Week by Week Pregnancy, Weeks 25-28

During weeks 25 to 28 of your pregnancy, you will begin to feel your baby moving and kicking regularly! Your baby will grow to about 15 inches in length and 2 pounds in weight, increasing in size to that of a football! During these weeks, your baby's skin becomes less translucent as a layer of fat develops underneath.

As your belly grows larger, your center of gravity is altered, therefore some women find that moving about is more awkward during this stage of pregnancy. In most cases, exercise is okay to continue, unless otherwise advised by your healthcare provider. However, it is advised to take greater measures during exercise to avoid injury to you and your baby.

During these weeks of pregnancy, a blood glucose (sugar) level is taken to test for gestational diabetes. If you test positive for this condition, it is very important that your pregnancy doctor helps you regulate it. In most cases, it can be controlled by diet and exercise and resolves after pregnancy. In addition, iron levels may be drawn to test for anemia. If your iron levels are low, your doctor may advise iron supplements. Since constipation is often a common side effect of these supplements, drink plenty of water, exercise (as advised by your doctor), & increase your fiber intake (oat bran is helpful and can be sprinkled on yogurt & salad, or prepared as hot cereal). Your pregnancy doctor will have suggestions, too!

It is a great time to sign up for Baby Registries so that you can share this information on your baby shower invitations.


Written by: Shelley Scheibel RN, BSN