Pregnancy: 26 weeks

How the child grows:

Your baby's ears are now more sensitive than before, he already hears your voice and hears your conversations with a partner. He inhales and exhales a small amount of amniotic fluid necessary for lung development. These breathing movements are a good practice before the first real breath. He also continues to gain weight and weighs 750 grams, and his height is 36 cm. If it's a boy, his testicles begin to descend into the scrotum - the process will take about two to three days.

Important: the development of each child is strictly individual. Our information is designed to give you an idea of the development of the fetus.

Changes of the future mother

Do you attend classes for expectant mothers, prepare a room for the baby and at the same time fulfill all of your daily duties? Make sure that you do not sacrifice a full rest and food, for you it is very important.

Preeclampsia is a serious disorder characterized by high blood pressure and an increased amount of protein in the urine - most often, it appears after 37 weeks. Consult your doctor if you have swelling of the face or eyes, excessive swelling of the hands or feet, rapid weight gain (more than 2 kg per week). With more severe preeclampsia, the following symptoms may develop: severe or persistent headache, visual disturbances, intense pain in the upper abdomen or vomiting.

If the last time you are worried about back pain, this can be explained by the growth of the uterus, because of which the center of gravity shifts, the abdominal muscles stretch and weaken, and pressure on the nerve endings, which also contributes to the weakening of the joints and ligaments. Plus, the extra weight that your muscles and joints feel, contributes to the deterioration of well-being by the end of the day. A warm bath or hot compress will help relieve pain and fatigue. Tired legs? "To remove the fatigue of the legs, lower them into the basin with warm water and a few drops of fragrant oil and enjoy" - Anonymous

Birth plan

Birth planning will give you and your partner the opportunity to discuss in detail all the nuances of the birth of your long-awaited baby.

In a recent BabyCenter survey about the birth plan, 54 percent of respondents said their birth plan was different from the birth itself. If you still decide to write down all your wishes, do it. You can specify, for example: "I want the most natural birth, please do not offer me pain medication and other methods of anesthesia without the need." Or, "I would like my childbirth to be relatively painless, so do me an injection of epidural anesthesia as early as possible."

What you need to consider when writing a birth plan:

• Do you want birth without using medicines, or do you rely on epidural anesthesia?
• Do you want the birth to take place only in the presence of doctors and a partner or would you like to see other family members or friends? Do you agree to the presence of medical students during childbirth?
• Do you want to have a mirror installed in the delivery room so you can see the birth of your baby?
• Would you like to have music playing during the birth or a muffled light?
• Do you want your partner to cut the umbilical cord?
• Do you plan on breastfeeding?
• Do you want your child to be with you around the clock?
• Do you need an individual chamber?

This Week's Activity: Discuss some personal problems. You have to decide with your partner, would you like to cut off your son? If so, will this ceremony be religious? How long do you plan to stay on maternity leave? These are examples of just some of the issues that you have to solve, therefore it is better to express your opinion openly, in order to avoid misunderstandings and not to hurt the self-love of a person close to you.

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