26th week: A foot pushes against your belly

Weeks and days
25+0 to 25+6
Month
7
Trimester
2

This week, the fetus grows from about 223 to 232 millimeters and weighs around 900 grams by the end. Sometimes you can now feel a foot or arm from the outside through the abdominal wall. A loud noise can make your baby startle.

A whole large Chinese cabbage lies in an open palm on beige linen
Chinese cabbage300 to 450 mm, the size of your baby at the end of the week

Week 26 of 40

Calculate your week
1st trimester2nd trimester3rd trimester

How big is the fetus?

050100150200250300350400450 mm24th week204 to 21325th week213 to 22326th week223 to 23227th week232 to 242Chinese cabbage at the same scale

223 to 232 mm

By the end of the week, the fetus is about the size of a Chinese cabbage. From head to heel, it measures about 33 centimeters.

Crown-rump length according to the values from Archie et al. 2006, weight according to the WHO growth charts. A large Chinese cabbage is 300 to 450 mm long.

This week

Your baby

  • The fingernails are formed; the body is still slim.
  • A loud noise can make the baby startle and kick.
  • The amniotic fluid now consists largely of the baby's urine.

Your body

  • Sometimes you can feel a small foot or arm from the outside through the abdominal wall.
  • Up to 7 out of 10 pregnant women occasionally leak urine involuntarily, especially in the last third of pregnancy and if they have already given birth to a child.
  • For sleeping, many now find lying on their side most comfortable, with one knee drawn up.

What matters now

  • In Germany, the glucose test is still possible until 27+6, and the antibody screening test until 26+6.
  • Plan your maternity protection: in Germany, it begins 6 weeks before the due date, that is, at 34+0.
  • If you are Rhesus-negative, in Germany you receive an anti-D injection between 27+0 and 29+6, unless a blood test has shown that your baby is also Rhesus-negative.

Get checked right away: heavy bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever, pain when urinating, or vomiting where you cannot keep anything down.

Gestational sacPlacentaFetus with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 25+0

    Head circumference is on average about 233 mm.

  2. 25+0

    Head diameter from temple to temple measures on average about 63 mm.

  3. 25+0

    Thigh bone (femur) measures on average about 46 mm.

In the 26th week of pregnancy, no ultrasound paid for by health insurance is scheduled. If there is a risk of premature birth, a CTG is also recorded from now on.

Frequently asked questions about the 26th week of pregnancy

Which month is the 26th week of pregnancy?

The 7th month of pregnancy, still in the 2nd trimester. The 3rd trimester begins with the 29th week of pregnancy, that is, at 28+0.

Can a baby survive in the 26th week of pregnancy?

Yes, a good one. In an analysis of international studies cited by the German guideline, about 76 out of 100 babies born in this week survived; in Sweden, 82 out of 100. However, many survivors then have problems with their lungs.

Is it normal for the belly to keep getting hard in the 26th week of pregnancy?

Yes, these are usually practice contractions. They do not last long, do not come often, and usually do not hurt. Get regular or painful contractions checked right away.

How much weight have I gained in the 26th week of pregnancy?

With a normal weight before pregnancy, about 5.3 to 6.8 kilograms up to 26+0 is usual.

Sources

Updated on 30 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team