After months of being fused tightly shut, your baby's eyelids are finally opening! The eyes, fully formed with lashes and brows, are blinking in the amniotic fluid. If you expose your bare belly to bright sunlight, the baby may blink or startle in response to the glow piercing through the uterine wall.
🍼 What's Happening With Your Baby
Now the size of a head of lettuce, your baby's brain activity is surging. Scans show that the fetus is now producing brain wave patterns similar to a full-term newborn.
The immune system is preparing for the outside world by soaking up your antibodies through the placenta.
The lungs are branching out into a complex network of tiny tubes (bronchioles), preparing to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
🤰 What You're Feeling This Week
As you near the end of the second trimester, your blood pressure, which dropped earlier in pregnancy, may begin creeping back up to its pre-pregnancy normal.
You might experience 'rib flare'. As the uterus pushes your internal organs upward, your rib cage actually expands outward to make room, causing a dull ache directly under your breasts.
Clumsiness is at an all-time high. Your shifting center of gravity, combined with the hormone relaxin loosening your joints, makes your hips and knees unstable.
The Eyes Blink Open
The unsealing of the eyelids is a crucial milestone for the visual cortex. The baby is practicing blinking and focusing, laying the groundwork for eye contact after birth.
✅ What To Do This Week
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Pre-register at the hospital — Complete your hospital or birthing center paperwork now so you don't have to fill out forms while having contractions.
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Start interviewing pediatricians — You will need a pediatrician selected before you deliver, as the hospital will require their information to transfer the baby's care after birth.
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Monitor for preeclampsia symptoms — As blood pressure rises, be vigilant for sudden, severe headaches, visual disturbances (seeing spots or flashes), or sudden swelling in your face and hands.
"They are opening their eyes in the dark, practicing looking for you. The end of the second trimester is approaching, and the final stretch is coming into focus."
— A Note From Your Body, Week 26