Pregnancy Week 26

What’s your baby up to?

Your little nugget now weighs about 760g and measures around 35.6cm long from head to toes, about the length of your forearm.

You baby’s brain and nervous system continue to develop rapidly. The sense of hearing is much more advanced and he can recognize your voice and also react to any sudden or loud noises.

Your baby continues to put on fat and muscle, and his skin becomes more opaque as the days go by.

His lungs, though still not fully mature, are getting more and more developed .

Your baby is more sensitive to light, especially now that he can open and close his eyes. The colour of his eyes is not yet obvious, because his iris still lack pigmentation at this stage.

How are you doing?

You are definitely feeling your baby’s kicks, hiccups, rolls, and other gymnastics more and more, especially as your baby grows bigger and occupies more space in your tummy.

Most moms-to-be complain about lower back pains at this time, or a more painful condition known as sciatica; where your growing uterus puts pressure on the sciatic nerve of the spine and triggers a sharp pain that radiates from the buttocks down to the legs.

Other common niggles you are probably experiencing are leg cramping, heartburn, indigestion, hemorrhoids, and swelling.

What should you do this week?

Your baby can hear you, and can recognize your voice, so keep talking, reading, and singing to your baby.

Taking a warm bath, massages, and stretching exercises are some of the things that may relieve your aches and pains.

Be sure to mention any swelling in the face or around  your eyes to your doctor, so that they can take your blood pressure and test for protein in your urine to rule out a condition called pre-eclampsia.

Other symptoms to report to your doctor immediately include: severe or persistent headache; vision changes like a temporary loss of vision, double or blurred vision, seeing spots, floaters or flashing lights, sensitivity to light; intense pain or tenderness in your upper abdomen, or vomiting.

Working moms, have you started thinking about when to take your maternity leave? Section 54 of the Nigerian labour Act provides for every working woman to be entitled to a 12-week paid maternity leave, taken 6 weeks before the estimated date of delivery, or  “confinement”, as the Act succinctly put it. This is the standard, but may vary slightly from one organisation to another.

Finally, stay informed, healthy and inspired, by reading  Maternity Nest. Connect with other moms-to-be for moral support, by joining your Due Date Club in the The Nest.