Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

Your Baby in Week 25 of Pregnancy

• Your baby now has wrinkly skin by week 25 of pregnancy! The wrinkles are developing in places where there are natural bends, like around the elbows, wrists, neck and knees. And there are small wrinkles all over where the skin is slightly exposed to the water (amniotic fluid) surrounding it. The vernix is keeping it pretty safe, but some wrinkling will still happen…similar to when you bathe or swim for an extended period of time.
  

• The color of the skin is still changing from opaque to pinkish or brownish in color around week 25 of pregnancy. The full pigment won’t be ready until your baby is born, but it is closer with each passing day.
  

• The fat is building substantially during week 25 of pregnancy. Your baby will start to fill out in their arms and legs, as well as face, stomach and buttocks. They would still look pretty skinny if they were to be born now, but they have filled out significantly from only three weeks ago.
  
  The fat inside the skin is keeping their body warm. The older they get, the more fat they will develop to help regulate their system. As they gain more fat, the vernix and lanugo which helped regulate the body’s temperature, now begin to get thinner and wear off. Depending on when you give birth, they might be completely gone by birth.
  

• During week 25 of pregnancy, your baby will be at or very near two pounds in weight. Other items that weigh two pounds would be a liter of water, a quart of milk, three large apples, a textbook or a stack of clean laundry. Your baby will continue to gain weight rapidly during the next 10 weeks, and should put on about an ounce or two each day!
  

• The biggest growth during week 25 of pregnancy is within the structure of the spine. All 33 rings are formed in their location along the center of the back. There are also 150 joints and 1,000 ligaments that tie in together to make your baby’s spine work fluently.
  
  As the spine is developing, the cartilage that is in place will harden into bone material. The ligaments will grow and connect to each other, the muscles, and the bones to make one large, moving spinal cord system.
  

• The nerves around the mouth and the lips of your baby have become very sensitive by week 25 of pregnancy. Sensitive nerves in those areas will help with suckling immediately after birth. Your baby won’t be able to rely on their eyesight for several weeks after birth, so they will be forced to rely on touch.
  

• The first few times babies nurse, they will instinctively seek a nipple. Whether you are breast or bottle feeding, they know to look for a nipple! It’s amazing, really. Once they have felt that nipple the first few times, they will recognize the feel of it near the mouth and face and will turn closer to it to latch on. This is also called rooting. Sensitive mouth muscles make rooting, and breastfeeding, much easier to learn for both you and your baby.
  

• The hair starts to get color and texture around week 25 of pregnancy! The beginnings of what makes your baby one of a kind will finally become apparent to the naked eye. The hair growing on their head may remain very fine and straight. It might also be coarse or curly. Whichever it is, it will become visible during the end of the week. The start of the color will begin to show in every strand of hair, as pigment moves in to the hair follicles and is disbursed outward.
  

• Your baby’s hand has the ability to grasp objects in week of pregnancya. Granted, there isn’t a whole lot to grab onto in your uterus, but you may be surprised at the ingenuity of your baby. If you were to see a picture or watch a 3D/4D ultrasound during week 25 of pregnancy, your baby may be hanging onto their foot. They may also be holding onto their other arm.
  
  They may even grab hold of the umbilical cord if it comes into their direct line of sight. They may not see it well, or know what it is, but if it comes into contact with their hand, they may reflexively grasp it. Don’t worry about their grip - they aren’t strong enough to cause any impact and they certainly don’t have the ability to cut off circulation just by holding it.