25th Week of Pregnancy: Changes, Symptoms, Foods & Care

Look how time flies! You have already reached week 25 of your pregnancy and you are almost about to finish your second trimester. By week 25, you are almost 5 months and 2 weeks pregnant. Your baby has already reached the age of viability but it will continue to grow and develop till the rest of your pregnancy. This week will contain a lot of changes for both you and your baby.

25th Week of Pregnancy: Changes, Symptoms, Foods & Care

What can you expect in week 25?

Now that you are nearing the third trimester, your energy levels might start to drop from this week.
If somebody goes near your baby bump they will be able to hear the heartbeat of your baby from this week onwards.
Your heart and as well as your baby’s heart are pounding or beating very fast this week.
You may have your 3-hour glucose tolerance test this week if there was any abnormality in your glucose test of last week.

Common pregnancy symptoms in week 25

As you are nearing the end of the second trimester, the annoying and painful symptoms are starting to come back gradually. You may start to feel more tired from this week onward. Your uterus is expanding rapidly and you will continue to feel very crowded and weighed down. Some of the symptoms of this week will be

Restless Leg Syndrome-

This symptom often crops up when the expectant mother is resting. This symptom causes the urge to move the legs to continue to shake off a tingling sensation. The reason for such a sensation can also happen in your arms, hands, or thighs. Even though the root cause of the symptom is difficult to identify, the main factors that contribute to this symptom’s development are hormonal changes during your pregnancy.

It could also be a sign of iron deficiency and folate deficiency. This symptom will go away on its own after about a month of your delivery.

To release some of this tingling sensation, try doing mild exercises or taking a warm bath before you go to bed.
If the root cause is nutritional deficiency then the situation can improve by taking supplements for iron, folate, magnesium, and vitamin B12.
If this symptom continues, talk to your doctor before you take any of the supplements.

Thick and Luscious hair-

The one upside this week is going to be your bouncing hair. The hormonal changes that are occurring in your body right now will hinder your normal hair loss. However, all the hair that you are retaining during this period will, unfortunately, shed after your delivery.

Heartburn and constipation and indigestion-

Your rapidly growing stomach and uterus will continue to exert pressure on your digestive organs. It will cause acid reflux in your esophagus which will lead to heartburn or indigestion. Along with these, you may also experience constipation, bloating, and gas.

Hemorrhoids-

The growing and persistent pressure on the pelvic veins often cause painful hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are often painful and uncomfortable and may also lead to rectal bleeding. If you are experiencing constipation then hemorrhoids will get aggravated.

The only way to prevent them is to hydrate well and to maintain a diet full of a wide number of fiber-rich food such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Try not to put too much pressure when you go to the bathroom and practice Kegels or other pelvic floor exercises.

Carpal tunnel syndrome-

The increased volume of blood in your body during pregnancy is causing it and putting a lot of pressure on your nerves. Fluid retention in your hands will lead to carpal tunnel. Ask your doctor to provide you with wrist braces or you can even try acupuncture to assuage the pain.

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction-

If you start to feel any pain in your pelvic area then it might indicate that you are experiencing this dysfunction. It is mainly caused by the stretching of the muscles which keep the pelvis joints aligned. The only way to prevent this is to practice kegel exercises and pelvic tilts as they will help to strengthen your pelvic muscles. You can even visit a physical therapist if your pain increases.

Insomnia or sleeping troubles-

Blame this one on your fluctuating hormones or your stress over delivery or maybe even your big belly that is making it uncomfortable for you to sleep. Most women go through this symptom and you have to experiment with different kinds of strategies to get more sleep. But lack of sleep will aggravate your stress and tiredness.

Frequent urination-

This symptom will only continue to get worse as your uterus continues to expand and exert pressure on your bladder.

Braxton Hicks contraction-

Chances are that you are already familiar with such false contractions from week 28 and they will only continue to get more frequent during this week.

Sciatica- Your growing uterus has also started to pressure on the sciatic nerve. This will cause pain in your hip and your lower back. To relieve such pain, apply an ice or cold pack to the painful areas. Ask your doctor to provide you with some stretching exercises that will help with these pains.

