25 weeks pregnant: Baby’s development, symptoms and top tips

Here’s a gross fact – your baby is now mostly surrounded by their own urine. They pee into the amniotic fluid, drink it back in, and pee it out again. The good news is the urine helps keep the temperature stable in there.

Hiccups

All this drinking might give your baby the hiccups – you’ll feel it as a more rhythmic movement inside you, distinct from the kicks and prods you’ll also be feeling. It’s important to note the difference between hiccups and actual movement, as hiccups don’t indicate baby’s wellbeing in the way kicks do. When you’re keeping an eye on baby movements, it’s kicks you want to ‘listen’ for.

Startle reflex

Have you ever seen a tiny baby suddenly throw their arms up in the air when they’re startled – or even for no apparent reason? This startle reflex is present in newborns but develops in utero, so if you feel a sudden wallop inside you, your baby could be reacting to a loud noise on the outside.

Lung development

Your baby’s tiny lungs are still developing. In the next week or two, tiny respiratory sacs will develop at the end of their bronchioles – like buds on the ends of branches. These will develop into the alveoli, which perform an important function in allowing oxygenated blood to circulate through the body and sending carbon dioxide back into the lungs.

Nose development

In preparation for life outside the womb, your baby is practicing breathing through their nose. They’re currently circulating amniotic fluid through there, but learning the motions that will stand them in good stead in just a few months’ time. Apparently, they’ll also start to gain a sense of smell.

There's constant movement in your belly, and you may be able to tell when your baby’s tiny arms or feet are pressing against the abdominal wall in the form of small bruises or bumps. It will be clear to you by now that your baby is surprisingly strong – if their kicks hit the organs around your womb, it can really hurt.

Stomach ache 

There are several possible reasons for stomach ache during pregnancy: the pressure your uterus puts on the surrounding organs, an overloaded stomach, a very full bladder or intestinal wind. These symptoms are normal, but if they become severe, visit your doctor.

Restless legs syndrome

Around 1 in 5 people experience restless legs syndrome (RLS) in their last trimester, but it might start earlier. RLS causes an irresistible urge to move your legs, and it’s often worse at night. There’s no evidence for why it occurs during pregnancy, but symptoms should subside after you give birth.

Try to stick to a regular bedtime routine, avoid consuming your limited daily amounts of caffeine at bedtime, and get some exercise during the day to try to alleviate RLS.

Symphysis pubis dysfunction

Symphysis pubis dysfunction (SPD) is another name for Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP), a collection of uncomfortable symptoms related to stiffness or uneven movement in the pelvic joints. It can be very painful, and it makes normal daily activities – like getting out of the shower, or getting dressed – really difficult. If you’re suffering with pain in your pelvis, see your midwife. You may need treatment (usually physiotherapy), and it’s better to start that sooner rather than later.

Dental health

Have you taken advantage of your free dental treatment yet? Pregnancy can mess with your dental health, so it’s a good idea to see the dentist for a check-up. Having an X-Ray on your teeth is thought to be safe during pregnancy, but talk to your dentist – they may say it can wait until after you give birth.

Braxton hicks

Those Braxton hicksmay be getting more noticeable as your uterus expands. Braxton hicks affect people differently – some find the experience quite intense, while others only notice it’s happening when they put a hand to their bump and find it’s gone very hard.

If you are in pain with Braxton hicks, and the pain is getting worse, or if you feel like they are taking on a more rhythmic pattern, call your maternity unit.

Hair growth

Your hair can experience some drastic changes during pregnancy. It might get thicker, as hair loss tends to reduce during pregnancy (and return with a vengeance after birth!). You might notice it’smore oily, or drier than normal. It may also change texture – for example, waves might turn to curls!

You’ll also notice hairs sprouting or thickening in other places, like on your face, chest, belly and arms. This is all a result of the hormonal changes you’re experiencing, and most of the symptoms will likely go away after the birth.

Feeling hungry?

Pregnancy can make you feel hungrier than usual, but because your stomach is being squashed by your ever-growing uterus, you’ll also find you get full more quickly. Lighter meals, and healthy snacks can help. Try chopping and crushing dates, figs, cashew nuts, cocoa powder and coconut oil and forming them into a “energy ball” – this can be a great way to get a quick energy boost.

Don’t forget your supplements

You should still be taking your daily vitamin D supplement and keeping up with any other vitamins/minerals you’ve been recommended – such as a pregnancy multivitamin. Carry on with these all the way up to the birth, and if you’re breastfeeding it’s recommended you continue taking a vitamin D supplement after the baby is born.

