25 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby weighs just under 2 pounds (850g) and could possibly survive if delivered now. Your baby measures approximately 9.2 inches (23cm) from crown to rump.

He is growing fast and gaining weight now. His skin is less transparent and is becoming opaque as fat builds up.

Your baby's heart is beating 120 to 160 beats per minute, as you have already heard at several doctor or midwife visits.

Until now, your baby's eyes have been sealed shut, but he reopens them this week. The eyes are almost fully formed and the retinas contain all the layers they will have when your baby is born. Your baby's eyes are blue right now, no matter the ethnic origin or eye-color of you and your partner since eyes do not acquire their final color until months after birth.

Your baby is lean right now, but is getting fatter all the time as fat is being deposited. Your baby's skin is getting thicker and paler and is becoming less red and wrinkled as more fat is deposited.

Your baby has eyebrows, eyelashes and fingernails, though all are short and need to grow more.

Your Body This Coming Week

You feel definite movement now as your baby does gymnastic routines in your uterus. This may even cause you some pain under your ribs and in your lower abdomen as your baby now has some force. Lying on your side may help to alleviate this kind of pain.

You may have fluid retention, particularly in the facial area.

The top of your uterus is now between your bellybutton and your ribcage.

Your increasing size may cause increasing discomfort. You might be experiencing back pain, leg cramps, headaches and pressure around your pelvic area.

25 Week Journal

How far along? 25 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up one more pound. (Total of 19 pounds so far.)
Stretch Marks: Maybe a couple of little ones on my hip, but nothing to worry about.
Sleep: Decent, although I've been staying up way too late.
Best moment this week: Making progress with the bedding. Bumpers are done and the quilt is in progress. I'll be glad when it's done. The first order of cloth diapers arrived and I used my old Cabbage patch Kid, Eleanore, to practice putting them on.
Worst moment this week: Frustrated at my OBs office who keeps calling me to reschedule appointments. And the new times they give me aren't convenient at all!
Movement: Moving up a storm, or at least I'm noticing movement more than usual.
Labor Pains: Nope.
Belly Button in or out? Still in.
Wedding rings on or off? On. However in the heat and humidity they can get pretty tight.
What I'm going to miss/What I can't wait for: Anxious for the next few months to go buy quickly, but also not feeling ready yet.
Weekly Wisdom: Don't overdo it. Take it easy when you can.
Milestones/Fun Moments: Baby went to Fenway Park for the 3rd time. However, this time wasn't for a baseball game. Fenway was hosting a football match (that's soccer, in American-speak). And the team we were rooting for won. Lots of fun.

8 - 24 Week Comparison

I'm definitely getting bigger! You can click on the image to see it larger.

24 Weeks

Your baby has caught up with an ear of corn in size and gained about 1/4 pound since last week. (Length: almost a foot.)

24 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby now weighs around 1.5 lbs (700g), and measures about 8.8 inches (22cm) from crown to rump, but this varies from baby to baby.

Your doctor should be able to hear your baby's heartbeat, using a stethoscope or Doppler ultrasound device. If your partner puts his ear right on your belly in the right position, he might even be able to hear it unaided if there is no background noise.

Your baby sleeps and wakes in a more regular pattern now. You may notice that your baby is particularly active when you are resting.

The center of your baby's bones are beginning to harden.

If your baby is a boy, the testes will start to descend into the scrotum now. If your baby is a girl, the vagina will begin to hollow out and mature now.

Your baby can make a fist now and may already have a preference for the right or left hand.

With modern medical technology, your baby would have a chance to survive if it were born now.

Your Body This Coming Week

Your uterus is about the size of a soccer ball and you are probably noticeably bigger, especially when viewed from the side.

You may be suffering from cramps and because your baby is pressing against your bladder, you likely feel the need to urinate frequently. Earlier pregnancy symptoms, such as Braxton Hicks contractions, may persist.

You may be feeling indigestion or heartburn at this time. This is because your uterus has displaced your stomach and has pushed your diaphragm and lower ribs up, making it more likely that acid will be pushed up into the esophagus, particularly after large and heavy meals. Progesterone, which is enormously increased during pregnancy also plays a role since it slows down the emptying of food from your stomach. Eating several small meals can help alleviate heartburn. If it becomes very uncomfortable, you can ask your doctor or pharmacist to recommend a safe antacid.

24 Week Journal

How far along? 24 weeks
Total weight gain/loss: Up 1 more pound. (At least I've been consistent the past few weeks.)
Stretch Marks: Not that I've noticed.
Sleep: Pretty good.
Best moment this week: Chris felt the baby kicking. And I think I saw my first kicks.
Worst moment this week: The heat and humidity continue. Blech.
Movement: Mostly feel Baby in the evenings when I'm reading in bed.
Labor Pains: Not yet.
Belly Button in or out? Still in.
Wedding rings on or off? They're on.
What I'm going to miss/What I can't wait for: Can't wait to have the nursery all put together!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't think that you can do it all. Try to ask for help more frequently.
Accomplishments this week/ What we need to do: Slowly making progress on the nursery bedding. Valance and crib skirt are done. Bumpers are mostly done- or at least the time consuming part is done. Need to finish those, make the quilt, and I also decided to make a couple of liners for baskets that we got for the changing table. Lots more to do though in the nursery- paint, order photos, get them matted and framed, etc.
Other accomplishments- we finished registering and I ordered our first bunch of cloth diapers.

23 Weeks

Your baby weighs about as much as a large mango -- just over a pound. (Length: more than 11 inches.)