Your Baby’s Development in Week 25

Your baby has already started to gain baby fat and this fat will help your baby to transform its wrinkles into smokes and soft baby skin. Your baby will also start to look chubbier.
If your little one has hair then its texture and color will start to show from this week.
Your baby has also started to master its reflexes.
Your baby will continue to jump and play around inside your belly.
Your baby has been listening to your voice for some weeks now and will now be able to recognize your voice. Sometimes you will find your baby making some movement when you speak to him/her.
Fingerprints had developed in the previous weeks and now the palm lines are starting to show.
Your baby is no longer translucent and is starting to visibly be pinker as numerous small vessels called capillaries in the skin are starting to develop causing the blood flow under the skin.
Even though your baby’s eyelids are still closed this week, the cells that are responsible for vision known as rods and cones have already developed and your baby can now understand light and dark.
At 25 weeks, your baby’s lungs are still developing but by the end of this week the blood vessels in your baby’s lungs will completely develop and your baby will be one step closer to breathing fresh air for the first time.
Your baby’s nose and nostrils are also developing this week and your baby will start to practice breathing soon.

Size of your baby

By this week, your baby will weigh around 1.7 pounds or 785 grams and will be 13.1 inches or 33.6 cm in length. Your baby is now almost as big as acorn squash or cauliflower. Your baby is starting to put on weight and is thus preparing for life outside.

Body of the mother at week 25

You will continue to convey and you will also notice a lot of outward changes in your body during this week. The changes will include growing stretch marks, darkening of your nipples, skin pigmentation, and development of Linea nigra.

Apart from that, if you are a single mother, you will need to make sure you are going through all the Single Mother Parenting tips so that you do not face any complications when your baby arrives.

Pregnant belly at week 25

By this week you have finally become a soccer mum now that your uterus is as big as a soccer ball. And your little one is practicing his kicks from inside your womb. If you had normal pre-pregnancy BMI then by this week you have probably gained over 7 to 8 kgs or even up to 18 kgs if you are having twins. A lot of this gain can be attributed to water weight during this time.

You will also notice some fluctuations in your weight which is normal during this time. You will continue to feel your baby’s movement and they will only get stronger with time. As your baby already has developed a startle reflex and can listen to you, your baby will probably start to react to your voice, music, and loud sounds.

25 weeks ultrasound

This week you will probably not have any ultrasound scheduled. However, if you are under close monitoring for certain complications you may get one even this week.

You may be scheduled for the 3rd glucose screening test in case you had abnormal results in your one-hour glucose test which took place last week. The three-hour glucose test will allow doctors to be fully certain if you have gestational diabetes.

Sex at week 25 of pregnancy

Sex continues to remain safe unless your doctor advises against it. However, during this week certain positions might be uncomfortable to you so you and your partner can try exploring new positions which will be comfortable and pleasurable for both of you.

Also, it is perfectly safe to masturbate during this phase. There also many health and pregnancy benefits of masturbation.

Tips and reminders for week 25

As always, maintaining a healthy lifestyle remains of utmost importance. Eat small meals and follow a fiber-rich diet. Indulge in some healthy sweets such as oat bran muffins or carrot cakes. You may even need to intake iron and other vitamin supplements. Drink lots of water.

Continue to exercise moderately. You can join a yoga class. Both yoga and prenatal massage are shown to help reduce stress and anxiety. Do not discontinue your pelvic floor exercises. You can use an exercise ball if you are feeling too tired to workout.

Start reading up on different birthing plans available and choose one that you think suits you the best. You can even join a childbirth class. In such classes, both you and your partner will learn about labor techniques and pain management strategies.

Don’t forget to keep all the baby supplies and a diaper fully stocked. You should also baby proof your house as soon as possible.

Nowadays a lot of hospitals provide pre-registration facilities for deliveries. You can try to opt for that so that you don’t have to deal with any paperwork when your water breaks.

If this is your first pregnancy, join a parenting class where you will learn how to care for your newborn. Most importantly, you will learn how to correctly put your baby to sleep to reduce the risk of SIDs (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

Learn stress management techniques from now on. This will help you to deal with postpartum depression later.

Moisturize daily to provide some relief to your stretch marks and itchy skin.

Read up on Preterm labor to be prepared for any such event.

Takeaway

You are going to feel extremely tired, and you can sometimes feel sick too. Make sure that you are consulting the doctor at any point when you feel uncomfortable and dizzy. Take proper care!

Here are Some Important Frequently Asked Questions for 25th Week of Pregnancy

Should be worried about pre-term labor?

No, you need not be stressing over premature delivery. You can talk to your doctor about the probabilities of such an event given your health condition.

Is it normal to have vaginal bleeding during week 25?

Bleeding during this phase of pregnancy is normal due to the inflamed cervix. But any sign of blood is usually alarming and you should consult your doctor immediately.

I tested positive for Gestational diabetes. What will happen to my baby?

Typically Gestational diabetes is not any life-threatening condition for either you or your baby. It only means that your doctor will from now keep both of you under greater monitoring. Look at the silver lining. It also means that from now on you will have more ultrasounds and therefore you will get more peeks at your growing baby.