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Pregnancy Calendar

Week 26: Your pregnancy

Week 26: Your pregnancy

Your baby's growth: Eyelashes!

Between now and Week 29 your baby will have a growth spurt and gain another pound. As your baby grows, space gets tighter inside the womb. Your baby now measures about 12.8 inches long and probably weighs almost 2 pounds.

Most of this weight is bone and tissue because she still doesn't have much body fat. In fact the main development of body fat doesn't really occur until late in the third trimester.

Developments that occur this week:

  • Eyelashes. These begin to grow as your baby begins to blink and open her eyes.
  • More hair. Hair continues to grow on her head.
  • Spine. To support her growing body, your baby's spine is getting stronger and more flexible.
  • Plumping up. Although she hasn't put on much fat, she is beginning to look a little plumper.

What's happening with you

  • Weight gain. You've probably gained from 16 to 20 pounds by now, which includes your baby's weight, plus the weight of the placenta, enlarged uterus and breasts, amniotic fluid and additional blood volume. There is also typical fat storage in mom's body (largely during the second trimester) that averages 4 to 7 pounds.
  • Additional isolated pain. As the uterus enlarges and your baby gets bigger, you may notice more back pain, pelvic pressure, leg cramps, and headaches. Be sure to report any pains that even remotely feel like contractions to your doctor. Preterm labor (beginning before the baby is fully developed) is much easier to stop in the early stages.
  • Your baby's moving around. By now you can probably feel your baby moving every day, although not all babies are equally active. If you become concerned during those moments when you can't feel your baby move, try lying on your left side and being still. It's usually easier to feel fetal movement in that position.

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