Free family guide · Pregnancy week by week · Second trimester

26 weeks pregnant

Week 26 is in the second trimester in both the US Office on Women's Health (OWH) system and the UK's NHS week-by-week guide.[1][2]

Last reviewed: Next review: No outside ads and no affiliate links.

Sources on this page: OWH; NHS; EEOC; ACOG; USPSTF; NICHD; CDC; MedlinePlus; FDA; NIMH; HRSA

This page shares what health organizations say. It is not medical advice. It is general information. Talk to your doctor, midwife or pediatrician about your own situation.

In an emergency, call 911.

At a glance

  • The NHS says the baby is around 35.6 cm long.[3]
  • The NHS says the baby's eyes open for the first time around now.[3]
  • The EEOC says the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act covers employers with 15 or more employees.[4]

Which trimester is week 26?

OWH counts the trimesters as weeks 1 to 12, 13 to 28 and 29 to 40.[1] The NHS guide counts them as weeks 4 to 12, 13 to 27 and 28 to 41.[2] ACOG counts the first trimester to 13 weeks 6 days, the second from 14 weeks to 27 weeks 6 days, and the third from 28 weeks to 40 weeks 6 days.[5]

All three place week 26 in the second trimester.[1][2][5]

Your body this week

The NHS says leg cramps are common.[3] It says “baby brain” is not a proven medical condition.[3]

Your baby this week

The NHS says the baby is around 35.6 cm long.[3]

The NHS says the baby's eyes open for the first time around now.[3] It says eye color is usually settled by age 3.[3]

Visits and tests around week 26

Sources differ

Sources give different weeks for the gestational diabetes test:[6][7][8][9]

  • The US Preventive Services Task Force advises screening at 24 weeks or later.[6]
  • NICHD says screening usually happens between 24 and 28 weeks.[7]
  • ACOG says glucose screening is usually done between 24 and 28 weeks, with blood drawn an hour after a sugar drink.[8]
  • OWH lists glucose challenge and tolerance tests at weeks 26 to 28.[9]

OWH lists a nonstress test after week 28, when a provider orders one.[9]

For a healthy pregnancy, NICHD describes visits once a month until 28 weeks.[7]

Things to do this week

  • The EEOC says the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act covers employers with 15 or more employees.[4]
  • CDC says to avoid lying flat on your back during exercise after the first trimester.[10]
  • MedlinePlus lists 27 mg of iron and 600 mcg of folic acid a day during pregnancy.[11]
  • The FDA advises 2 to 3 servings a week (4 ounces each) of fish from its Best Choices list, such as salmon, sardines, shrimp, cod, tilapia and canned light tuna.[12]

Feelings check-in

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says perinatal depression includes depression during pregnancy, and its signs last at least 2 weeks.[13]

HRSA says the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, 1-833-852-6262, takes calls and texts 24/7 in English and Spanish.[14]

When to call your provider or get help

MedlinePlus says gestational high blood pressure and preeclampsia start after 20 weeks, and high blood pressure is often found only at checkups.[15]

CDC lists urgent warning signs to watch for during pregnancy and in the year after birth, including:[16]

  • a headache that will not go away or gets worse;[16]
  • changes in vision;[16]
  • extreme swelling of the hands or face;[16]
  • severe belly pain that does not go away;[16]
  • the baby's movement stopping or slowing;[16]
  • vaginal bleeding or leaking fluid;[16]
  • thoughts of harming yourself or the baby.[16]

The NHS says to contact your midwife or maternity unit straight away if movements slow down or stop.[3]

Questions families ask

Which trimester is week 26?

OWH places week 26 in the second trimester.[1] The NHS guide places it in the second trimester.[2] ACOG places it in the second trimester.[5]

How big is the baby at 26 weeks?

The NHS says the baby is around 35.6 cm long.[3]

Is “baby brain” real?

The NHS says “baby brain” is not a proven medical condition.[3]

Free from UpOnly Learning. Written for families of every faith. No outside ads and no affiliate links. Every fact on this page comes from the sources listed below. How we source and review these pages

Updated 2026-10-24: first published.

Sources

All sources were opened and checked on the date shown.

  1. Office on Women's Health (HHS). Stages of pregnancy. Checked October 24, 2026.
  2. NHS (United Kingdom). Week-by-week guide to pregnancy. Checked October 24, 2026.
  3. NHS (United Kingdom). 26 weeks pregnant guide. Checked October 24, 2026.
  4. US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. What You Should Know About the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. Checked October 24, 2026.
  5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy. Checked October 24, 2026.
  6. US Preventive Services Task Force. Gestational Diabetes: Screening. Checked October 24, 2026.
  7. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH). What happens during prenatal visits?. Checked October 24, 2026.
  8. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Routine Tests During Pregnancy. Checked October 24, 2026.
  9. Office on Women's Health (HHS). Prenatal care and tests. Checked October 24, 2026.
  10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pregnant & Postpartum Activity: An Overview. Checked October 24, 2026.
  11. MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine). Pregnancy and Nutrition. Checked October 24, 2026.
  12. US Food and Drug Administration. Advice about Eating Fish. Checked October 24, 2026.
  13. National Institute of Mental Health (NIH). Perinatal Depression. Checked October 24, 2026.
  14. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. Checked October 24, 2026.
  15. MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine). High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy. Checked October 24, 2026.
  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (HEAR HER campaign). Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms. Checked October 24, 2026.