What's happening when you're 25 weeks pregnant? At 25 weeks your uterus is about the size of a soccer ball, a fact that’s probably pretty apparent if you’re still trying to zip your old jeans. Bouncing around inside that ball is your bouncing baby boy or girl, now nine inches long and topping a pound and a half. Your little kicker will be making his presence known quite vigorously for the next three weeks, his most active time in the whole pregnancy.
If your womb had a view, you’d see that your sweetie’s skin has taken on a pinkish hue, a sign that the fetal vascular system is maturing. More and more capillaries filled with blood are forming under the skin and in those developing air sacs in your baby’s fledgling lungs.
Surfactant – an anti-stick substance that’ll help the lungs expand with air once they’re outside the womb – is starting to form too, getting baby ready for his first gulp of fresh air – not to mention his first squall. On a related front, and located right on the front of that adorable little face, are your baby’s tiny nostrils. They’ve been closed until now, but this week they celebrate their grand opening, allowing your baby to go through the motions of inhaling and exhaling.
Right now, of course, there’s no air to breathe, so instead baby draws amniotic fluid in and out of those petite nostrils. These breathing practice runs might seem a little silly when there’s no air around, but it’s well worth the effort, because when it comes to breathing, practice makes perfect.
Did You Know?
Hemorrhoids during pregnancy are caused by the combined weight of the baby and womb putting pressure on the veins that bring blood up to the heart from the anus and rectum, which induces vein dilation at the anus or hemorrhoids. They will worsen throughout pregnancy as the size and weight of your uterus increases, and (happily) improve after pregnancy.
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