During week 26, your baby is continuing to develop and grow, and your body may be hard at work preparing for labor. Keep eating well, keeping those prenatal care appointments, and getting plenty of rest to give your baby the head start he deserves.
Your Baby's Development
Diet continues to play an important role in your pregnancy, even late in the second trimester. In addition to taking prenatal vitamins, eating a balanced diet, and monitoring your weight, it's important to understand a bit about fish consumption.
Fish to Avoid
According to the FDA, it's a good idea to eat fish during pregnancy, but you should avoid certain types of fish because of the high mercury content in these species. In addition to checking local recommendations about species that live in lakes and rivers near you, you should always avoid the following fish when pregnant or breastfeeding:
- Tilefish
- Shark
- King Mackerel
- Swordfish
- Orange Roughy
- Marlin
Fish to Eat in Limited Quantities
The FDA recommends that you eat no more than two meals each week that contain the following fish:
- Salmon
- Catfish
- Canned light tuna (not albacore)
- Pollack
- Shrimp
- Tilapia
- Perch
- Trout
- Whitefish
If you need help downloading the pregnancy calendar, check out these helpful tips.
Looking Forward
Your body may be preparing for labor in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions, but you still have a few months to go. Keep taking great care of yourself and your little one in the weeks to come.