When you are 27 weeks pregnant, both you and your baby are getting heavier and many side effects of pregnancy may set in. Heartburn, leg cramps, and shortness of breath are common.
How about you? Vote in this poll on pregnancy body changes! Better get used to it, because you will continue to get heavier and more uncomfortable in the three months to come!
Your baby’s senses continue to develop and the eyes are opening up this week.
If born and healthy he or she has an 85% chance of surviving. Not bad!
Week 26 | Week 28
What to Expect at 27 Weeks Pregnant
In this article…
How Many Months is 27 Weeks Pregnant?
You are currently in the sixth month of pregnancy. This week is the last week of the second trimester. Wow, 66% done.
It can be confusing to count pregnancy weeks and months and understand the difference between the week or month you are in and how many full weeks or months pregnant you are. To make it easier for you to understand the logic behind it, we wrote a short guide.
But, the best advice would be to stick to counting weeks only. It is also how health practitioners do it.
Your Baby’s at 27 Weeks
How Big is My Baby at 27 weeks?
The fetal age of your baby is now 25 weeks. At 27 weeks pregnant, your baby weighs over two pounds (900 g) and is two times the weight from around two weeks ago. The baby’s length is nearly about 14.5 inches (36.8 cm), and your baby is now the size of a head of cauliflower.
After about 27 weeks of pregnancy, the baby’s head weight increases, and the gravity starts to move your baby’s head downward. Your baby still has time and room to move into the head-down position, so don’t panic if it didn’t happen already.
What Does my Baby Look Like at 27 Weeks Pregnant?
At 27 weeks, your baby’s eyes are opened.
The fat layers that were developing for the last few weeks are smoothing out the wrinkles, making the skin softer, and your little one is looking plumper every day.
At this point, the baby is a smaller version of what they will look like after they are born.
Fetal development
Your child now opens and closes her eyes and sleeps and wakes up at regular intervals.
She may also be sucking her fingers during this time.
The brain continues to grow rapidly, more brain tissues develop, and retinas begin to form.
The lungs are still immature and are incapable of functioning without help in an outside environment. However, your baby is practicing inhaling and exhaling by taking “practice breaths” of amniotic fluid.
You may begin to feel strange rhythmic movements in your tummy, which usually lasts a few minutes. No need to worry. They are just baby hiccups, which are common during this period.
Highlighted developments during this week are your baby’s sense of taste and hearing. The auditory development for the sense of hearing continues to progress as more networks of nerves in the ears mature. She can hear sounds, but these sounds are muffled by the creamy coating that is covering the ears. But she is still able to recognize voices and sounds. So better start singing those lullabies and nursery rhymes.
Your little one has more taste buds that are now well developed. Experiments show that babies in the womb prefer sweet to sour, just like most of us.
Mom’s Body when 27 Weeks Pregnant
The Belly
Your tummy may be as big as a basketball at this point. It is continuing to rise and is now getting closer to your rib cage – not allowing space for your lungs to expand fully.
This is the reason why sometimes you are experiencing shortness of breath during activities.
You probably feel your baby moving and kicking a lot at this point. Although the fetal movement is sporadic in early pregnancy, you should feel the fetal movement daily after 26 weeks. If you notice decreased fetal movement or that your baby isn’t moving at all contact your practitioner.
Pregnancy Symptoms
Some uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms are probably already too familiar. One of these is back pain. Additional to back pain, it isn’t unusual to experience hip pain, often when lying down and trying to sleep. Some pregnant women swear by pregnancy pillows that help relieve the pain by providing support, easing the pressure on hips, and finding a comfortable sleeping position.
Constipation and/or hemorrhoids are also common in pregnancy and can start at any time. Progesterone slows down the bowels, and that can lead to feeling bloated and to constipation. Constipation might also happen because the uterus is putting more pressure on your bowel.
Subsequently, straining during bowel movements because of constipation and the pressure of your growing uterus can lead to the swelling of the veins in the rectum. That is how hemorrhoids develop.
The best way to lower the chances of getting hemorrhoids is to prevent constipation and straining when going to the bathroom. To do that, eat fiber-rich foods, drink plenty of water, and try to stay as active as possible, even if it is just by taking daily walks.
You may also start noticing new symptoms starting when 27 weeks pregnant. (More symptoms, is that even possible…?!)
If you had been experiencing backaches for the past few weeks, now you may notice that leg cramps are more likely to happen now and then.
One reason for this is your growing uterus that is starting to put pressure on your veins and arteries, causing slow circulation to your lower extremities. Expect these cramps to worsen in the latter part of the pregnancy and to experience them more often during the night.
If this happens, you have to dorsiflex your foot, meaning you have to move the instep of your foot upwards and bring it closer to the shin.
Some women might also experience restless legs syndrome, characterized by feelings of “crawling” or tingling in the legs. It is believed that this might be related to iron-deficiency, so make sure to mention it at your next check-up. To relieve the discomfort, you can try light exercise and stretching.
