Pregnancy week 25 - baby's development and your body

Your baby is growing quickly, with nostrils now opening and body proportions looking more like a newborn’s.

This week, memory starts to develop, so your baby may begin reacting to familiar voices and sounds.

Size:

Your baby is about 32 cm or 12.60 inches long, from head to foot.

Weight:

Approximately 660 grams or 1.46 lbs.

Fetal development:

Your baby still has plenty of room to move, doing somersaults, clenching its fists, grasping things like its ears or the umbilical cord, and even sucking its thumb. It can sense light through closed eyelids, react to sounds, and feel touch—like a nudge from a twin—as well as pain. Long-term memory is developing now, so your baby may start to recognize familiar voices and sounds.

Hiccups are also common at this stage, which you may feel as a gentle, rhythmic tapping that lasts a few minutes. Your baby has a sleep cycle and may wake up from loud or sudden noises.

Changes in the lungs mean that, with intensive care, some babies could survive outside the womb at this stage.

Your body:

Your belly is growing, with the uterus now extending above your navel. You may even feel your baby’s movements every day.

Many people find pregnancy symptoms less bothersome at this stage, though some may notice added pressure on the ligaments around the uterus or experience pelvic pain as the belly expands. The skin on your belly might also feel dry and itchy as it stretches.

Other common symptoms in the second trimester include breast growth, a boosted appetite, back and pelvic pain, and swelling in the feet and ankles. Skin changes, such as darkened nipples or a “linea nigra”—a dark line from the pubic bone to just below the navel—may also appear.