25 Weeks Pregnant, What to Expect

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25 weeks pregnant – what to expect

This week, some sleepless nights are in store and your babys fingerprints have appeared. Find out more about what your baby and body is doing and the common symptoms to look out for at 25 weeks pregnant.

Weve gone through a whole fridge of the foods your baby has resembled in size, but this week, shes about the size of a swede. At about 13 and a half inches long and one and a half pounds heavy, shes growing steadily.

Your babys becoming prettier than ever: as the weeks go on, baby fat is developing, meaning the wrinkled skin shes currently used to is smoothing out and shes looking more like a newborn than ever. Shes even starting to grow some hair, too.

Your baby#39;s skin is also getting pinker as her capillaries form under the skin and fill with blood. Blood vessels will also develop this week in your babys lungs, bringing her ever closer to that first gulp of fresh air shell take after being born.

This week also marks the start of your babys nose and nostrils beginning to work, which allows your baby to begin taking practice breaths, breathing in amniotic fluid. She may even be able to smell things by this week too, although many babies can only experience this sense by the third trimester.

Your babys hands will develop creases in the palms this week (cute!), and soon sweat glands will form in her skin.

Shell also have her own unique fingerprints: theyll have started forming as early as eight weeks. Your baby will also be improving the dexterity in her hands and fingers, which means shell be able to grasp things in her fist and even play with her umbilical cord. She may also suck her thumb and play with her hands and feet. Just think, not long until shes gripping your finger in that little fist!

Feeling exhausted? Your expanding bump may start making it harder to get to sleep. Now that youre in the second trimester, its important that you sleep on your side (ideally your left) rather than your back, because lying on your back presses down on the vein that returns blood from your lower body back up to your heart, and also to the placenta.

If you tend to thrash around when you sleep and wake up on your back, just make sure you roll onto your side before dropping back off to sleep. Using cushions to support yourself, including a pillow between your legs, may help make you more comfortable.

Finding it hard to move around: Now that youre getting bigger, its understandable that its more of an effort to move around. Chat with your doctor about which types of exercise are safe, but make sure youre following a few rules: dont work out when youre tired, and stop immediately if you feel pain, shortness of breath or dizziness. Dont lie flat on your back and try to avoid contact sports.
Gorgeous hair: Finally, a pregnancy symptom you wish would stick around! Your hair may be fuller and glossier than ever thanks to pregnancy hormones keeping a hold of hair youd normally shed. Enjoy it while it lasts!
Piles: And now back to those side-effects you can#39;t wait to say goodbye to: the oh-so-unwelcome haemorrhoids you may be noticing in the rectal area, caused by increased blood flow to the area as well as your enlarged uterus. Avoiding constipation is a good idea as this will only make the piles worse, so make sure youre stocking up on fibre-rich foods and drinking plenty of water.
Restless leg syndrome: 15% of women experience the peculiar effects of RLS, which include a tingling feeling in your feet and legs, along with an urge to move them. Experts aren#39;t sure what causes it, but many women are helped by different methods, such as acupuncture, a warm bath or eating iron-rich foods.
Bleeding gums: A common but unpleasant side-effect of pregnancy, bleeding gums may affect you this week. Make sure youre brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing regularly, and if youre concerned, see a dentist to talk through your worries.

The birth plan: Nows a good time to start thinking about where youd like to give birth. There are generally three choices although they vary depending on where you live (and nope, a luxury five star hotel is not one of the options!). The first is a regular maternity ward, where youll be looked after by midwives, but therell also be obstetricians on the wards if needed. The second is a birth centre. These can be attached to hospitals or standalone, have a more lsquo;homely feel and are run by midwives, but theres no immediate access to things like epidurals or C-sections. Finally, you can give birth at home. This is available if youre having a low-risk pregnancy. Picking your birth centre does require a lot of thought and you really need to research whats available to you before making any definite decisions.