25th week of pregnancy: how the fetus develops and what happens in the body
Well, the seventh month of pregnancy has finally started and it’s worth celebrating even because now threatened miscarriage completely passed. Now all that remains is to patiently wait for the moment when the baby decides to please everyone with his appearance. In the meantime, mothers can enjoy the pleasant moments of shopping for children's paraphernalia.
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25th week of pregnancy - what happens to the baby
Each time the baby becomes more and more like a newborn. This week the changes in the baby’s body are as follows:
- The baby's skin begins to gradually smooth out and lighten, which is due to the increase in subcutaneous fat. It appears in the buttocks, arms and legs. At this stage, folds may appear.
- The child's bone and joint systems are actively strengthened.
- In girls, the vagina forms at this stage, while in boys, the testicles descend into the scrotum.
- During the ultrasound session, you can already notice which hand the baby prefers when playing, and this will be an indicator of whether he is left-handed or right-handed.
- The bone marrow gradually completes its formation. After this, it takes over the function of hematopoiesis in the spleen and liver.
- Bone tissue continues to form, for which it needs a lot of calcium, which is borrowed from the mother’s body. Therefore, a pregnant woman needs to eat more foods containing this element, otherwise her teeth and gums will begin to suffer.
The baby's height has already reached 22-25 cm, and his weight is 700 g. Now his ears continue to form, and if the baby is born ahead of schedule, the doctor will use them to determine prematurity. The baby's movements are more coordinated; he can cover his face with his palms. Now that the genitals are fully formed, the specialist can accurately determine the sex of the baby.
25th week of pregnancy - what happens to the mother
If the previous weeks were nothing special, then this feeling can change dramatically. Mothers especially often complain about heartburn, which increases due to even greater pressure of the uterus on the stomach. There are often situations when constipation is added to existing ailments. Almost all ladies who are in an interesting position at this time note:
- the occurrence of shortness of breath;
- slight deterioration in the quality of vision;
- pain when the baby pushes (each time he gets stronger, which affects the strength of his pushes);
- swelling, which most often manifests itself in the legs;
- increased back pain, especially in the lumbar region, which is associated with increased weight of the baby.
By this time, the mother’s body has already, in principle, become accustomed to the process of bearing a baby, and the mother herself is no longer surprised by anything and is accustomed to putting up with all the inconveniences and “surprises” of her body. But now the body, albeit slowly, will begin its preparation for the birth process. The baby is already almost completely formed, and all its systems will continue to develop at an enviable pace.
Now the uterus has been enlarged to the size of a football and it’s easy to imagine what the rest of the organs are like. In addition, with an increase in the load on a woman’s body, the load on the heart muscle also increases, because it now needs to pump large volumes of blood. However, this should in no way affect your blood pressure levels. Therefore, if changes are nevertheless noticed, it is necessary to report this to the observing doctor. Most likely, a specialist, after conducting a series of examinations, will prescribe a special diet or treatment with gentle medications.
It is normal to gain up to 400g in weight this week. If more increase, you need to reconsider your diet, undergo an ultrasound examination in order to eliminate the possibility of polyhydramnios. It would also be useful to monitor the swelling: whether it appears, how long it lingers, its severity, etc.
During this period, all the changes that a woman notices in her body are mostly due to increased levels of prolactin. This is expressed in breast enlargement and its preparation for subsequent feeding. Colostrum begins to be released, which, by the way, should never be squeezed out. To avoid discomfort, you can purchase and place special pads in your bra that will prevent colostrum from leaking onto your clothes. Starting from this week, the production of estrogen, which is simply necessary for the baby’s rapid maturation, increases in a similar way. Against this background, a woman’s maternal instinct increases exponentially; she no longer reacts to stress in the same way, since she is more focused on her situation and the baby than on external troubles.
Now vaginal discharge is becoming normal, which does not have a strong odor, is transparent or has white patches. But curds with a strong sour smell, which are also accompanied by itching and other unpleasant sensations, should alert the expectant mother, since with a high degree of probability this symbolizes about thrush. If it is not cured before birth, the baby may become infected as it passes through the birth canal.
If you have watery discharge, you should urgently consult a doctor, as this indicates leakage of amniotic fluid, and this is already a harbinger of the onset of labor. But blood in the discharge that is noted after sex or after an examination by a gynecologist may indicate the presence of cervical erosion, but it is often cauterized only after childbirth.
