PREGNANCY WEEK 25 ~ HEALTH and FITNESS

25 WEEKS PREGNANT

You’re 25 weeks pregnant and it’s probably dawned on you that soon you’ll actually have to deliver this baby. That might be little scary, but it’s also exciting! What’s cool is that most hospitals will let you pre-register for delivery, which means you can fill out your admissions paperwork early so you don’t have to stand around filling out a bunch of forms while in the throes of labor.

How Big Is Baby at 25 Weeks?

Baby at 25 weeks is as big as a head of cauliflower, measuring 13.6 inches in length and weighing nearly 1.5 pounds.

25 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months?

25 weeks pregnant is five months and about two weeks pregnant.

25 WEEKS PREGNANT SYMPTOMS

While you’re still feeling pretty energetic, you’re probably also starting to feel weighed down by your bigger-by-the-day baby. Your 25 weeks pregnant symptoms may include:

Trouble sleeping. Maybe you can’t sleep because you’re getting nervous about delivery, or maybe it’s your haywire hormones—or just your big belly getting in the way. Experiment with different strategies for getting some sleep. One idea is to drink extra water early in the day, so you can start tapering off your intake as you get closer to bedtime. That way, you might need fewer bathroom breaks during the night.
Frequent urination. Now that baby’s crowding your bladder, you’ve got to pee. A lot.
Constipation. Exercising (it’s as simple as taking regular walks), drinking lots of water, and eating plenty of fiber-rich foods can help you stay, well… regular.
Hemorrhoids. We can’t sympathize enough about these swollen varicose anal veins. Hemorrhoids are common in the second half of pregnancy because baby is putting a ton of pressure on your digestive tract. And the constipation certainly isn't helping. Getting the constipation under control will help prevent straining while you go to the bathroom and hopefully will prevent future swelling and discomfort.
Gas and bloating. Your hormones are slowing down digestion, creating excess gas.
Heartburn. Add this to your list of tummy troubles. Baby is pushing on your digestive tract, which can, in turn, push stomach acid up your esophagus and cause painful burning. Most antacids should be safe during pregnancy (but always check with your doctor!) and also contain lots of calcium as an added bonus. Avoiding greasy and spicy foods can also help with heartburn, especially before bedtime.

Braxton Hicks contractions. Usually these little “practice contractions” show up around 28 weeks, but some moms-to-be notice them earlier than that. If you get them, you’ll notice your uterus get super hard and tight and then go back to normal. Luckily, Braxton Hicks contractions aren’t frequent and they don’t happen regularly. They’ll also go away if you switch positions. Real contractions, on the other hand, will happen repeatedly and will continue to get stronger and more frequent. If you’re worried your contractions are the real deal and not just practice, call the doctor right away. You could be going into preterm labor—some moms-to-be are more at risk for going into labor early, including those who are 25 weeks pregnant with twins—and sometimes preterm labor can be stopped if it’s caught early enough.

25 WEEKS PREGNANT BELLY

You’ve probably gained about 15 to 18 pounds total so far. Are you 25 weeks pregnant with twins? For you it’s probably more like 25 to 40 pounds.

When you’re 25 weeks pregnant, weight gain can be a source of anxiety. We know, we know, we’ve been telling you to gain slowly and steadily, but it’s also really common for the number on your scale to jump around during this time in the second trimester. Part of that may be due to the amount of water weight pregnant women put on in mid-pregnancy. And realistically, gaining the exact same amount of weight each week just isn’t going to happen—there are naturally going to be some fluctuations—your doctor just wants you to make healthy weight gain a goal so you and baby stay as healthy as possible. (And also so your third trimester isn’t miserable because you’re carrying around a lot of extra weight!)

So don’t sweat a few extra pounds, and keep up with your healthy eating and exercise. If your weight gain really is a problem, your doctor will let you know. Instead of stressing too much about your weight, focus on what’s going on inside that 25 weeks pregnant belly.

Fetal movement at 25 weeks has become more noticeable—and you’re probably noticing some patterns. When you’re feeling lots of kicks, baby’s awake, and when you’re not, he or she is likely snoozing. Regular movement is a sign of a healthy, active baby. If you haven’t felt baby move in a while and you want some reassurance that everything’s okay, drink some ice water, play some music, or have your partner give you a light massage, and your little one might just wake up and give you a few jabs.

25 WEEKS PREGNANT ULTRASOUND

Baby's enjoying his or her new sense of equilibrium—yep, your 25-week fetus is now learning which way is up and which is down. In the arena of 25 weeks fetal development, baby’s growing more fat and more hair too!

It’s not likely you’ll get an ultrasound at 25 weeks pregnant, unless your doctor has ordered extra monitoring for baby. You’ll see the OB once this month if you haven’t already. Starting at week 28, your visits will get bumped up to every two weeks.

ICYMI, the glucose challenge screening test will happen between weeks 24 and 28, so if you haven’t gone yet, make sure you have an appointment set. Your doctor may ask you to not eat for several hours beforehand (not so fun when you’re 25 weeks pregnant) and then drink a sugary solution. Your blood will be drawn to see how your body’s processing sugar. This test can rule out gestational diabetes or raise a red flag, in which case your doctor would order further testing.