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Welcome to the 26th week of pregnancy - it's slowly getting tighter in your belly. The growing baby is putting pressure on your organs, which can cause various complaints. Both your baby's lungs and brain are developing particularly intensively during this week of pregnancy. The end of the second trimester is gradually in sight. You will no doubt be thinking more and more about the approaching birth. This phase of pregnancy often marks the beginning of Birth preparation course. This is not your first child? Then you'll find tips on how to prepare the older siblings for the baby in this section of our pregnancy calendar.
Week by week, your little belly dweller grows a little more. In week 26, babies are on average 32 centimetres long and weigh 800 grams. The foetus's spine is now getting stronger and stronger and can therefore better support the growing baby's body.
The baby is getting bigger and the space in your belly is getting a little smaller with every week of pregnancy. However, this doesn't stop your little lodger from moving around a lot. During his waking phases, he stretches and stretches, plays with the umbilical cord and explores his surroundings with his little hands.
You may already know your baby's sleep-wake rhythm and know at what times it is particularly active. Many women are worried when they suddenly can no longer feel their baby. Don't panic, it has often simply moved to a different position or is sleeping another round. It should come round at its usual waking times. If you are unsure whether your baby is doing well, you should definitely contact your doctor or midwife. They will help you to feel confident about your baby. Beforehand, you can use your voice or your hands to motivate your baby to show you that it is awake.
Your baby's optic nerve is becoming more and more mature. As a result, your baby can now perceive light shining through your abdominal wall. A lot is also happening in the brain. The cerebral cortex is now divided into different layers. In later life, this outer area of the brain is responsible for processing sensory perceptions, speech, complex thinking and many other things that make us human. In the foetus, many tasks are still performed by other areas of the brain, but the cerebral cortex is becoming increasingly important.
Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.
Your baby's nostrils open during this phase of pregnancy. This allows your baby to breathe in and out. Of course, your little one is not yet breathing air in the womb. Instead, it "breathes" amniotic fluid in and out and thus trains its respiratory muscles. The lungs are filled with fluid throughout the pregnancy. This is only gradually broken down shortly before birth. The last remaining fluid is then coughed up directly after birth so that the baby can breathe in air for the first time.
Compared to the other organs, the lungs are still very immature. However, progress is also made here in week 26. The precursors of the alveoli form. A fine network of tiny blood vessels called capillaries develops around them. At the same time, the important substance surfactant is produced for the first time. This is important after birth as it prevents the alveoli from collapsing and thus makes breathing possible in the first place. However, the amount of surfactant produced is still very low, which is why it has to be artificially administered to premature babies in week 26 of pregnancy.
Due to the increasing maturation of the organs, the chance of survival for premature babies increases with each week of pregnancy. In week 26 of pregnancy, the chance of survival is around 85%, provided that intensive medical care is provided after birth. That sounds quite reassuring, doesn't it? Nevertheless, the aim is of course for a baby to remain in its mother's womb for as long as possible. Not only does this increase the likelihood of survival, it also reduces the risk of permanent damage. The best place for your child to develop is your womb.
You probably regularly look at your growing belly in the mirror. You can be really proud of what your body is doing. At the same time, the growing baby is putting increasing pressure on your organs and moving them around. The organs don't mind. After all, your body is naturally prepared for pregnancy. After the birth, everything slips back into place. Due to the pressure on your internal organs, you may feel a little unwell from time to time during pregnancy.
Typical symptoms include bloating, constipation, heartburn and shortness of breath. Contact your midwife or gynaecologist if the symptoms are unpleasant.
Do you sometimes notice dull to burning pain in the area of the coccyx? Many pregnant women experience this discomfort. The pain is particularly severe when sitting for long periods and when standing up. It can also radiate to the lower back, hips and anal area.
Where does the coccyx pain come from?
The causes are manifold. Constipation is often the cause. A previous injury also sometimes leads to pain in this area during pregnancy. In addition, the weight of the baby and uterus puts strain on the surrounding muscles and tendons. This can also cause painful complaints in the coccyx.
How can coccyx pain be relieved during pregnancy?
- Try to avoid sitting for long periods. You can use a wedge cushion or an exercise ball to relieve the pressure on your coccyx while sitting.
- Heat provides relief. Red light, heat therapies and massages are helpful. However, always take care to avoid overheating or burning.
- If a nerve is pinched, acupuncture can help.
- Do you trust homeopathy? Then try arnica globules (D6 potency).
- An osteopath or chiropractor can help to release the blockages.
- Pregnancy exercises and pelvic floor training strengthen your muscles, which reduces the pressure on the coccyx.
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Fear of the pain, horror stories from friends, worries about complications - for many pregnant women, giving birth weeks before the due date causes sleepless nights. Of course, a birth can never be completely planned. Nevertheless, the right preparation helps immensely so that you can approach this special day full of confidence.
A birth preparation course can be a great help here. On the one hand, you will learn what to expect during labour. On the other hand, you will consciously practise helpful breathing techniques and positions. These should help you to deal with the pain and make progress during labour. All of this helps you to gain mental strength. You will gain confidence in yourself and your baby and you will master this milestone in your life together.
Most face-to-face courses start between the 24th and 28th week of pregnancy and last around 7 weeks. Alternatively, you can register for a Online birth preparation course decide. The advantage of this is that you are not tied to time and place. You can watch the individual lessons again and again and also your partner can always be with you. Is a full antenatal course too long for you? Then take a look at our "Crash course in birth preparation" to. There you will find brief and concise information on everything that is important for the birth.
Are you particularly worried about labour pains? In this case, midwife Katharina has a special offer for you: In the workshop "Pain during labour", she shows you what options are available to you to help you cope well with the pain of labour and experience the birth as relaxed as possible.
If this is not your first baby, older siblings are also in for an exciting time full of changes. Not all children find it easy to suddenly have to share mum and dad. For this reason, it is advisable to gently introduce the siblings to each other before the birth. prepare for the little newcomer.
You should decide individually when it makes sense to tell young children about the upcoming baby. Small children are not yet good at estimating long periods of time. However, if they know about the coming baby, they can be quite considerate of mum. This can be important if you are limited by nausea or other pregnancy symptoms. Children are also good at experiencing the growth of a baby. In my experience, young children are excited to listen to heartbeats with the midwife and like to feel the baby's feet, back or bum. This works really well from the 26th week of pregnancy.
Try to explain to the siblings in an age-appropriate way what happens during pregnancy. Dad can also get involved. For example, you can talk about the baby in your tummy while reading aloud in the evening. Let your child know when their sibling is moving around in your tummy. Maybe you can even feel it together through the abdominal wall. You may even have the chance to visit a baby in your circle of friends. This will make the abstract idea more vivid for the little ones.
Children's books on this topic are very helpful. The older siblings also learn to understand what will change after the birth. It is completely normal for children to feel worry and negative emotions alongside anticipation. Even with the best preparation, jealousy of the baby cannot be completely avoided. After all, the older ones will be "dethroned" and there may be fears of losing mum and dad. Talk about these feelings, acknowledge them and try to involve the siblings in upcoming decisions. Children can Online birth preparation course also take part. It is structured in such a way that there are no "frightening" images in it.
Another tip: establish rituals. Set aside a special time each week for mum and baby or dad and baby and keep these rituals even after the birth. This will give your older child a sense of security. Although it will often have to share your attention in the future, it will understand that it is still infinitely loved by you.
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