How Your Baby Grows During the Twenty-Sixth Week
At the start of the seventh month, and third trimester, your baby is about 10 inches long (25 cm). She will gain about a pound total through the course of the coming month and depends on you more than ever for nourishing food high in lean proteins and calcium.
Your baby girl can hear your voice very well in her watery world, and after birth she will not only recognize your voice, but also respond to the voice of your partner or other people you interact with on a regular basis.
Her skin is still covered in the fine, downy hair called lanugo which protects her delicate skin. This will shed off in another month or two, so you won't see it, although remnants may remain. This is why some babies have hair on their ears, arms or back when they are born.
What the Mother Feels During the Twenty-Sixth Week
By now your uterus is pressing outwards as well as upwards and you may have stretch marks on the skin under your navel. These purple, shiny lines are marks where the skin tissues have stretched so quickly, the under layers have torn slightly. Stretch marks do not hurt, although some women report feelings of itching or tightness and find that rubbing lotion on their belly helps soothe the skin somewhat.
By now you may are obviously pregnant and often have a proud and beautiful feeling about your growing body. Braxton Hicks contractions, what I like to call "warm up" contractions, are happening more frequently. First time mothers may not notice them as readily as experienced mothers who know what the sensations feel like. It is normal for some women to feel several Braxton Hicks contractions each day, especially when standing or moving actively, while other women may not feel any.
Resources:
The Pregnancy Book: Month-by-Month by Dr. Sears
Your Pregnancy Week by Week by Lesley Regan
