Week 26: Eye see you

Fetal development in pregnancy week 26:



fetus in sixth month
At long last, your little swimmer can see the womb! Your miracle’s
little eyelids have finally separated (they were fused closed
previously) and they’re probably having their first moments of sight as
you read this (or maybe it already happened while you were brushing
your teeth or watching Oprah or something). In addition to seeing their
little studio in your belly, they’ve recently acquired the ability to
say “yes” and “no” in rudimentary sign language as they can now move
their head back and forth. This is also the time where your little
super star’s head hair is starting to grow! A cute little cowlick or
two may be springing into position right now, getting ready for years
of cute-but-stubborn bed-head. Also, their toenails have grown in and
you little raisin continues to slowly pile up fat beneath their
still-loose skin. Most importantly, brain tissue and neurons are all
developing at a rapid pace, increasing their (genius-level?) brain
activity and will continue to function at accelerated levels for the
first seven to eight years of childhood!

And how's mom doing?
This is the final week of your second
trimester. We won't go on and on about the joys of constipation, but if
you’re curious why you’ve got to put up with this much-less-than-fun
blockage, it’s basically because you’re producing higher levels of
progesterone, which relaxes muscle tissue throughout you’re
producing higher levels of progesterone, which relaxes muscle tissue
throughout your entire body, including the G.I. tract and ultimately
slows digestion down… waaaay down your entire body, including
the G.I. tract and ultimately slows digestion down… waaaay down. Not to
fear, there are plenty of natural remedies for the joys of
constipation, including: increasing your standard fiber intake with
fruits and veggies, oatmeal, or whole grains (such as millet, rye and
wheat). Another way to get things moving "down there" is to get
yourself moving! If you haven’t been very active, try putting some time
in walking or swimming. Increasing your general activity levels often
inspires a bowel movement without requiring a suppository. Many women
also experience restless and jittery legs during the second half of
pregnancy. It’s a common condition known as Restless Leg Syndrome (or
RLS—not a very creative name). Cutting out caffeine, stretching your
calf muscles slowly, and some nice and deep muscle massages are
generally effective ways to help deal with RLS.