Week 25

Your Baby’s Development

You may notice that your baby has resting and alert periods. You’ll notice fetal activity more readily when you are still or relaxing. Your baby’s hearing has continued to develop too — he or she may now be able to hear your voice!

Your Body

Pregnancy can cause some unpleasant side effects when it comes to digestion. Not only does the hormone progesterone slow the emptying of the stomach — it also relaxes the valve at the entrance to the stomach so that it doesn’t close properly. This lets acidic stomach contents move upward into the esophagus. The result: reflux (also known as heartburn) that can make eating your favorite meals a nightmare.

The expanding uterus puts additional pressure on the stomach in the last few months of pregnancy. Try eating smaller, more frequent meals, and avoid spicy and fatty foods.