@ 2002-04-01 10:05:00

Current mood: happy

Pregnancy count... wk 26 (this actually begins on Fri the 5th by my count)
Pregnancy:
Week 26


How your baby's growing: Your baby is beginning to make some breathing movements, but there's no air in the lungs yet. At 26 weeks, fetal brain scans show that she responds to touch. Also, if you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn her head, which researchers say shows some functioning of the optic nerve.

How your life is changing: Sleep may not feel that restful anymore, now that you're having vivid and scary dreams. When you sleep, your subconscious becomes a staging area for your fears and insecurities about pregnancy and impending motherhood. Dreaming that you're running away or falling from a great height, for instance, says you're worried about losing your independence and freedom once the baby arrives.

If your healthcare provider previously screened you for pregnancy anemia, a deficiency of red blood cells, she may do so again around this time. Many pregnant women develop a mild case of the illness because of normal changes in their bodies.