26 weeks pregnant: symptoms and baby development
Their eyes are opening for the first time.
Second trimesterMonth 65 min read
By Solesia, from public clinical guidanceUpdated
Somewhere in the dark this week, a pair of eyes opens. The lids, sealed since the first trimester, part for the first time, and over the next few days your baby learns to blink. There is little to see in there, a dim reddish glow when light falls on your belly, but the eyes themselves are finished and waiting. You are two weeks from the third trimester, and your body is starting to remind you of its load: leg cramps that wake you at night, a certain clumsiness on stairs and in doorways, and a memory that puts the keys down and walks away.
How big is your baby at 26 weeks
About the size of a lettuce
14 in long·2 lb
Baby development at 26 weeks
At 26 weeks your baby measures about 14.0 inches from head to heel and weighs around 2 pounds, roughly a head of lettuce. The weight is now coming on fast, half a pound every couple of weeks, and the wrinkled skin is beginning to smooth as fat gathers underneath.
The eyes are the week’s news. The eyelids, fused shut since about week 10, separate, and the eyes can open and close. The retina, the layer at the back that senses light, is now layered and working, and a flashlight against the bump can make them turn or startle. The iris has some pigment, but whatever color it is now often changes in the first year.
Hearing is sharp enough that they respond to voices, and their heart rate may slow a little when you talk, a sign of calm. The lungs are making surfactant, the substance that keeps air sacs open, though not enough yet. The brain is busy: its surface is starting to fold into the grooves that give it more room, and the nerves controlling breathing and body temperature are maturing.
Your body at 26 weeks
Leg cramps at night are expected and more frequent from about now. The calf, and sometimes the foot, seizes without warning, usually as you are falling asleep or in the small hours. Straighten the leg and pull your toes toward your shin; it releases in seconds, and rubbing or walking finishes the job. Stretching your calves before bed, staying hydrated and keeping active make them rarer.
Forgetfulness is expected too, and it has a name people use with a laugh. Sleep is broken, there is a great deal on your mind, and hormones play a part; none of it is a change in you. Lists and a shared calendar are the honest fix. Clumsiness is the same story: the bump has moved your balance forward and relaxin has loosened your joints, so give yourself an extra moment getting up, getting down and on the stairs.
Your blood pressure may be a touch higher than at the low point in the middle of pregnancy, and your provider checks it at each visit; that is expected. Puffy ankles by evening, heartburn after a big meal, and a bump that makes it harder to find a comfortable sleeping position are all part of the last stretch of the second trimester. A pillow behind your back, one between your knees and one under the bump is the arrangement many people settle on.
Common pregnancy symptoms at 26 weeks
- Leg cramps at night. Calf muscles seizing. Straighten the leg, pull your toes toward you; stretch calves before bed.
- Forgetfulness. Broken sleep and a full mind. Write things down, and let it be.
- Clumsiness. Balance moved forward, joints loosened. Take your time on stairs and getting up.
- Trouble sleeping. The bump, the bladder, the kicks. Three pillows: behind, between the knees, under the bump.
- Heartburn. The stomach squeezed and its valve relaxed. Small meals, nothing in the three hours before bed.
- Backache. Weight in front and loose ligaments. Flat shoes, a warm bath, sit with support.
- Swollen hands and feet. Fluid settling by evening. Feet up, and take tight rings off now.
When to call your provider at 26 weeks
If movements feel slower or stop for a stretch, call your provider or maternity unit straight away rather than waiting for tomorrow.
Two things are worth a same-day call at any point in pregnancy: bleeding that is more than spotting, and pain that is severe or does not ease. From the second trimester, add fluid leaking and any change in your baby’s usual pattern of movement. You do not need to be sure something is wrong to call; that is what the number is for.
What to do at 26 weeks
- Glucose screening, if not done. The window closes at 28 weeks. If it is not booked, call this week: a sweet drink, an hour, one blood draw, usually with no fasting.
- Tdap next week. The whooping cough shot is given from 27 to 36 weeks, earlier in that window being better. Ask whether your practice gives it or whether a pharmacy is the plan.
- Your baby’s pattern. By now you know when they are usually busy. Keep noticing; a day that is clearly quieter than your usual is a same-day call.
- Childbirth class. If you have not started one, this is the moment. Classes run four to six weeks and are best finished before 36.
Common questions at 26 weeks
Is pregnancy brain real?
The forgetfulness is real; whether hormones or broken sleep cause it is debated. Studies find small dips in memory and attention in the second and third trimesters, on top of the effects of poor sleep and a great deal to think about. It is expected, it does not last, and lists and calendars fill the gap in the meantime.
Why do I get leg cramps at night in pregnancy?
Nobody is sure. Tired muscles carrying extra weight, changes in circulation and in the way the body handles minerals all seem to play a part. They peak in the second half of pregnancy. Stretching the calves before bed, drinking enough water, and keeping active make them rarer; when one hits, straighten the leg and flex the foot.
When should I get the Tdap shot?
Between 27 and 36 weeks, and the earlier in that window the better, because your body needs a few weeks to make antibodies and pass them across the placenta. They protect your baby from whooping cough until their own shots begin at two months. It is given in every pregnancy, even if you had it before.
How many months is 26 weeks pregnant?
About six months, at the end of the sixth by the usual count. Week 26 is in the second trimester, which ends after week 27; the third trimester begins at 28. From then on visits move to every two weeks, and the last stretch of the pregnancy begins.
Written from public clinical guidance, including NHS: Week 26, ACOG: How your baby grows, ACOG: Changes in your body, ACOG: The Tdap vaccine and pregnancy, ACOG: Gestational diabetes, NHS: Your baby’s movements and NHS: Tiredness. This page is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace your provider.