Fetal development week 26

The article was consulted professionally by Specialist Ii Tran Thi Mai Huong – Obstetrics and Gynecology Department – Share99 HaiPhong InternationalHealth Hub.

When the fetus is 26 weeks old, the mother is about to enter the third – last quarter of pregnancy, you will feel the differences that take place day by day, week by week. There is not any standard framework for whether she feels comfortable and energetic, or she always wakes up feeling exhausted and tired. The only thing mom can do to make herself better is to get along with changes in her body and try to rest fully.

At the 27th week of the fetus, the fetal eyes remain closed, but at some point, those eyes will open for the first time. Although the baby has not yet seen anything in her uterus, she will blink and close her eyes when she goes to bed and wakes up. The baby still looks very thin, but the baby will accumulate fat and gain weight gradually in the remaining weeks of pregnancy.

Imagine the mother's baby being about the same size as a beetroot, with a length of about 35.6 cm and weighing about 907 grams. The uterus is becoming cramped with the baby, and the mother will feel more and more uncomfortable when she pedals and stretches.

Due to the growth, the baby begins to run out of space for acrobatics as before, however, there is still enough room for the baby to practice before the day of birth. At the twenty-sixth week,babies usually choose the birth position, usually head down, sometimes some babies at this stage are horizontally across the womb, called horizontal pregnancy.

The baby's vascular system and circulation system are fully functional. The baby's heart is pumping blood, blood vessels have been developed and performing his role. The baby's lungs are also developing blood vessels at this stage. Since the lungs are not yet fully developed, babies born prematurely at this week of pregnancy often suffer from respiratory problems, but in theory, babies can still survive, that is, if the mother is born prematurely, the baby still has the opportunity to live on. However, we must avoid this case as much as possible, so that the baby has more time to develop the lungs and brain in the womb.

The umbilical cord is now stronger and thicker, providing the baby with all the necessary nutrition. The closer she gets to giving birth, the more she feels like eating because of this, however, she should keep a healthy diet, avoid sweet eating and snacking.

Always remember that the mother's eating choices also affect the condition of the blood vessels that feed the baby, which are not as elastic as the mother's blood vessels. To keep the placenta and umbilical cord healthy, eat lots of greens such as spinach, broccoli and cucumbers, as well as plenty of lean meat as a source of mother iron!

At this stage, the mother gained about 9-10.5 kg. The extra weight can be annoying for the mother, and the changes in her body are too large to make her feel unhappy with the appearance at the moment. Most mothers will gain about 9-13.6 kg during pregnancy.

On average, mothers need 2000 to 2,500 kcal per day during pregnancy. The need for energy increases by about 500 kcal a day when breastfeeding, so mothers do not need to gain more meaningless weight. After birth, the mother will gradually lose weight because the baby is born and the mother will consume a lot of energy when breastfeeding.

Often during this period the mother's navel has been pushed out, and the skin feels stretched and itchy. Pay attention to moisturize and provide enough water to increase the elasticity of your mother's skin!

At the twenty-sixth week, braxton Hicks' go-go occurs more frequently and strongly than in previous weeks. And since the baby is increasing more pressure on her bladder, she will have to go to the bathroom more. You will also feel pain under your ribs and lower back as your baby is growing fast and stretching to be more comfortable in your stomach. To relieve pain, the mother can change her position and place the pillow under her back to feel more comfortable. Mothers may experience sleep difficulties during pregnancy due to back pain and uncomfortable sensations in the body.

Usually when the pregnancy ultrasound at this week the mother will see the baby with her hands covering her face, sometimes she sticks out her tongue again. It is also better to mobilize and coordinate your baby's movement. The sex of the baby is also easy to determine with greater accuracy.

Go to the doctor immediately if your mother feels abnormally worse pain, some normal pains such as lower back pain, rib pain, legs and knees due to weight gain. But if you feel these pains are not normal, call your doctor immediately. You should also tell your doctor if your ankle or knee starts to swell, especially when you're suddenly swollen and you've never had one before. At this stage, she also has headaches or migraines, but she should go to the doctor if the headache increases in level and frequency.

Providing enough water is the most important thing when the mother enters the third quarter of pregnancy, drinking enough water will ensure the baby has adequate amniotic fluid, and she will not get tired or constipated. You don't have to force yourself to drink as much water as you can, but drink it as soon as you're thirsty!

• Screening for gestational diabetes if the mother has not been tested in the previous weeks of pregnancy.
• Schedule regular meals with healthy foods to avoid snacking on sweets and unhealthy foods.
• Monitor fetal movement and pedals

It is essential that the mother contact the doctor regularly throughout the pregnancy to answer questions and reassure her. Problems such as fetal movement, the speed of progress and the frequency of the baby's pedaling are also concerns for surprised parents. Consult an expert on how to monitor your baby's movement and kicks, and when to check if your mother finds your baby is too active or too quiet.

Swelling of the masonry is a common symptom in pregnancy, but consult professionally in case the mother fits multiple ankles and joints. There is no general standard for all mothers in this regard, so the doctor will guide the mother with signs of dangerous edema. The doctor will also provide the mother with information about TORCH Syndrome (a wide group of conditions that can cause infectious processes during pregnancy or at birth) and the dangers of pregnancy infections.

If you are dealing with anxiety and confusion throughout your pregnancy, consult an expert on how to manage stresses to keep your spirits at their most comfortable.

To help women take care of their mother and fetus health during pregnancy, Share99 International Health Hub applies packages of maternity health care packages with outstanding quality. Pregnant women are supported by an experienced obstetrician and gynecologist at Share99 during pregnancy – labor – post-birth. Maternity packages at Share99 International Health Hub include:

• 12-week maternity package
• 27-week maternity package
• 36-week maternity package
• Package maternity – labor

Dr. Tran Thi Mai Huong has 25 years of experience in examination and treatment in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lower Road Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery. Held the position of deputy head of obstetrics and gynecology department, deputy head of delivery department – Hai Phong Obstetrics and Gynecology Health Hub. Have expertise and strengths in the field of:

• Lower line surgery
• Laparoscopic surgery
• The obstetric surgery is difficult.

Article reference source: Mayoclinic.org, Webmd.com, Babycenter.com, Whattoexpect.com