Pregnancy Guide

26 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby is the size of a Acorn Squash. Discover exactly what is happening to your body and your baby this week.

New pregnancy guide: Learn how weeks are counted, what each trimester means, and how to interpret your calculator results for better preparation and planning. Read the full guide

Week 26 in detail

Eyes open — antibodies start to cross

Baby this week

Eyelids can open. Brainwave patterns look more like sleep and wake, including dream-like REM. The immune system is borrowing antibodies from you (especially later, but the pipeline is opening). Hearing is sharp.

  • Open eyes see glow, not your living room
  • Antibody transfer is why adult vaccines in pregnancy can protect a newborn
  • Lanugo may already be thinning on the face

Your body this week

The third trimester starts next week. Back and pelvis complain more. Heartburn and swollen ankles join the committee. Booking antenatal classes now beats a waitlist at 34 weeks.

  • Insomnia from a racing mind is as real as insomnia from a bladder
  • Caffeine after mid-afternoon is a common sleep thief
  • If you have a history of depression, tell the midwife before the slump hits

Get ready for the third trimester

Enrol in antenatal and newborn classes. Draft a hospital-bag list; packing can wait a fortnight. The checklist above is classes, the list, and caffeine. The hospital bag guide is the long version.

A general guide, not medical advice. Scan timing and symptoms vary — ask your clinician.

Baby Growth Curve

This chart visualizes the average length of the baby from week 1 to 40. Values are based on standard clinical averages.

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