Pregnancy Guide: Week 25

Don’t scare your baby this week as the startle reflex appears, although, it could come in handy for scaring those hiccups away. The fat is starting to accumulate now, and your baby is losing his wrinkles. If he has hair, it may have pigment now.

25 weeks pregnant is how many months?

You’re five months and two weeks pregnant, and things are moving along quite nicely. Just a little over three months left, and you’ll be able to hold your new bundle of joy. You probably have a list of baby shower decoration ideas and the date lined up now or some other celebratory ideas, such as gift ideas for grandparents or a babymoon holiday.

Your Baby at 25 Weeks

Your sweet baby’s skin is starting to turn pink because of the capillaries forming under his skin. They’re filling with blood and giving him a healthy hue. 

Blood vessels in the lungs will develop this week, and the lungs will begin maturing in preparation for taking his first breaths. They’re still a very immature and your baby can’t breathe on his own, but he’s getting closer.

Your baby’s nose is also getting ready to breathe, and he may even be taking some practice breaths. There’s only amniotic fluid where he is right now, but that’s okay. He’s getting the motions down. 

He may also be smelling things in utero.

How big is a baby at 25 weeks?

At about the size of a cauliflower, your baby is 33.6 centimetres long and weighs 785 grams. He’s growing rapidly thanks to those stores of fat that will be so fun to snuggle in a few short months.

Your Body at 25 Weeks

Your uterus is the size of a football. It’s cute and round. Its resident is practising his kicks in preparation for the World Cup, which could be leading to some back and rib pain. 

What people who aren’t pregnant don’t realise is that those jabs to the gut don’t just happen in the front. They happen all over that three-dimensional uterus of yours.

Your constipation and constant bearing down to go could have caused a few hemorrhoids. These itchy, swollen veins are common during pregnancy because of increased blood flow. They’re not dangerous, but they are painful and can cause rectal bleeding in some cases.

Increase your fibre and fluid intake or do some pelvic floor exercises to make it easier to poop. Witch hazel wipes or ice packs can help alleviate the pain, and they should go away after delivery.

Symptoms

Heartburn and indigestion are still burning a hole in your esophagus, so keep your Tums nearby. Swollen mucous membranes may be causing some congestion, too, meaning you’ve taken up snoring as a new unconscious pastime.

That same increased blood volume in your nose is also in your wrists, causing symptoms of carpal tunnel. Make sure your posture at your desk is correct, wear wrist braces, take breaks to stretch, and use safe pain relievers if necessary.

Along with round ligament pain, you may be suffering from symphysis pubis dysfunction, which happens when your ligaments stretch out. Do some exercises to strengthen your pelvic muscles and support your loosened ligaments.

Your hands and wrists may not be the only things tingling. If you have restless leg syndrome caused by pregnancy, make sure you are getting enough iron, because it could be an iron deficiency. Some foods can cause this sensitivity.

Tips/Things to do

Look for signs of postpartum depression. You aren’t postpartum yet, but there are behaviours you partake in now that could lead to PPD later. Women who question their right to be happy or put themselves down are more at risk. 

If this sounds like you, seek help now, so you have the support system you need in place for when these emotions are triggered later.

Start using moisturiser regularly. That football-sized uterus is dry and itchy because of all the stretching it’s been doing. There’s no such thing as too much lotion, and it can be a welcome massage from your partner, that includes bonding with you and the baby.

Start talking about baby names if you haven’t already. That baby is coming whether you like it or not, and if you don’t start the discussion now, you may end up in an uncompromising situation. 

Pay attention to what the initials spell, likely nicknames, and certain combinations that could lead to poking fun later. For instance, if your last name is Robertson, don’t name your boy Robert. That’s just asking for trouble.

Get your kitchen in order now. Start some meal prep so you’ll be catered for after the baby comes. You won’t want to cook, and you likely can’t afford to eat out for every meal, but if you create some frozen crockpot meals now, your spouse can throw them in before he heads to work and dinner will be ready when he gets home.

Get the gear you need. If you don’t have a slow cooker, it’s one of the best investments you can make and a huge time saver. You may also want to consider a blender or a food processor for fast smoothies and shakes as well as for making your own baby food.

When it comes to food prep, you can even cook your meals now and freeze them so that all you must do is pop them in the microwave later. That goes for pasta, stew, soup, enchiladas, and almost anything else you like to eat.

The easiest way to meal prep is to make a menu of things you could eat for the first couple of months at home with your new baby, then use that menu to make a grocery list. Set aside a few times a week that you can dedicate to making these frozen meals, and it will go faster than you think. Plus, if you make the meals big enough, you’ll have lots of leftovers.

Once you’ve finished all your meal prep, make a grocery list for one last trip to the store before the baby comes. About a week before your due date, you can stock up on fresh fruits and veggies, healthy snacks, and plenty of toppings for salads. Leave the list where it’s easy to find, in case you go into labour, and someone else must do the shopping for you!

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