- Pregnancy Week by Weeks
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Something has shifted in the quality of the movement.
It is not the flutter of weeks sixteen and seventeen, not the uncertain sensation that you second-guessed in the quieter moments of the second trimester. The kicks at 25 weeks are something different. They are definite. They are sometimes strong enough to be startling. They happen at the same times of day with enough regularity that you have started to learn the pattern, the particular combination of timing and position and food that reliably produces a response.
This is one of the most distinctive experiences of the second half of pregnancy, and one that most content about week 25 mentions in passing before moving on to a list of symptoms. It deserves more than that. The movement at 25 weeks is the clearest signal yet that there is a specific, individual person in there, and the familiarity you are developing with your baby’s particular rhythms and responses is not incidental. It is the foundation of the monitoring that will matter through the third trimester, and it is also, simply, one of the most connecting experiences of the entire pregnancy.
You are now five weeks away from the third trimester. Close enough to feel it, far enough that you still have the relative comfort of the second trimester ahead of you for a few more weeks. Here is what is happening this week.
Your baby at 25 weeks — over 660 grams and building fat
Your baby measures approximately 34.6 centimetres from crown to heel and weighs around 660 grams this week. The growth rate from here through the third trimester is one of the most rapid of the entire pregnancy, and you will feel it in the increasing size and weight of the kicks.
Fat accumulation is the defining physical development of the weeks ahead. The subcutaneous fat that has been building gradually since the early second trimester is now increasing more rapidly, filling in the skin and changing your baby’s appearance from the wrinkled, translucent form of the earlier months toward something that more closely resembles a newborn. This fat serves critical functions after birth: insulating against heat loss, providing a caloric reserve for the energy demands of the newborn period, and supporting the blood glucose regulation that is essential in the first hours after delivery.
The lungs continue their critical maturation. Surfactant production is increasing, and the air sacs are multiplying and developing in ways that will progressively improve the chances of survival and reduce the complications of premature birth with each additional week. At 25 weeks the lungs are significantly more developed than they were even two weeks ago, though they will not reach full maturity until around weeks 34 to 36.
The brain is developing its folded surface more rapidly, increasing the neural surface area available for complex processing. The connections between neurons are multiplying at a pace that the adult brain could not sustain for more than moments. Your baby is not conscious in the adult sense, but the neural infrastructure that will eventually support consciousness, memory, and complex thought is being built this week.
Your baby has a well-established startle response now. A sudden loud sound, a sudden movement, a change in light will produce a physical reaction that you may feel as a sharp sudden kick rather than the more typical rolling movement. This is a normal and healthy reflexive response, not distress.
The nostrils, which have been fused since the early weeks of development, open this week. Your baby begins practising breathing movements, drawing amniotic fluid in and out of the developing lungs in the rhythmic pattern that will translate to air after birth. These breathing movements are an essential part of lung development and of the muscular coordination that breathing will eventually require.
Your body at 25 weeks
The physical experience of 25 weeks is shaped increasingly by the size of the baby and the uterus, which now sits well above the navel and is creating a visible and physical presence that affects posture, movement, digestion, and sleep in ways that were not present even a month ago.
The uterus at 25 weeks is approximately at the level of your navel plus several centimetres, and the upward pressure it is creating on the stomach and diaphragm is becoming more noticeable. Heartburn and indigestion, which have likely been a feature of the second trimester for some weeks, tend to intensify from this point onward as the available space for the stomach contracts. Smaller meals more frequently, eating slowly, avoiding lying down within an hour of eating, and raising the head of the bed slightly if night-time heartburn is disturbing sleep are the most consistently effective management approaches. Ask your gynaecologist which antacid formulations are safe during pregnancy if you need something beyond dietary adjustments.
Shortness of breath may begin to appear at 25 weeks as the growing uterus presses upward on the diaphragm and reduces the space available for the lungs to expand fully. Mild breathlessness during physical activity is normal. Sudden severe shortness of breath at rest, chest pain, or breathlessness accompanied by heart palpitations are not ordinary second-trimester symptoms and warrant a call to your gynaecologist.
Swelling of the feet and ankles, particularly at the end of the day and in the Mauritius heat, is common from the second trimester onward and tends to increase as the pregnancy progresses. The combination of increased blood volume, the pressure the growing uterus places on the veins returning blood from the lower body, and the vasodilating effects of pregnancy hormones all contribute. Mild, symmetrical swelling that reduces with rest and elevation is ordinary. Sudden, significant swelling, particularly if it involves the face and hands, is accompanied by headache, visual disturbances, or a feeling of being unwell, it is a warning sign for preeclampsia and warrants same-day medical attention.
Back and pelvic pain continues to be a significant feature of the second half of pregnancy. The progressive shift of the centre of gravity forward, the ligament loosening of relaxin, and the increasing weight of the uterus all contribute. Swimming remains one of the most effective forms of pain management because the water supports the weight of the bump and allows movement without impact or gravitational load on painful joints. A referral to a women’s health physiotherapist is worth requesting from your gynaecologist if pain is significantly affecting daily functioning.
