Your baby has plenty of thick eyelashes making an appearance, and soon you won’t be able to resist. His fingernails are also growing in place, and by the time you see them, they’ll be sharp. He’s still practising his swallowing, and the amniotic fluid he takes in is helping with developing his lungs.
26 weeks pregnant is how many months?
You’re almost a full six months pregnant, which has been a long time coming. You’re almost on the home stretch. It could by now feel like a millennia ago that you told your partner you’re pregnant.
Your Baby at 26 Weeks
Your baby is finally running out of space. He used to have leeway, but now he’s rapidly starting to fill it up with his growth. There’s still enough room for him to develop, there’s just less room for activities than before.
His eyes were sealed shut until now, but he’s starting to peek. There’s not a lot going on in there, but he can still see it all happening, so now’s the time to shine a flashlight at your tummy to see if he reacts.
His iris doesn’t have a lot of pigment, so it’s too early to guess a colour, but even after he’s born, it will continue to fill in and change. His final eye colour won’t be set until he’s about a year old.
His legs are kicking, and his neurons are firing. The brain activity is strong with this one. He can hear noises and respond accordingly. He may react by moving, or his heart rate may increase as a reaction to something he likes or something he doesn’t.
How big is a baby at 26 weeks?
Your baby is as big as kale. He’s completely on trend with this new health craze at 35.1 centimetres and 913 grams.
Your Body at 26 Weeks
Your uterus is now stretching above your belly button and could be causing it to protrude. Your innie is now an outie, which may be less than ideal when you wear fitted clothing. You also probably had to take out your navel piercing long ago.
Despite the pop out, your little turkey is still far from done.
Sleep may be eluding you amid all the leg cramps, heartburn, trips to the bathroom, and an exploding stomach. Get some exercise during the day and some fresh air before bed to relax you and help you sleep better.
As your baby’s movements get stronger, you may get more uncomfortable. A cleverly placed jab to the spine hurts, and when he starts practising his cycling, those feet in your ribs are incredibly uncomfortable. Try stretching to coax him back into position or push his feet back down gently with your hand.

Symptoms
More pressure on your intestines means more bloating and gas. Keep eating smaller meals, so you don’t overwhelm your system with too much food.
Don’t overload your brain either, because pregnancy brain is in full effect. Write everything down and keep those notes with you.
Your loose joints and ligaments, as well as a shifting centre of gravity, have caused some clumsiness. If you trip more than you used to, that’s normal, but be careful and take it slow, especially on slippery surfaces like the shower.
Migraines may flare up during pregnancy, but strong medications are a no-no, so try massage, yoga, meditation, or acupuncture for some relief. Reducing stress can also help eliminate a migraine trigger.
Blurred vision may have you rushing to the doctor for a new prescription. Your dry eyes can have you uncomfortable, so use some drops to restore moisture and ask your doctor if your vision problems are a sign of anything else.
Your ligaments are still stretching and the round ligaments that support your growing uterus may be hurting. You need to get lots of rest and stay off your feet if you can. Move slowly so they don’t stretch too quickly and cause more pain.
Tips/Things to do
Compile a baby registry. If you haven’t had a shower yet and people are asking what they can get you, it’s much easier to direct them to a registry and let them pick what they can afford. It’s a great place to store all your wants and let your friends and family do the shopping for you.
Most registries provide extra benefits and discounts on the items that were never purchased, and you can finish your shopping with these after the baby comes.
Cook everything thoroughly. That includes meat, fish, eggs, and cookies. Rare meat, undercooked seafood and eggs, and raw dough is all dangerous while you’re pregnant, so pass on it if it’s not well done.
Keep your kitchen clean, too. When you’re dealing with food prep, make sure you’re vigilant about keeping surfaces and hands clean to avoid consuming raw foods.
Don’t reuse a knife or a cutting board for vegetables you intend to eat raw after you’ve already cut up an uncooked steak. Cross-contamination could foster the growth of bacteria and other things you need to be cooking out of your food before you eat them.
Maintain good posture to alleviate backaches and keep your blood and fluids moving. Get an ergonomic chair for your desk at work or place a pillow behind your lower back. Stand straight while you’re walking and create a straight line from your shoulders to your hips.
If you and your spouse haven’t settled on a name for this little cutie yet, keep the conversation going. Say names out loud multiple times. The more you hear them, the more you may realize you like them, or you don’t. Make a list of family names or famous people in history you admire and go from there.
Start keeping track of your baby’s movements. If it’s easier for you to tick those movements off on paper, keep a journal with your notepad, so you don’t forget. He should be moving two or three times every half hour.
He naps now too, so lulls in the movement are okay, but he will likely still twitch while he’s sleeping.
About The Author

Kids, chai latte’s, blueberry muffins, and reading way too many books… That pretty much sums up Louise. She’s also passionate about giving back to the community, in this case through this site, finding and answering questions about parenting.