Weeks and Trimesters Your Pregnancy Week by Week Guide Your Pregnancy Week by Week Guide Overview First Trimester Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Second Trimester Week 14 Week 15 Week 16 Week 17 Week 18 Week 19 Week 20 Week 21 Week 22 Week 23 Week 24 Week 25 Week 26 Week 27 Third Trimester Week 28 Week 29 Week 30 Week 31 Week 32 Week 33 Week 34 Week 35 Week 36 Week 37 Week 38 Week 39 Week 40 Week 25 of Your Pregnancy By Holly Pevzner Holly Pevzner LinkedIn Twitter Holly Pevzner is an award-winning writer who specializes in health, nutrition, parenting, and family travel. Learn about our editorial process Updated on September 19, 2022 Medically reviewed by Andrea Chisholm, MD Print Verywell / Bailey Mariner Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Baby Development Symptoms Self-Care Tips Advice for Partners Doctor Visits Special Considerations Next in Your Pregnancy Week by Week Guide Week 26 of Your Pregnancy At 25 weeks pregnant, your baby is continuing to grow and gain weight. Those baby kicks are getting stronger and are likely more noticeable. Meanwhile, you might notice new symptoms, like your growing belly getting itchy. 25 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months? 6 months and 1 weekWhich Trimester? Second trimesterHow Many Weeks to Go? 15 weeks Your Baby's Development at 25 Weeks At 25 weeks pregnant, the baby is over 8 3/4 inches (22.4 centimeters) from the top of the head to the bottom of the buttocks (known as the crown-rump length). The baby's height is about 12 1/2 inches (31.8 centimeters) from the top of the head to the heel (crown-heel length). This week, the baby weighs a little more than 27 ounces or 1 3/4 pounds (778 grams). Verywell / Bailey Mariner The 7 Best Developmental Toys for Babies of 2023 Hair The hair on the baby's head is growing. The lanugo (soft, fine hair that covers the baby's body) is well-established by now. Making Blood Cells Earlier in development, the baby's liver made blood cells. By week 21, the bone marrow became a major contributor. After the 24th week, the bone marrow is the main site of blood cell production in your baby's body. Sense of Smell The part of the nose that can sense smell is now functioning. The baby can now smell odors and scents in the amniotic fluid. Lungs There are four stages of fetal lung development. This week, the second stage (the canalicular stage) is complete. The branches of the lungs, the small passageways, and the capillaries (which are the smallest blood vessels) have formed. There are still two more stages of development to go, though the last stage continues into childhood. Survival Outside the Womb With each passing week, the chances of survival outside the uterus get better. However, a baby born at 25 weeks is still extremely premature. Premature babies face health challenges and require specialized care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for several months. Between 67% to 76% of babies born at 25 weeks survive with care in the NICU. Explore a few of your baby's week 25 milestones in this interactive experience. Stay Calm Mom: Episode 3 Watch all episodes of our Stay Calm Mom video series and follow along as our host Tiffany Small talks to a diverse group of parents and top doctors to get real answers to the biggest pregnancy questions. 5:58 How Will Pregnancy Change My Body? Your Common Symptoms This Week While many pregnant people have been feeling baby kicks for weeks by now, first-timers might finally begin to notice them this week. You might also be experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions, leg cramps, heartburn, nasal congestion, and vision changes. Other symptoms you may notice are a pounding in your chest or an itchy rash. Heart Palpitations During pregnancy, your heart pumps up to 50% more blood than before you became pregnant. Your heart is also pumping that blood about 15% faster. Some pregnant people don't notice any changes, but others can feel a difference. Heart palpitations are a common complaint during pregnancy. It may feel like a fluttering, pounding, racing, extra beats, or skipping beats. It can be scary, but it's usually not dangerous. Still, be sure to mention it at your next prenatal visit. If you experience a racing heart that seems to last a long time, it happens often, or if you’re also experiencing shortness of breath or chest pains, call your health care provider right away. Belly and Breast Itch Itchiness is a symptom in 20% to 40% of pregnancies that tends to start around the 25th week. It is mainly experienced on the abdomen and breasts, but it can appear in other parts of the body as well. The cause isn't completely understood, but hormone changes along with stretching and skin dryness may play a role. Self-Care Tips Drinking enough healthy fluids each day can help you stay hydrated. Good hydration can help combat some common pregnancy symptoms, including heart palpitations and dry, itchy skin. Heart Palpitations Most of the time, a faster heartbeat and the occasional feeling of a pounding heart are not a cause for concern. Here are a few things you can try to reduce palpitations: Drink some water and/or have a snack Limit your intake of caffeine Stop what you're doing and rest (or, if you were resting, get up and move around) Try relaxation techniques, mediation, or prenatal yoga Occasional flutters or pounding can be normal, but you should always let your health care provider know about any symptoms you have during your pregnancy. Palpitations can also be caused by certain medical conditions, including anemia, anxiety, a heart condition, or a thyroid problem. Your provider will determine the cause of your symptoms and provide treatment if necessary. Dealing With Itchy Skin Itchy skin is uncomfortable, annoying, and can interfere with your daily life, including your sleep. To deal with mild itching of the belly and breasts, you can try: Applying a moisturizer or hydrating body oil to your skinAvoiding clothing detergents that might be irritating to your skinDrinking plenty of water to stay hydratedStaying away from harsh soaps that dry out your skinTaking showers with cool water instead of hot If the itching becomes severe or you develop a rash, call your