Skin stretching is ongoing. The linea nigra and any melasma present continue to develop. In Mauritius sun, daily SPF application on exposed skin is the most effective measure for preventing melasma from deepening. Both the linea nigra and melasma typically fade progressively in the months after birth.
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The gestational diabetes test
If you have not yet had the HGPO, the oral glucose tolerance test, it should be scheduled within the next few weeks. The window is weeks 24 to 28 in Mauritius, and at 25 weeks you are in the middle of it.
The test requires fasting from the evening before. You will have a baseline blood test, drink a glucose solution, and then have one or two further blood tests at specified intervals over approximately two to three hours. Bring something to read or occupy yourself during the waiting time. Confirm with your gynaecologist or laboratory whether water is permitted during the fasting period, as policies vary.
Eat a completely normal balanced diet in the days before the test. Restricting carbohydrates or sugars before the test in an attempt to influence the result is counterproductive and produces misleading findings. The test reflects how your body manages glucose in its normal state, and that is the information it needs to provide accurately.
The result matters in the Mauritius context more than its position as routine antenatal screening might suggest. The island’s rates of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome are among the highest in the Indian Ocean region, which means gestational diabetes is more common here than global averages reflect. A positive result is managed with dietary changes, more frequent monitoring, and in some cases medication through the third trimester, all of which meaningfully improve outcomes for both you and your baby when identified and addressed.
Nutrition at 25 weeks
The nutritional priorities of the second half of pregnancy become more urgent from week 25 onward as your baby’s growth rate accelerates and the demands on your body increase accordingly.
The most important single dietary adjustment at this stage is ensuring adequate caloric intake. The second and third trimesters are not the moment for restriction. Your baby’s fat accumulation and organ development require real nutritional resources, and the common advice to simply eat a little more than usual understates the actual increased demand of this phase. Eating when hungry, eating nutritiously, and not restricting are the appropriate instructions.
Iron remains the most critical micronutrient. Blood volume expansion continues, iron demand is at its highest in the second half of pregnancy, and anaemia in this period is associated with increased fatigue, reduced birth weight, and complications at delivery. If your most recent blood tests showed ferritin or haemoglobin below the optimal range, this is the window to address it either through dietary intensification or supplementation as advised by your gynaecologist. The pairing of plant-based iron with vitamin C at the same meal continues to be the single most practical dietary intervention for improving iron status in a diet where plant-based iron predominates.
Omega-3 fatty acids are worth specific emphasis at 25 weeks because your baby’s brain is at one of its most active developmental phases and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acid most directly implicated in neural development, is incorporated into brain tissue most rapidly in the final trimester. Building adequate DHA status in the weeks before the third trimester is a meaningful nutritional investment. Oily fish from the Mauritius market, tinned sardines, mackerel, and to a lesser extent walnuts and ground flaxseed all contribute.
Hydration in the Mauritius heat remains non-negotiable. The combination of increased blood volume, higher metabolic demand, and the ambient temperature creates fluid requirements that are meaningfully higher than standard adult hydration guidelines account for. Water available consistently throughout the day, the fluid content of soups, fresh fruits, and coconut water all contribute to total intake.
Movement monitoring
At 25 weeks, formal kick counting of the kind that begins around 28 weeks is not yet the standard expectation, but the familiarity you are developing with your baby’s movement patterns at this stage is genuinely important preparation for it.
Note the times of day your baby is typically most active. Note which foods or activities seem to increase movement. Note what a normal quiet period looks like compared to what feels like an unusual absence of movement. This knowledge, built organically across the coming weeks, will make the formal monitoring of the third trimester significantly more meaningful because it will be applied against a genuine understanding of your baby’s individual normal rather than a generic expectation.
If you notice a sustained and significant change from what has been your baby’s typical pattern, contact your gynaecologist. This guidance applies at 25 weeks even before formal kick counting has begun.
When to contact your clinic
Contact your gynaecologist for heavy vaginal bleeding, significant or one-sided abdominal pain, regular or intensifying contractions, leaking fluid from the vagina, fever, sudden severe shortness of breath, severe headache with visual disturbances or swelling of the face and hands, a significant sustained change in your baby’s movement pattern, or any symptom that feels clearly wrong rather than ordinary second-trimester adjustment.
The third trimester begins at week 29, which is now three weeks away. From week 26 onward, the growth rate of your baby accelerates further and the physical demands of the pregnancy increase correspondingly. The formal movement monitoring that becomes standard from around week 28 is approaching. The antenatal appointments that will occur every two to three weeks from the third trimester onward are close.
References: NHS — You and your baby at 25 weeks pregnant. nhs.uk. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Second trimester prenatal care. acog.org. World Health Organisation — Antenatal care recommendations. who.int. Tommy’s — 25 weeks pregnant. tommys.org. Ministry of Health and Wellness Mauritius — Antenatal care guidelines.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult your gynaecologist or midwife for guidance specific to your pregnancy. If you have concerns about symptoms, movement, swelling, or your antenatal care at any stage, contact your clinic.