Pregnant: What happens in week 25 of pregnancy

Your baby's development in the 25th week of pregnancy

The skin takes on color: Bis jetzt waren die Hautschichten eures Babys noch leicht durchsichtig. In der 25. SSW capillaries are forming in the deepest layer of the skin. Blood flows through them under the skin, which firms it and slowly gives it the typically rosy complexion.

Active training: Your child makes full use of the space in the uterus: More and more more often it changes its position and trains its muscles through kicks and grasping exercises. As the fetus's sense of balance has now fully developed, it can in the 25th week of pregnancy sit more effectively, turn and stretch with better coordination. Until now it still has enough space, but it is steadily growing, so soon there will be no room for expansive acrobatic exercises like somersaults and boxing training.

Small fat pads: The active training and the small fat reserves that are already laid down under the skin in week 25, further pad the skin. Your baby now looks more like a newborn week by week. Approximately The fetus currently gains about 85 grams per week.

Taste becomes more refined: The fetus has been swallowing amniotic fluid for weeks. But now it can also taste it. In addition to the basic tastes sour, sweet, salty and bitter your baby now tastes everything much more intensely – and its later sense of taste continues to mature.

Reactions to stimuli: Your child perceives quite a bit in the 25th week of pregnancy. Its optic nerve is now fully developed, so it can perceive light. In addition, your baby's sense of hearing is so developed that it reacts to noise, your voices, and any external stimuli with vigorous movements and an accelerated heartbeat. You will probably feel small kicks and sweeping movements of the tiny fists even more intensely now than in previous weeks.

The cerebrum becomes more refined: In the cerebral cortex, the so-called cortex, the cerebrum differentiates of your child in week 25 more and more. Until now, the brain regions developed a few weeks ago have controlled the most important bodily functions. From now on, however, the cerebrum takes over coordination of the motor and sensory functions of the fetus.

What can be seen on the ultrasound image?

Your baby is in the 25th week of pregnancy almost 33 cm long – that corresponds approximately to the size of a cantaloupe melon. If its growth is currently progressing more slowly than in the first months of pregnancy, it is gaining even more weight instead. In the current week your child weighs around 650 to 700 grams on the scale. With each additional layer of fat, the previously thin delicate skin of the fetus now resembles that of a 'real' newborn. Accordingly, you notice its movements and facial features much better than was the case a few months ago.

Physical changes – what happens to the mother in week 25 of pregnancy?

In the 25th week of pregnancy your baby bump is unmistakable. The belly protrudes differently in every pregnant woman – while some women already carry a very large bump, others have a less pronounced abdominal circumference. This is due to the individual growth of your child as well as the increasing amount of amniotic fluid. Regarding <LINK>pregnancy complaints most expectant mothers in week 25 complain of back pain and increased need to urinate. Which symptoms or changes may still be possible can be found here:

Increased need for fluids: In the 25th week of pregnancy your body replaces the amniotic fluid in the uterus completely approximately every two hours. Therefore, the mother's fluid requirement increases even more now and drinking plenty remains very important.

Constant urge to urinate: Not the increased fluid intake is what causes you to like having a toilet nearby now. The uterus is now approximately the size of a soccer ball and, together with your baby, presses strongly on your internal organs, especially on the bladder.

Restless sleep: The growing baby bump may already be costing you your well-deserved sleep. Many women now try to sleep on their side and support the belly with an extra pillow, so that they can somewhat compensate for the strain caused by the baby bump. The most comfortable is probably sleeping on the left side. In this position the vena cava is under the least strain and the baby does not press too strongly on the internal organs.

More susceptible to infections: The mother's tissues loosen in pregnancy due to hormones – this is intended to prevent premature labor. In addition, you are probably more susceptible to infections. If a urinary tract infection announces itself with burning or pain when urinating you should immediately go to your doctor and have yourself treated. A delay can lead to complications or even a miscarriage. If your doctor recognizes the infection in time, it is relatively simple and successfully treatable.

Back pain: As in the 7th month of pregnancy the growing belly shifts increasingly forward, many pregnant women automatically adopt a swayback. Now many women feel the additional strain or the changed center of gravity in their back. But your body does not give in to the changes without a fight. So that expectant mothers do not suffer permanent damage from posture, the female spine and the lumbar region are significantly stronger and more flexible than in men.

This way they can compensate for the swayback and the increasing load.

25th week of pregnancy: What to do about practice contractions?Already in the 25th week of pregnancy it can happen that your belly contracts suddenly and becomes hard. This feels very unusual, especially the first time, and it is normal for you to become anxious. Normally these are practice contractions that are only short and occur no more than three times an hour. If you are unsure, you can discuss with your midwife or your doctor how you should behave during mild contractions. Over time you will probably get used to it and learn to assess the contractions. These usually accompany you until birth, because the body is already preparing for delivery. If you have already learned breathing exercises in the preparation course, this is a good opportunity to practice them in practice. If you notice that the contractions occur stronger and more frequently, you should contact your doctor.

They will then try to stop the contractions and advise you on further steps.

Viability in the case of preterm birth at week 25/magazine/expectant-mothers/pregnancy-course/pregnancy-37-weeks37th week of pregnancy) can live without medical supervision. An (extremely) preemie would struggle a lot in the current week of pregnancy. If your doctor recognizes during your prenatal check-up that a preterm birth is possible, he or she will do everything to advise you as best as possible on the right behaviors so that your baby gets more time to mature in the womb receives. Because the closer you get to your due date, the higher the survival chance

For the 26th week of pregnancy