Your week-by-week guide to pregnancy: 26 weeks pregnant | MadeForMums

So what's happening to your body this week?

Come over in a hot flush? When they said you’d get a mid-pregnancy glow, they never said that might really mean you come over all red and sweaty.

Welcome to the pregnancy hot flush: a sort of cross between menopausal overheating and a blotchy teenage fluster – not the best of looks, it has to be said, but at least they don’t last more than a minute or two.

It’s all caused by your fluctuating hormone levels, which, in turn, can cause surges in the blood supply to your skin (and sometimes make your heart race, too).

There’s not much you can do but sweat it out (all too literally) and stuff your handbag with those little water-mist cooling sprays.

When will these hot flushes stop?

Our MFMer's 26-week bump of the week

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Are you keeping track of your bump with weekly pics? Check out other MFMers' belfies in our 26 week bump gallery.

Did you know? Your baby's now the length of... a traybake

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This week, your baby measures 35.6cm, around the same length as a delicious traybake.

And around the weight of... a squeezy bottle of ketchup

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Your baby now weighs around 1lb 11oz (760g)!

4 things you might need to know this week

Tip of the week from our community

“My legs keep twitching as I'm about to drop off to sleep or I get the urge to move them. It's been driving me crazy! I mentioned it my midwife who said it could be dehydration so to make sure I drank lots. A hot-water bottle under my legs does help to ease it a bit, too," said Liz, a member of our MadeForMums community.

Your pregnancy superpower: Super-emoting

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Hello birds, hello trees! Isn't the world a wonderful, skippy-happy place? Or at least it was until you heard the news headlines and now you're clutching the Kleenex in despair.

Yep, pregnancy makes you so emotionally super-sensitive, even the oh-so-predictable ‘I'm doing this for my sick hamster' stories on X Factor have you sobbing in turbo-revved sympathy.

It's raw and maybe a bit weird. But just let those super-charged waves of touchy-feeliness wash over you: it's your brain's way of gearing you up to bond with your baby.

Gok Wan drew a picture. Pregnant Fearne Cotton cried

Our preg recipe for week 26 - Lemon bars

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Why oranges and lemons are great for your growing baby

All that vitamin C in oranges and lemons is not only good for you (and your baby) by itself, it also helps your body absorb and release other nutrients you need, like iron, zinc and calcium. If you’re still sluggish on the old digestive front, sipping lemon juice mixed into a big jug of water is thought to help with bloating and constipation and, if nothing else, it’s quite a nice way to make sure you’re drinking enough to keep you healthily hydrated.

See the full recipe and get cooking...

Baby namer - what do you think of these literary-inspired names?

Literature provides plenty of fodder for great baby names, be it a character from your favourite novel or an admired novelist. What do you think of these two?

Harper
If you're a fan of To Kill a Mockingbird then this is a fitting tribute to the book's author Harper Lee. Originally, it's an occupational name for someone who plays the harp.
Celeb baby-name-check: Victoria Beckham named her 1st daughter Harper.

Gulliver
In the classic Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver is an adventurer who ends up on an island inhabited by tiny people. The famous traveller's name is from the Old French Goulafre that means glutton.
Celeb baby-name-check: Gary Oldman named his 1st son Gulliver.

Check out our dedicated Baby Names section for lots more ideas.

So that's plenty for this week, want to take a peek at what lies ahead - or look back at last week?