Here's that belly shot. Sorry its a day late. This is Antoinette at 25 weeks pregnant, even though today begins her 26th week. This new week also marks the last of her 2nd Trimester. One week from today, Antoinette starts the 3rd Trimester and the homestretch. Her belly is really starting to show now and from a profile, she has a distinctly pregnant shape to her. We'll get back to her in just a second.
In week 26, the little guy will reach approximately 9.25 inches in length, crown to rump. From head to toe, he's well over a foot in length. His constant addition of muscle tissue, bone density, and brown baby fat has chubbied him up to about two pounds. For a typical Mom, this would equate to about 16-22 lbs. of overall weight gain, but Antoinette is in that 12-14 lb. range right now. Billy has slid up a bit, so he is often found pushing and poking on his Mom's rib cage, requiring the occasional adjustment. If they didn't last week, this is likely the week the little guy opens his eyes for the first time. There's not much to see in the dark, but if you were to shine a light into Mom's belly in a dark room, you'd almost certainly get a reaction assuming he's awake. Despite the fact that we have a good three months to go, his eyes are almost completely developed already. While those eyes are likely blue or slate in color, they will most likely change within 3-6 months of birth, and sometimes not for a year depending on how much of a shade shift is required. For our little guy, we're guessing they'll be brown, which I believe we calculated out an 87% chance would be the case based on our lineage. That brown fat is being added in layers now, but he would still look "lean" if he was born today. His excess skin may look a bit wrinkled now, and over the course of this week, that capillary development from last week will continue, once again shading his skin from pinkish to a very light reddish in color. His fingernails and toe nails are still growing, too. His support system has come an equally long way as his placenta is about the same size he is and his ever thickening umbilical cord is constantly growing to keep pace with his nutritional needs. Ready for the great news? If Billy were born today in a hospital setting, his chances for survival will have shot up to 70%!!! Amazing for a little guy who still has 3 months to go.
Back to Mom now. Antoinette has an interesting symptom last night. Racing heart rate and a "weird" feeling. After doing a little research, it appears this is due to the hormonal changes and some women can feel this "symptom" as early as week 12 of their pregnancy. As long as this is not accompanied by chest pain or blacking out, its perfectly normal as the typical female will increase her resting heart rate by as many as 20 beats per minute, and increase her blood volume by as much as 30-50%!!! She's also getting additional pokes and prods under the ribs and even down by her hips. The baby is routinely pushing and kicking inside there and its pretty common now to see her belly jump and hop when he decides to deliver a round house to her belly button. Her fatigue level is increasing, which is common when that 3rd Trimester starts to approach, especially due to the baby's rapid growth. Her barely pregnant belly is going to turn into a beach ball sized pregnant belly in just 3 months covering a period of rapid belly expansion corresponding to a baby who will nearly quadruple in weight over that same period. Wow!!! Don't tell Antoinette or she'll be taking her baths in Cocoa Butter!!!
Also, a condition known as lordosis will begin to affect Antoinette. Typical in pregnant women, this condition results in an increase in the anterior convex shape of the lumbar spine. It is the body's way of acclimating her sense of balance by keeping the center of gravity over the legs in spite of an enlarging uterus. General aching, weakness, and numbness of arms can result due to the added pressure being exerted on ulnar and median nerves. It can also result in a changing posture. These changes are what give pregnant women that altered gait, similar to a waddle, and can also lead to some back spasms or the evil sciatic nerve pain. I've been hearing about that one since I was born, so it must be a doosy.
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