Avoid scented pantyliners

If you’re experiencing discharge, it’s best to avoid scented panty liners, which can irritate your sensitive skin and mess with the pH balance of your vagina.

Get comfy on your side at night

Your uterus is getting heavier and you’ll probably find it’s no longer comfortable to sleep on your back. In any case, from 28 weeks, side sleeping is recommended to reduce the risk of still birth, so start practicing your side sleeping now. You’ll probably find you need a pillow or wedge underneath your bump to prevent strain on your side, and you might also need one between your knees, as this takes the pressure off your lower back and hips. There are a wide range of pregnancy pillows on the market , but you can also make do with normal pillows or rolled up towels.

Yoga classes

Pregnancy yoga is designed to help you cope with the discomfort of pregnancy and prepare for labour and birth. You’ll also find spending an hour a week getting in tune with your body to be a really lovely and relaxing way to bond with your baby and shake off some of the stresses of daily life. Your yoga teacher won’t just teach you stretches; they will also talk about breathing and pass on some lessons that might just help you on the labour ward. It’s definitely worth signing up, if you haven’t already.

Antenatal classes

Your antenatal classes won’t start for a few weeks yet, but make sure you’ve signed up for one as they can get booked up quickly. Don’t let the cost of antenatal classes put you off – they are free on the NHS. Talk to your midwife about what’s available at your local hospital or children’s centre.

If this is your first pregnancy, this week should see you back at the midwife for your 25-week appointment. Your midwife will measure your bump from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus, which is called the fundal height measurement. This helps them see how much your baby has grown, and they will keep measuring at every appointment now to track the baby’s weight gain.

Your midwife appointments become more regular from this week – three-weekly up until 34 weeks and every two weeks after that until you reach 40 weeks. There’s plenty of time to fill out your birth plan, but it’s a good idea to be prepared so take these opportunities to ask your midwife all your questions and make sure you understand your options.

How much should I sleep at 25 weeks pregnant?

You don’t need more sleep during pregnancy – which is good because you’re probably getting less. Between your active baby and your squashed bladder, you will probably find you’re waking in the night at least once and probably more often.

What you do need is more rest. Your body is working hard and will soon let you know if you’re overdoing it. Try to get into a good bedtime routine and stick to it, and make sure you have plenty of long, lazy lie-ins at the weekend.

What position is baby in at 25 weeks?

Your baby still has plenty of room to move around and won’t have started moving towards the birth canal yet. If you put your hands on your bump when your baby is sleeping – i.e. not when they’re busy kicking you about – you might be able to determine a preferred resting position.

What things to avoid at 25 weeks pregnant?

Avoid strenuous exercise (unless you’ve comfortably been undertaking strenuous exercise throughout your pregnancy and your midwife has said it’s ok to continue) and heavy lifting – which puts additional strain on your already straining back. It’s also best to avoid all alcohol, limit your caffeine intake, and follow the nutritional advice on foods to be avoided during pregnancy.

How often should baby kick at 25 weeks?

There is no set amount a baby should kick at 25 weeks or at any time throughout your pregnancy. Every baby is different, and your sensation of the baby’s movements might be affected by the position of the placenta. However, you should expect to feel regular movement in a pattern of waking and sleeping, so try to get to know your baby’s activity levels and what is normal for them.

If you’re concerned that you haven’t felt the baby move, it may just be that you haven’t noticed. Try drinking something cold or sweet and lying on your side for a while in the quiet so that you can really ‘listen’ for baby’s movements. If you’re still concerned, call your maternity unit. They would always rather you come in and be monitored for reassurance, than worry at home.

How big is your belly at 25 weeks pregnant?

Your midwife will be able to tell you how big your uterus is at your appointment this week, when they will use a tape measure to record the fundal height measurement. However, the size of your belly will be affected by a number of different factors, including your pre-pregnancy weight and how much weight you have gained during this pregnancy, as well as your height – for some tall women, 25 weeks pregnant might only look like 17 weeks pregnant, for example.

If you’re interested in seeing your ideal weight through pregnancy, you can use our weight chart and check out your 25-week pregnant weight gain based on your pre-pregnancy BMI.

Got questions? At the HiPPBabyClub, we bring you real-world advice and support from HiPP parents, midwives, nutritionists and more. Join our Baby Club to find out more.