BABYCENTRE UPDATES...25 WEEKS

Hello deqno! 25 weeks pregnant

Your baby is responsive to touch now. You can have fun with him by trying to tickle his foot when he kicks you or by lying on your back and rolling from side to side, to see how he reacts. His eyelids open around now and his heart is beating so strongly, it may be heard with a stethoscope.

How your baby's growing

Your baby's beginning to make some breathing movements, though there's no air in her lungs as yet. But her senses are developing fast. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show that babies respond to touch and if you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn her head, which researchers say shows that the optic nerve is functioning.

The baby now weighs nearly 1.5 pounds / 660 grams and is approximately 13.5 inches / 35 centimetres long from crown to heel. He makes breathing movements but has no air in his lungs yet. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show response to touch. At every antenatal visit, your doctor will take your blood pressure and do tests on a sample of your urine. In this way, pregnancy-related conditions such as pre-eclampsia and diabetes can be detected and treated.

How your life's changing

Sleep may not feel that restful any more if you're having vivid or scary dreams. These are normal because when you sleep, your subconscious becomes the stage for any worries about pregnancy and impending motherhood. Your growing bump may also make it hard to get into a comfortable position. It's recommended that you get into the habit of sleeping on your side rather than your back - follow our tips for using pillows as wedges.

Your fingers, wrists and hands may be feeling achy and numb. The carpal tunnel in the wrist is swollen, as are many other tissues in your body. Nerves that run through the tunnel end up pinched, creating pressure that manifests itself as shooting or burning pain. Wearing a brace may help; so will taking vitamin B6. Talk to your doctor about other ways to cope.

Thinking ahead

Many pregnant women worry about whether they will be able to birth their babies vaginally - a perfectly natural concern, particularly if it is your first. Take heart, there are some excellent positions for labour you can try which not only help your cervix to dilate during contractions but will also encourage the baby to move down the birth canal when the time comes. Using these positions along with established childbirth techniques such as breathing, massage and natural pain relief will increase your chances of a normal delivery.