Twenty Five Weeks Pregnant
This week is all about maintenance, preparation, and attempting to find some comfort. Be mindful of your movements and decisions at this stage in the pregnancy (as if you haven't at this point), because the changes occurring at this stage will transform much of the way you currently behave.
With your growing baby comes a growing uterus. During week 25, your uterus is about the size of a soccer ball, which means that many of your previous ways of living have changed--the way you walk, drive, shower, and sleep. Speaking of sleep, it is especially important that you begin to sleep on your side during the second half of pregnancy. Lying on your belly is, of course, no good, and sleeping on your back could suppress the vena cava--a blood vessel that provides blood to your baby. Not only can this suppression be disastrous for baby, but it can also make you dizzy and short of breath.
Besides your size and shape, many other symptoms may be making life more difficult for you now. Shortness of breath, dizziness, constipation, hot flashes, and itchy skin are all quite common during the last parts of pregnancy. Most of this is due to hormone changes and the increased size of your uterus. You may also experience pains throughout your legs and lower back because your uterus is pushing against many nerves. Prenatal yoga, massage, warm baths, and hydration can help alleviate these symptoms.