Welcome to the 27th week of your pregnancy journey! You are now one week away from the beginning of your third trimester, only three months to go!
Your baby’s hearing has now developed to the point where he can hear you but not so clearly due to the protective coating of wax covering his ears.
By this week, you might feel some unusual movements in your belly, those movements could be your baby’s hiccups as his lungs are still developing at this stage, so, he might have a couple of hiccups every now and then.
Your baby has now started developing muscle tone because of all the kicking, punching, and rolling he is doing.
Changes Happening in Your Body by Your 27th Week
By this week, you have probably gained some weight and can barely remember what a slim waist looked like anymore. You might be feeling constipated and a bit bloated, that’s because your baby is taking up more space than he used to as he is growing bigger and bigger every day.
Those symptoms are probably caused by your increasing pregnancy hormones. You can easily avoid constipation by drinking plenty of water and eating high fiber food such as fruits and vegetables.
You might be facing some trouble finding a comfortable sleeping position at this stage, you can try sleeping on your sides rather than sleeping on your back.
The American pregnancy association recommends sleeping on your left side as it increases the blood amount and nutrients in the placenta.
Research suggests that sleeping on your back after your 28th week could highly increase the risk of stillbirth in addition to causing your back pain, piles, and constipation.
Try supporting your bump with a pillow, you can even find some designated pillows made for pregnant ladies that will take you to a whole other level of comfort and good night sleep.
For a more comfortable sleeping position, try keeping your knees and legs bent with another pillow between your legs and roll back onto your side if you find yourself rolling onto your back.
This will probably be the last week you can fly before you need a fitness-to-fly note from your doctor or midwife. This note will confirm that your pregnancy is not complicated and you can fly safely. You can usually fly up until the end of your 36th week if you are having one baby and up to your 32nd week if you are having twins or more.
Symptoms of the 27th Week of Pregnancy
At this stage, it is completely normal to snore at night due to the nasal passage being probably swollen or even blocked. You might need to get your partner some earplugs though.
Your 27th week of pregnancy symptoms might include:
- Sleeping problems
- Snoring
- Backache
- Headaches
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Random pain around muscles
- Dizziness
- Tiredness
- Sore breasts
- Leg cramps
- Stretch marks
- Thicker hair
- Swollen gums
- Urine infection
- Bloating or constipation
- Spotty skin
- Feeling too warm
- Greasier skin
- Piles
- Vaginal infection
- Thicker hair
Your Baby’s 27th Week Development
Your baby has been growing so much over the past few weeks, he is now around 37cm in length and weighs around 875g. Which is around the size of three chicken breasts.
Your baby’s organs are all maturing at this point, his lungs are now developed and he can breathe as he prepares himself for life outside the womb. His face and skin are now changing in shape as he grows, his body fats are filling out the folds of skin (wrinkles) for him to have a better looking natural skin. Your bun is almost done!
Your baby’s brain is more active than ever at this point as the synapses and neurons are forming and starting a complex system of connections throughout your baby’s brain.
Your baby is now considered safe to be born, even though birth at 27 weeks is considered very premature, however, researches suggest that 90% of babies born at 27 weeks can survive normally with some extra support at the NICU and require a high level of care. However, it feels better knowing that your baby has a fighting chance!
This Week’s Tips
Fight Constipation and Bloating
We have all been there, feeling all gassy and bloated at this stage is completely normal due to the pregnancy hormones and the extra weight in your belly as your baby is taking up more space than he used to a couple of weeks ago.
You can try changing the type of foods and snacks you’re having during the day, make sure to add plenty of high fiber foods into your diet in addition to plenty of vegetables and fruits.
Monitor Your Heart Rate
Now that you are pumping blood for two hearts, it is more important than ever to monitor your heart rate and make sure it is stable while exercising.
You can try and do the exercise-talk test. You do not need to take the pulse rate, you can just try to talk and exercise at the same time, and if it was too hard to do it then your heart rate is probably too high.
Keep Track of What You Eat During the Day
Some women have certain reactions to some foods such as carbs, it’s better to keep track of what you eat during the day so in case you felt like a part of your body hurts all of a sudden, check the journal and see what you have eaten that might have caused the pain and ask your midwife or doctor about it.