Week 26 brings a genuine first: your baby's eyes open. They are about 35 cm and 850 grams — roughly a courgette — and brain activity recorded during this period now resembles that of a newborn.
The short answer: the eyes open for the first time this week, usually blue or blue-grey regardless of eventual colour, and can detect the small amount of diffused light reaching through the abdominal wall — not images. Brain wave patterns now resemble a newborn's. For you, Braxton Hicks contractions often become noticeable: a brief, irregular tightening of the belly that is the uterus practising rather than a sign of labour.
Your baby this week
The eyes open for the first time this week — a genuine developmental milestone, though not one that means seeing in any meaningful sense yet. They are blue or blue-grey in most babies at this stage regardless of what colour they will eventually settle into, since melanin production in the iris continues after birth. What light does reach through the abdominal wall is heavily diffused, so this is closer to detecting brightness than forming an image.
Brain activity recorded during this period genuinely resembles patterns seen in a newborn, a real marker of how far neurological development has come. Subcutaneous fat is accumulating faster now too, which will steadily fill out the wrinkled appearance of earlier weeks into a plumper, smoother one.
Your body this week
Braxton Hicks contractions often become noticeable around now — a tightening across the belly, sometimes described as the uterus turning briefly to stone, lasting seconds to a couple of minutes before releasing. They are irregular, do not build in intensity, and are not usually painful. This is the uterus rehearsing rather than labour beginning, and they can continue on and off for the rest of the pregnancy.
Blood pressure sometimes rises slightly around now, edging back toward pre-pregnancy levels after being lower for much of the second trimester — a normal part of the trajectory, which is exactly why it continues to be checked at every appointment.
Tests and appointments
Nothing routine falls exactly at 26 weeks for most care pathways, though the glucose test deadline (28 weeks) is close if it has not been done.
✅ Worth doing this week
- Learn to distinguish Braxton Hicks from real contractions now, before it matters urgently
- Start practising breathing techniques for labour — there is time to build the habit before it is needed
- Ask about compression stockings if varicose veins have appeared
- Note the pattern of any tightenings — frequency, whether they are painful, whether they ease with rest
- Keep the glucose test appointment if it is booked for the coming days
When to call your doctor
Call the same day if: tightenings become regular, increasingly frequent or painful, or come with lower back pain, pelvic pressure, bleeding or fluid loss — this combination needs assessing for preterm labour rather than assumed to be Braxton Hicks. Also call for bleeding, severe abdominal pain, a severe headache with visual disturbance, fainting, or a temperature above 38°C.
FAQ — 26 weeks pregnant
What colour are the baby's eyes at 26 weeks?
Blue or blue-grey, in most babies of any eventual eye colour — melanin production in the iris is not complete, and true colour is often not settled until several months after birth. Opening the eyes now does not mean seeing images; there is very little light to detect through the abdominal wall, and what light does get through is heavily diffused.
What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?
A tightening or hardening of the belly, like it has turned briefly to stone, lasting somewhere from a few seconds to around a minute or two, then releasing. They are irregular, do not increase in intensity, and are not usually painful — more of a firm squeeze than a pain. They are the uterus "practising" rather than a sign of labour starting.
When should I worry about Braxton Hicks?
If tightenings become regular, increasingly frequent, painful, or are accompanied by lower back pain, pelvic pressure, or any bleeding or fluid loss — especially before 37 weeks — that combination needs assessing for preterm labour rather than assumed to be Braxton Hicks. Occasional, irregular, painless tightening is the normal pattern.
How big is the baby at 26 weeks?
About 35 cm and 850 grams — roughly a courgette. Subcutaneous fat is now accumulating faster, which will gradually fill out the wrinkled appearance of earlier weeks.
Week 26 at a glance
At 26 weeks your baby is about 35 cm and 850 grams, with eyes opening for the first time — blue or blue-grey regardless of eventual colour, detecting diffused light rather than images — and brain activity that now resembles a newborn's. For you, Braxton Hicks contractions often become noticeable: irregular, brief, usually painless tightening that is the uterus practising. Regular, painful, or worsening tightenings are a different signal and need assessing rather than assumed to be the same thing.
Inside Baby Novum: the contraction timer is ready whenever you need to check a pattern against real labour signs, and the weekly guide explains exactly what is typical at this stage so a new sensation can be checked rather than guessed at.