25 Weeks Pregnant — Your Baby Is The Size Of A Box Of Chocolates

Welcome to Scary Mommy’s pregnancy week by week guide! We’re here to give you all the info about what to expect when you’re expecting: be it week by week symptoms, your baby’s development, your changing body, or ultrasounds and appointments. Here’s everything you need to know about week 25.

Your Body at Week 25 Pregnant

Getting Towards the Goal

That uterus of yours is now about the size of a soccer ball. This makes sense given how much your baby is probably kicking you right now. Perhaps you have an athlete in the making.

Learn to Take Up More Space

As your body grows, you’ll start to notice that you’re taking up more space. As women, we’re conditioned to shrink ourselves down to the tiniest form possible so as not to bother other people. First of all, none of us should be doing that. Secondly, you are absolutely entitled to take up as much room as you want and/or need to because you are growing another human inside your body. Everyone else will have to deal with it.

Cosmetic Changes

Your body is changing pretty much all over. This means you may notice that your nipples are getting darker, you’re getting more stretch marks, you’re developing patches of darker skin on your face, and you may also be growing a little happy trail of hair from your bellybutton down to your pubic hair.

Your Baby at Week 25 Pregnant

At 25 weeks pregnant, your baby is weighing in at around 1 ½ to 1 ¾ pounds and is approximately 13 inches long. Or about the size of a box of chocolates. Your baby is starting to fill out, courtesy of some baby fat, and its skin may be getting less wrinkly, so it looks more like a baby and less like a Shar-Pei.

The most exciting part about this stage of your pregnancy is that your baby may start to recognize your voice and respond (usually by kicking or moving around). Get ready for your first interactions!

Your Symptoms and Health at Week 25 Pregnant

Holding Water

You’ve probably already started to swell, but it’s about to really kick in now. And it’s not just your feet — your face and hands may swell as well. This is likely caused by water retention and nothing to worry about. Resting and keeping your feet elevated should help.

Check Your Blood Pressure

Your doctor or nurse is probably already checking your blood pressure during every office visit, but at this stage in your pregnancy, they should be paying extra attention to signs you may be developing preeclampsia. In addition to swelling, the condition can also cause other symptoms, like severe headache, vision problems such as blurring or flashing lights, and pain under the ribs. If you experience any of these symptoms, contact your doctor right away.

Consider Childbirth Classes

If you were thinking about taking childbirth classes and haven’t done so already, now is the time to sign up for one. This will help prepare you for labor and delivery (although can anything ever truly prepare you for those experiences?) and you may want to bring a partner with you. You’ll learn about different pain management techniques (i.e. how to ask for all the drugs or going eu natural) as well as delivery options. And if television has taught us anything, you’ll definitely be learning new, very dramatic, ways of breathing.

Pay Attention to Your Mental Health

When you’re pregnant, it can be easy to focus on your physical changes and development that you may end up overlooking your mental health. Definitely don’t do that, because your mental wellness is extremely important too. Talk to a friend, family member, or your doctor if you are feeling helpless or overwhelmed, not enjoying activities you used to love, no longer have the ability to focus (beyond the usual pregnancy brain), or have thoughts of suicide or death. Remember: your baby can’t come out healthy if you’re not healthy, both physically and mentally.

When to Call the Doctor

In addition to monitoring your mental health, if you experience symptoms like severe cramping, abdominal or pelvic pain, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, vaginal bleeding, burning when you pee, fluid leaking, or any strange pressure in your pelvic region, it’s definitely time to call your doctor.

Double Trouble

Well, your babies are successfully putting on the weight! Now around 1 pound 12 ounces (give or take), the twins’ previously thin skin layers are finally starting to thicken out with baby fat. You might also find yourself swelling in the face as well as your hands and feet due to fluid retention. Don’t let this stop you from chugging down the water though! Your body needs to stay hydrated.

The contents of this article have been medically reviewed by Ruth A. Tessler, M.D. in July, 2019.

Written by Elizabeth Yuko.

Follow Preggo Nancy’s pregnancy journey week-by-week and share in her joy, her symptoms, and even her pregnancy cravings.

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