Pregnancy week 26 - baby's development and your body

Your baby is growing and developing. The nostrils are now open, and your baby’s proportions are becoming more like those of a newborn.

Size:

Your baby is about 35 cm or 13.78 inches long, from head to foot.

Weight:

Approximately 760 grams or 1.68 lbs.

Fetal development:

Your baby still has plenty of space to move, doing somersaults, clenching its fists, and grasping things like its own 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) and pain. Short-term memory is developing, so your baby may start reacting to familiar voices and sounds.

Hiccups are also common now, which you may feel as a gentle, rhythmic tapping for a few minutes. Your baby has a sleep cycle and can be woken by loud or sudden noises.

Changes in the lungs mean that, with intensive care, some babies could survive outside the womb at this stage. The survival rate is improving, and the risk of lasting complications decreases with each passing week.

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 the belly may start to feel heavier, with increased pressure on the ligaments around the uterus or occasional pelvic pain. The skin on your belly might also feel dry and itchy as it stretches.

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