At 27 weeks pregnant, it is not uncommon to feel pain in the pelvic area. This pain is the result of the ligaments in your pelvis loosening in preparation for delivery.
You might also feel the round ligament pain, which is felt as a sharp, stabbing, or dull pain that happens because the ligaments that hold your uterus in place are becoming stretched.
You may experience mild swelling and edema in the feet, ankles, and hands during this week. This is also because of the pressure that the uterus puts on the veins and arteries, causing the fluids to accumulate in the body tissues of your lower extremities.
Be reminded that excessive swelling in the lower extremities, puffiness of the face, increased blood pressure, and dizziness are no longer normal at this point and may indicate a more serious condition. So better see your health care provider, for these can sometimes be signs of preeclampsia – one of the high risks in pregnancy.
There are ways on how to prevent swelling. You can avoid sitting or standing for prolonged periods of time. But if it can’t be avoided, you should always elevate your feet at least 30 minutes at the end of the day – this is to allow proper circulation of blood.
Dizzy spells are a common pregnancy symptom. However, it is always best to tell your health practitioner when symptoms like these appear. When you feel light-headed, it would be best to lie down and elevate your feet.
You might experience Braxton Hicks contractions, which are uterine contractions that are usually painless and occur at irregular intervals. These are known as false contractions because the uterus is doing this as an exercise to aid the body in its preparation for childbirth.
However, although it might seem early, at 26 weeks, you should learn the difference between a true labor contraction and a Braxton Hicks contraction because preterm labor could happen in the second trimester.
Braxton Hicks contractions or false contractions begin and remain irregular. They are felt first in the abdomen and remain confined in the abdomen and groin, disappear with ambulation and rest, and do not increase in frequency, duration, and interval.
If you experience regular, painful, and period-like cramping, you might be having true contractions. True contractions begin as irregular contractions and become regular and predictable. You can feel those contractions even when you rest and sleep, and they increase in frequency, duration, and interval.
If you think you are experiencing true contractions or are not sure whether they are real or false, contact your doctor.
One more sign that can scare you is bleeding. At this point in pregnancy, a small amount of spotting or blood-tinged mucus can be normal. Some of the reasons for it are bloody show, the passage of mucus blood, or spotting after sex or a vaginal exam. However, if the amount of bleeding is more than just spotting, it might be serious, and it is best to call your doctor immediately. Any time you are unsure if the bleeding you are experiencing is normal, call your health practitioner.
Things to do and buy this week
You are nearing the third trimester. If you feel it is not too early or you haven’t done it already, you can slowly start making a list of all the things you need to buy and prepare before the baby’s arrival. No rush. You can add new things to the list as they come to your mind.
If you haven’t already, you can start thinking about the name you and your partner want to give to your baby. Isn’t that exciting?
It is also a good idea to start doing pelvic floor exercises that can help you tone the muscles and prevent leakage when you jump, laugh, sneeze, or cough.
If you haven’t started to attend a prenatal birth class yet, it is soon time!
Get immediate expert help with your pregnancy questions through JustAnswer Pregnancy:Week 27 Pregnancy Video
Diary of a Daughter
What’s it really like being 27 weeks pregnant…? Here’s a true diary from a 27 weeks pregnant mom (Me..!)
This week I was moved to a hospital closer to home. A great relief! My belly remains pretty calm as long as I stay still.
I was scheduled for an ultrasound, and when I came there, they had this new machine showing 3D pictures of the fetus. I saw my baby in detail; the nose, mouth, eyes, fingers, toes, even the hair. They used me to educate the nurses on the new apparatus, so we checked my baby for 1 hour. It was absolutely wonderful.
They asked if they could check the gender too, but I said no. I would have loved to know, but my husband really doesn’t want to.
My baby weighs slightly more than 2 pounds now, they said. So tiny. I really hope he/she gets to remain inside of me for several more weeks.
Are you also 27 weeks pregnant? Please share your experiences and thoughts by leaving a comment below!
Read Next
- Weight gain during pregnancy, what is normal and not
- Healthy eating during pregnancy
- Poll: How is your body changing during pregnancy?
Week 26 | Week 28
References:
Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Joanne Stone MD and Keith Eddleman MD, The Pregnancy Bible: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy and Early Parenthood
Nilsson, L; Hamberger, L. A Child Is Born
Soderberg, L., Mammapraktika. B Wahlstroms.
Image: Image of 27 weeks belly by Graham and Sheila
Paula Dennholt founded Easy Baby Life in 2006 and has been a passionate parenting and pregnancy writer since then. Her parenting approach and writing are based on studies in cognitive-behavioral models and therapy for children and her experience as a mother and stepmother. Life as a parent has convinced her of how crucial it is to put relationships before rules. She strongly believes in positive parenting and a science-based approach.
Paula cooperates with a team of pediatricians who assist in reviewing and writing articles.