provider. Some rashes and skin conditions require treatment. Your provider might be able to prescribe a safe medication to help ease any itching you are having. Your Week 25 Checklist Continue to eat well, take your prenatal vitamins, and exercise Contact your health insurance carrier to learn about adding your baby to your plan after they are bornDo Kegel exercises Drink plenty of liquids Talk to your provider about all your symptoms, especially heart palpitations or a rash Advice for Partners If you’re the policyholder for your family's health insurance, now is a good time to learn how to add your newborn to your health plan after they are born. This might involve contacting your employer, your insurance company, your state Medicaid agency, or the Health Insurance Marketplace. However, you don’t have to simply tack your baby onto the policy you currently have. Having a baby qualifies you for a special enrollment period, which means you can either re-enroll in your current plan or change to a policy that better suits your needs. You typically need to add your baby to your health insurance policy within 30 days of giving birth. You may also want to learn more about enrolling in or changing your contribution to a tax-advantaged flexible spending account (FSA). You can use these funds for health care or childcare. At Your Doctor’s Office You might have a routine prenatal visit this week. Your gestational diabetes screening might also be scheduled during this time (the test typically takes place between last week and 28 weeks). 3-Hour Glucose Tolerance Test The 1-hour glucose screening looks for signs of gestational diabetes. If your initial result is high, you will have to return for step two of gestation diabetes testing: the 3-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). You cannot eat for eight to 14 hours before the test or during the test. Your blood will be taken before you start the test.You will drink a sugary solution that contains 100 grams of glucose.After you drink the glucose, you will have your blood drawn every hour for three hours (3 times). You will have a total of four blood draws (one before and three after you have the glucose drink). If all the results are within the expected limits, you do not have gestational diabetes. If one result is over the limit, your provider might ask you to make changes to your diet, then test you again. If two or more results are higher than expected, your provider will diagnose you with gestational diabetes. You probably won't be given a glucose drink if your fasting glucose level (the first blood draw you have) is extremely elevated. Your provider will probably ask you to track your sugars at home with a glucose monitor instead. Upcoming Doctor’s Visits Your next regularly scheduled prenatal office visit might be around 28 weeks. In some situations, such as a high-risk pregnancy, specialized tests are performed to check the pregnancy and the baby. These tests may include Biophysical profile or modified biophysical profile Contraction stress test Doppler of umbilical artery Fetal non-stress test (NST) Special Considerations Urinary tract infections (UTI) are common during pregnancy. It's important to know the signs and symptoms of a UTI as well as how to prevent them. Urinary Tract Infection Urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur in up to 13% of people who are pregnant. You can have a UTI and not have any symptoms. If you do, the most common symptoms of a UTI are: Bloody, cloudy, or smelly urineBurning or pain when you urinateFeeling like you have to go again right after you wentFeverMild uterine contractionsNeeding to pee more oftenOne-sided mid-back or flank discomfort Let your provider know if you develop any symptoms of a UTI. The infection can be easily diagnosed and treated, but an untreated UTI can lead to a serious infection and pregnancy complications. Urinary tract infections sometimes come back after treatment, but there are steps you can take to prevent them. Don't hold it—go when you have to goDrink plenty of fluids throughout the dayLean forward when you pee to help empty your bladderPee after sex to clear away any bacteria that might have entered your urethraTry to empty your bladder fully each time you goWash your hands before and after you use the bathroomWash your perineal area thoroughlyWear cotton underwear and avoid tight clothingWipe from front to back after using the bathroom A Word From Verywell You are nearing the end of your second trimester. This week, your baby developed a functioning sense of smell and completed an important stage of lung development. Next week, your baby will hit another weight milestone. Week 26 of Your Pregnancy 20 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. 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Obstet Gynecol. 2014;124:182-92. doi:10.1097/01.AOG.0000451759.90082.7b Matuszkiewicz-Rowińska J, Małyszko J, Wieliczko M. Urinary tract infections in pregnancy: Old and new unresolved diagnostic and therapeutic problems. Arch Med Sci. 2015;11(1):67-77. doi:10.5114/aoms.2013.39202 Ghouri F, Hollywood A, Ryan K. Urinary tract infections and antibiotic use in pregnancy - qualitative analysis of online forum content. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019;19(1):289. doi:10.1186/s12884-019-2451-z Ghouri F, Hollywood A, Ryan K. A systematic review of non-antibiotic measures for the prevention of urinary tract infections in pregnancy. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018;18(1):99. doi:10.1186/s12884-018-1732-2 Additional Reading Roberts A, Mechery J, Mechery A, Clarke B, Vause S. Management of palpitations and cardiac arrhythmias in pregnancy. Obstet Gynaecol. 2019;21: 263-270. doi:10.1111/tog.12599 Rossi A, Cornette J, Johnson MR, et al. Quantitative cardiovascular magnetic resonance in pregnant women: Cross-sectional analysis of physiological parameters throughout pregnancy and the impact of the supine position. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson. 2011;13, 31. doi:10.1186/1532-429X-13-31 By Holly Pevzner Holly Pevzner is an award-winning writer who specializes in health, nutrition, parenting, and family travel. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit