Your pregnancy: weeks 25, 26, 27, 28

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This guide to your pregnancy tells you how your baby is developing week by week. It also tells you a bit about how your body may be changing and how you might be feeling. Remember, not all babies develop exactly like each other so this can only be a general guide: you should ask your doctor or midwife for any specific information about your pregnancy. We all know babies come in two flavours, but - as most of you won't know what flavour you're getting - for clarity we'll refer to your baby as 'she'.

How your baby is developing | Your baby's size | How your body is changing

How your baby is developing

Your baby is getting more capable all the time. This is a time when the brain develops rapidly and becomes able to control some of the things we do all the time - like beginning to breathe in a regular way. Studies of brain waves show during this period your baby demonstrates signs of hearing and seeing. She's also developing taste buds and a sense of smell.

She'll be able to open and close her eyelids and will be sensitive to bright light, especially if it's close to your body. This is because the retina - the part of the eye that responds to light - is now developing.

Your baby's spine (which has 150 joints and is incredibly supple for a column of bones) is getting stronger as the joints, ligaments, and bones that protect the spinal column with all its nerves are developing more fully.

If your baby were born before this time, she would need medical support as her lungs would not be developed enough for her to breathe on her own. But during these few weeks, your baby's lungs will develop rapidly - to the extent that, if needed, she would be able to bring in oxygen through her lungs and breathe out carbon dioxide. This ability to exchange gases through the lungs is still immature and premature babies often need help to do this, but your baby is now definitely getting the hang of breathing. In fact, lungs take ages to develop properly and your baby's lungs will continue to develop for some time after she is born.

Your baby will also be developing proper swallowing reflexes, for example, swallowing when something gets to the back of her throat rather than just swallowing because she can. She will be able to open her nostrils if she wants and make a fist. She uses her hand to make a fist - not her nostrils.

Your baby's spleen is busy making red blood cells to carry oxygen round the body and white blood cells to fight infection. Later on your baby's long bones, particularly the ones in her legs, will make red blood cells.

Your baby will be getting more and more cuddly and less like a prune as she continues to store fat under her skin. At this stage, less than 4% of her body weight will be made up of fat. Her head will be in more or less proportion to her body.

Your baby's size

She'll be up to 27cm long and weigh between 900g and 1,300g. You will feel her movements more strongly now - a well-aimed unexpected kick (and they are always unexpected) can make you jump.

This is when you enter your third and final trimester. Congratulations, you are both nearly there.

How your body is changing

If you're lucky you will be feeling well, be patting your bump fondly and not be too physically inconvenienced. But these are some of the inconveniences of carrying a growing baby inside your womb, a baby that kicks your bladder and bowels and increasingly presses up against your ribcage and lungs.

• Leg cramps

You may never have had cramp in your calf before, but when you're pregnant you can suddenly feel as though your lower leg has been clamped in a vice. Leg cramps are painful spasms in your calf. It isn't clear what causes cramp although it's a good idea not to point your toes in bed, as this seems to bring it on. Some people suggest reaching for milk (calcium) or a banana (potassium) can help, but it isn't clear if a shortage of these minerals is to blame. Once you have cramp you need to stretch the muscle by firmly bending up your ankle (flexing it). If you keep getting it a lot then you should see your doctor.

• Anxiety

There may be some pregnant women who don't feel anxious as their baby gets bigger and they realise it has to come out, but most women do get worried. You may not only be anxious about giving birth but also that your baby will be normal. Talking to other women can be very helpful - but understand some women like to tell horror stories about giving birth, so divide the horror in their stories by at least half. The odds of having a healthy baby are overwhelmingly in most women's favour, but we all know that's not guaranteed, which is why we all feel a little anxious. This anxiety for your baby will last for the rest of your life - even when your baby is married with her own baby.

If you're feeling depressed you might find it helps to discuss this with other mums who've been in a similar position - you can post on our Pregnancy forum or our Mental health forum. Whatever you do, don't suffer in silence - if you're finding the going extra tough, talk to your GP or midwife.

• Back pain

You're likely to get some lower back pain at some point in the middle or towards the end of your pregnancy. This is partly because the big lump you are carrying throws you off balance and your lower back tilts backwards. If you have been pregnant before, or even if this is your first time, your abdominal muscles may not be strong enough to compensate for the backwards tilt. Back pain isn't curable in pregnancy, you have to avoid making it worse - by developing good posture, not lifting anything without bending your knees and by having regular rests. When resting you may want to lie down on your side - with a pillow between your knees - to take the pressure off your back. Do not wear stilettos as they push your body the wrong way (even more forward than your baby does). Some women find that swimming helps. Swimming is great anyway for making you feel weightless and giving you good exercise that benefits your baby as well.

• Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids are swellings the size of grapes that sit just inside your anus - where your bowels open. They are the byproduct of the womb and your baby putting pressure on this part of your bowel and also because pregnancy, for reasons we've been through earlier, makes you constipated and straining to get a hard bowel movement out makes the haemorrhoids worse. Sometimes they can bleed and you may be able to feel them, both of which are unpleasant. They usually get better once you have your baby. Try to avoid being constipated and if you feel uncomfortable having a bath may help. There are some over-the-counter creams, but check with your pharmacist first that they're safe for use in pregnancy.
More about pregnancy health

Remember, you can chat to other mums about all the 'joys' of pregnancy on our Pregnancy Talk boards.

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