Week 25 of pregnancy
Your baby is moving about and responds to touch and sound. A loud noise may make them jump and kick. You will be able to feel this. This is called the 'startle response'. They may respond to your voice with movement. Talk and sing to them and encourage your partner to do the same.
Your baby's movements during pregnancy
At this stage, your baby is peeing into the amniotic fluid. Sometimes they may get hiccups and you can feel the jerk of each hiccup.
Their eyelids open for the first time and they will soon start blinking. It is not until some weeks after the birth that your baby's eyes become the colour they will stay.
By now your unborn baby's heart rate will have slowed to around 140 beats per minute. This is still much faster than your own heart rate.
Week 26 of pregnancy
At 26 weeks, your baby is around 35cm to 36cm long. This is like the length of a cucumber. Their lungs are producing an important substance called surfactant. It allows the air sacs of their lungs to expand and deflate during breathing.
Their brain, lungs and digestive system are in place. But they are still developing.
Week 27 to 28 of pregnancy
Week 27 marks the last week of the second trimester. Your baby weighs around 1kg.
Your doctor or midwife will be able to hear your baby's heartbeat using a special stethoscope.
Your baby continues to put on weight, as more and more fat appears under the skin. This makes their skin appear smoother and less wrinkled.
Week 28 marks the start of the third trimester.
