How Does Your Body Change During Week 26 of Pregnancy?

3 min read

Written by Gayathri Lakshminarayanan

Gayathri Lakshminarayanan

CA, B.Com

Gayathri’s passion for writing had its foundation at the very early stages of her life when she was on her college editorial board and also won several awards for writing events and book review competitions. She combines her corporate experience with her writing skills and her experience as a homemaker makes her an empathetic contributor in the parenting domain . Her shift from full-time accounting professional to a homemaker gave her career a new direction.

pregnancy week 26

As the little one grows rapidly, the uterus expands and shifts the center of gravity. This might make you feel clumsy. You might begin walking differently. Haven’t you heard of Braxton-Hicks contractions yet? Get ready to learn and experience them during week 26 of pregnancy. The baby bump goes higher and aggravates heartburn and ingestion. Learn more about how does your body change during week 26 of pregnancy. Let us get started.

How Does Your Body Change During Week 26 of Pregnancy?

With only a few more weeks pending to complete your second trimester, there are new symptoms that your body might welcome during week 26 of pregnancy. Let us learn each of them in detail.

1. Braxton Hicks Contractions

Braxton-Hicks contractions are a condition where you feel a tightened sensation or cramps in your abdomen. While they begin from early pregnancy, you might feel them only at the end of the second and third trimesters.

The pain comes and goes several times during the day and does not last for more than 30 seconds. However, at the end of pregnancy, the pain may last about 15 to 20 minutes. If you experience Braxton-Hicks contractions, your body prepares itself for childbirth by toning up the muscles and cervix.

People always mistake Braxton Hicks’s contractions as the beginning of labor. But they are just regular contractions that indicate that the body is getting ready for labor.

What to do?

Braxton Hicks Contractions are very common during pregnancy and do not require special treatment. However, you can try the following tips to ease the pain:

Take a short walk during the day
Relax under a warm shower
Lying down
Have a good massage

2. Insomnia

It might have been so long since you had a good sleep. While your leg cramps and heartburn try to disturb your sleep on the one hand, the frequent nature calls try it best on the other hand.

What to do?

Here is what you can do to cope with insomnia.

Limit your fluid consumption post-dinner.
Exercise during the day
Go for a walk during the day, and make sure you breathe in fresh air during the day.

3. Anxiety

Anxiety is part of human emotion. It is prevalent during pregnancy. Pregnancy anxiety is also known as Antenatal Anxiety. The exciting fact about antenatal anxiety is that it can affect either of the parents. The following are some of the common symptoms of antenatal anxiety:-

Feeling anxious most of the day without any reason
Shortness of breath, chest pain, and dizziness can lead to a panic attack.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Intense fear of open or public places.

If you have experienced an anxiety disorder in the past, there is a high chance of developing it during pregnancy.

What to do?

You need to talk to your doctor and seek help from them. Talk to your partner and get their help to reduce stress levels.

4. Migraine/ Headache

Headaches are widespread during pregnancy. Though they are not harmful to the baby, you could experience a lot of discomfort. Migraine is a type of headache that you might experience during week 26 of pregnancy. It affects the nerves and blood vessels of the body; The following are the two types of migraines you might encounter:

Migraine with Aura: You may notice flashing or zigzag lines a few minutes before the migraine begins.
Migraine without Aura: You do not experience the atmosphere before the migraine. There may be other symptoms attached to it.

What to do?

Talk to your doctor and ask for proper treatments to relieve migraines. You can also follow some tips to get relief.

Having Cold packs
Sleeping in a dark room
Avoid Spicy food
Avoiding too much stress

5. Other Symptoms

You might also experience other symptoms of pregnancy, as follows:

Pregnancy brain/forgetfulness
Bloating / Gas
Clumsiness
Blurred Vision
Round Ligament Pain

You still have a few more weeks to step into the third trimester of pregnancy. Get ready to experience new symptoms of pregnancy during the upcoming weeks. You can expect to experience Braxton-Hicks contractions at any time going forward. Other symptoms from the previous weeks might still give you more trouble.

Happy Pregnancy!