For a woman who is carrying twins at 26 weeks of gestation, this juncture can feel quite strange as well as the start of something unnerving. Not only are the physical changes rapidly setting in within the uterus as well as in your body, but the hormonal changes would also be pretty surprising. All of these can affect your moods and cause emotional upheavals in overwhelming times. With the third trimester soon approaching for you, it is essential to know that these are all steps in the natural progression of a pregnancy. Similarly, some careful steps need to be undertaken to ensure that your body and the babies are in the pink of health, without any unforeseen issues that might crop up later on.
Similar to how the babies were coming to terms with different physical realities of their own body, the 26th week of pregnancy with twins or triplets will continue to be similar on that front. Most babies begin to take the initiative of opening their eyes around this time, though they can’t make any sense of where they are or what they are saying. Throughout the journey up until now, the eyelids have been fused together to keep the eyes from developing without any hindrances. Once the retina is created correctly, the eyes can now sense the presence or absence of light and begin to look around without any problems.
Within the babies, a lot of complex changes are taking place, all of which play a crucial part in turning your little ones into unique individuals of their own volition. While the brain development begins pretty early in the pregnancy cycle, their further development is still in its progress and it also kicks into high gear around this week. The folds or wrinkles that we instantly identify a brain with, begin to appear in your babies’ brains, bringing them another step closer to being a fully functional human being. The skin development takes its time and it may not have the thickness that should work as of yet. The fat deposits continue to take place at a rapid pace and, even though the lining over their bodies might not be thick, it isn’t as transparent as it used to be earlier.
The eyebrows on the little faces would start being visible by now, as well as the hair structure would begin to have a semblance of a proper hairline. While most babies tend to shed their hair, which becomes a part of the vernix covering the babies, some babies might do it at this stage while a few others might continue to have it even after birth. Rest assured, that isn’t a problem to be worried about since babies can even shed their hair after they are outside the womb.
The weight of the little ones continues to surge ahead at a surprising pace. When looking at women who are pregnant with a single child, the baby in the womb is nearly as heavy as 750 grams, with a length that might be approximately 36 centimetres or so. Using this as a benchmark, you can look at your triplets or twins to be a notch lower than these values. However, their size would now roughly be as large as a spring onion and, pretty soon, they all would be jostling for space inside your womb.
The changes that the body undergoes in this particular week of pregnancy is intensely physical since the babies are growing up to be independent human beings in their own right, all within you.
Remember most of the troublesome symptoms that you had in the previous weeks of the second trimester? Well, they will make a return this time around yet again, in varying intensities.
Say hello to your lovely tummy that is getting more and more close to the typical pregnant one you’ve always wanted. Well, it does come with a free backache so you can’t complain about it.
One of the key aspects that can help you get through this is having strong abdominal muscles that can hold your belly in place. The abs pretty much separate in two portions, which doesn’t allow them to support your core as much as they could earlier. With a core strength that is at a pretty good level, your backache can take a break.
Again, your doctor won’t ask you to have an ultrasound scan at this stage, since one would be needed when the third trimester begins. The scans will be more frequent after that.
Anyway, all your babies are usually doing around this time is swallowing the amniotic fluid, peeing it back out, and taking it back in. As disgusting as that might sound, it is the very thing that prepares their body to function correctly.
A fully balanced diet should be the only thing on your mind at this moment. Keep away any food items that might trigger an allergy. Drinking fluids and maintaining a good water content in your body can keep other issues at bay, too.
Keep a bunch of simple tips in mind to take care of yourself effectively.
A bunch of simple items can make your pregnancy week simpler, such as:
When 26 weeks pregnant with twins, foetal development can catch her off-guard with the rapid increase in weight and the changes it puts her through. Don’t be afraid of having honest conversations with your partner regarding things that can make your journey more comfortable for you.