26 Weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy week by week

This week, we take a look at the sort of the birth you would like for your baby. If your pregnancy is progressing normally, there are several options you could consider:

• Home birth
• Hospital birth
• Water birth

We also find out about food cravings, which you may be experiencing around now.
Your baby is now about 23 centimetres long and is sometimes active and other times quiet, but should still be moving regularly – contact your midwife or doctor straightaway if not.

Home or hospital birth?
If you are a first-time mum, you may be advised to have your baby in hospital. That also applies if you have health problems, or if you live in an area where medical services couldn’t reach you quickly in the event of an emergency. However, even if you are a first timer, you may want to have your baby at home. Studies have shown that home birth is just as safe as hospital birth for healthy women. Also, you have a right to book a midwife to help you give birth at home, if that’s what you want. However, your local Health Care Trust isn’t obliged in law to provide a home birth service, so you may find it difficult in some parts of the country to arrange a home birth. Talk to your midwife – ask her advice about any potential problems – and also consider how easy it would be to get to the hospital from home if there was an emergency.
If you want to have your baby in hospital, visit the hospital first. That way you will know exactly what you can expect in the way of care and pain relief, and how you will be looked after once your baby is born. A tour of the unit may be part of the series of antenatal classes or your unit may have regular open days.

Here are two mums’ experiences:
‘Why homebirth worked for me second time around’
‘I was very unsure about what would happen during labour first-time round,’ says Veena from Shoreham, ‘but everything went easily and there were no problems when Kam arrived. Second time, I knew what to expect and decided to have my baby at home. There was no worry about getting Kam looked after by someone while I was in labour, and he was able to see his new sister when he woke up the next morning. It was definitely a family event, and something I think second timers could consider.’
‘Pain relief OK for me’
‘I was very nervous about going to my antenatal class,’ says Hannah from Dundee, ‘as I was worried that everyone else would be determined to get through labour without any pain relief at all. But the teacher told us all about our options, and epidurals, which was great because that’s what I ended up choosing. All the mums in the class have stayed in touch, too, so our babies have a set of ready-made friends as they grow.’

Water birth
Some women find that getting into a pool of warm water is a good way to relax in labour. Women who use pools tend to need less pain relief, and may have shorter labours. Babies born to women who use a birth pool have similar Apgar scores (the quick assessment that the midwife makes of babies just after they are born – see week 32) and there is no increased risk of infection. Pools are available in some hospitals, and you can arrange to hire a pool to use at home. If your hospital has a birth pool, there will be guidelines about who can use it. Usually only women who have reached full term, and with a single baby whose is head downwards, are allowed to use the pool. Talk to your midwife about what guidelines apply at your hospital.
If you plan to hire a birth pool to use at home, make sure you have an area where it can safely be put up. Pool hire companies can usually advise about the practical issues. Talk to your midwife about how the pool can be used. In some areas, women labour and deliver their baby in the pool. In others they labour in the pool but are asked to get out for the birth.

Cravings
Many pregnant women say they have cravings for foods. Some women are even seized with a desire to eat non-foods, like coal or crayons. But as long as you stick to a healthy food intake and you don’t eat too much of something unsuitable, like foods that are high in fat or sugar, don’t worry, you’ll find that your craving will pass.

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