Help your baby develop in the twenty-sixth week of your pregnancy
Your baby can open his or her eyes and learns how to blink. Help his or her visual development by continuing to eat food rich in DHA.
What’s happening this week?
Your little one can now open his or her beautiful eyes and blinki, and his retina continues to develop. Your baby may now even be able to react to light outside the womb! Also, tiny air sacs known as alveoli are developing in your baby’s lungs, which will help your little one to take his or her first full breath after birth.
Meanwhile, your baby’s brain growth has enabled him or her to recognize outside stimuli, such as the sound of your voice.
The spine is getting stronger and more supple in order to support baby’s growing body.
Your not-so-little one is reaching two pounds (0.91kg) and measures about 9.25 inches in length (about 23 centimeters)ii. Despite this weight gain, he or she is still quite slender, but will soon start depositing a layer of fat under the skin in preparation for birth and beyond.
What can you expect?
Your nails may seem to be growing faster, or softer and more brittle — common and temporary changes during pregnancy. Remedy this by moisturizing your hands and the skin around the nails often. Try doing this at night before you sleep.
Your baby is rapidly growing in size and you may notice increased movements as he or she is sensitive to external stimuli like light and soundiii.
What can you do to support your pregnancy?
Continue to include foods rich in DHA in your diet to support your baby’s brain and visual development.
Mums-to-be, if you are experiencing leg cramps, try engaging in some simple stretching routines before bedtime, which should help minimize these painful cramps. Also, take food rich in nutrients such as Magnesium and Calcium which may provide relief in case of leg cramps in pregnancyiv. Dairy products such as milk are rich source of these nutrients.
Remember to include communicating with your baby in your daily routines through touch and communication even though he or she is still in your womb (Remember that baby now recognizes sounds!). This stimulates your little one’s emotional development alongside brain growth, and also helps you and baby bond after birth.
