 times. Do this set of exercises three times a day.

BabyCenter mum tip of the week

Your pregnancy diet at 26 weeks

Choose foods and an eating schedule that will help you prevent heartburn and acidity. Heartburn is brought about by some of the hormonal and physical changes of pregnancy. But some foods you eat can make it worse.

Here are some of the common culprits that can cause acidity and heartburn:

• oily and spicy dishes
• alcohol
• chocolate
• citrus fruits
• tea and coffee
• cola and fizzy drinks
• processed foods and ready-to-eat meals

To get quick relief from acidity, have a glass of cold milk or a small bowl of curd and sit upright. 

Changing your eating schedule can also help to prevent acidity. Eat more frequent but smaller meals during the day instead of three large ones. And chew your food thoroughly. Drink plenty of fluids during the day, but not with your meals.

Lying down after eating, when your stomach is full of food and digestive acids can also lead to acidity at night. Try to eat at least three hours before you lie down. See more helpful tips on coping with acidity and heartburn.

FAQs at 26 weeks pregnant

• Will iron supplements darken my baby's complexion?
• How long does normal labour last?
• How can I prepare my life and home for my baby's arrival?
• Which sex positions are best with a bump?

Poll of the week

Boy or girl - what do you secretly wish for?

प्रेग्नेंसी के 26वें हफ्ते की जानकारी हिंदी में

26 सप्ताह की गर्भावस्था में शिशु का विकास कैसे होता है, आपके शरीर में क्या बदलाव आते हैं और इस चरण पर आपको क्या जानना जरुरी है, यह सब हिंदी में पढ़ें।