27 weeks pregnant

Pregnancy symptoms at 27 weeks pregnant

During pregnancy, you might be amazed at how your body instinctively nourishes, grows and protects your baby. It all just naturally happens, and you don’t need to know how to do anything. However, caring for a newborn is a learned skill. If you haven't already, be sure to book your antenatal classes as you will be needing to start them in a few weeks if you want to complete them before baby arrives. These classes cover topics such as:

• Labour
• Your pain relief options during birth
• What you can expect post- delivery
• Common newborn problems that your baby may have
• The basics of caring for a newborn
• Baby proofing
• Breast-feeding or bottle-feeding options
• Infant CPR.

Learning as much as you can about birth and new born care will help you feel more positive and prepared, especially if you're a first-time mum or dad.

Pregnancy weight gain at 27 weeks

As your baby grows, you do too. And it’s not just all baby; there’s increased blood volume, the weight of the placenta, your increase in breast size, and all the other ways your body is expanding. While the average woman gains between 10 and 20kgs, everyone is different. As long as your’re eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, aiming to get as many nutrients in your diet as possible, and not over-indulging in treat foods all the time, there is no reason to worry about weight gain.

But, if you suddenly gain a lot of weight, this could be cause for concern, especially if you find your feet, hands, and face are swollen too. It could be a sign of pre-eclampsia, so get that checked out with your obstetrician or midwife.

Things to do at 27 weeks to prepare for baby arrival

You should be looking after yourself. If you’re experiencing morning sickness or indigestion, you’re probably struggling with food. Try to keep eating high fibre, nutritious foods, and drinking plenty of water. Although it’s challenging now, the benefits to you and the baby are worth it—and, there’s not that much longer to go.

In your second trimester, exercise is the ‘sweet spot’ of your pregnancy. You can still be pretty active, you have more energy than in your first trimester, and you’re not completely unbalanced by the big bump yet. You can continue doing whatever feels good for you; or start toning things down as you ease into your third trimester. Walking, swimming, and yoga are all excellent options for those final months of pregnancy—and keep it up as long as possible, it will make birth and recovery easier.

Common pregnancy symptoms at 27 weeks

There are a huge range of symptoms—and you could have some, or none, or all of them.

• Itchy belly, from all that stretching skin
• Restless legs at night. This could be linked to deficiencies in iron, or, just cut back on sugar in the evenings
• Cramping legs at night, often in calves and shins
• Bleeding gums are common, thanks to those pesky hormones. Take good care of your teeth, they will return to normal once you are no longer pregnant
• Faintness or dizziness is common due to blood sugar changes and hormones. Speak to your medical practitioner if you’re worried about it
• A stuffy nose or bleeding nose is a regular occurrence, if it bothers you, speak to your midwife
• Constipation and/or indigestion due to slowed indigestion times
• Increased vaginal discharge of clear, whitish, non-odourous fluid
• Skin pigmentation, which you may notice on your nipples, and sometimes your face
• Crazy baby dreams; while entertaining, these vivid dreams don’t help with sleeping

Your baby at 27 weeks

Your baby now weighs between 900 grams and 1kg. He or she is around 36-38 cms in length and is curled up ‘foetal position’ inside you. They are roughly the size of a cauliflower. Your baby looks a bit like what they will at birth, except smaller and thinner. Organs such as the liver, immune system and lungs aren’t fully mature yet (all that hiccupping is helping your baby learn to use their lungs though). If your baby was born at 27 weeks, he or she would have about an 85% chance of survival, which is positive.

At 27 weeks pregnant, your baby can recognise your voice

Your baby's hearing is continuing to develop. By now, they may start to recognise your voice, your partners, and anyone else they regularly hear. Sounds will be muffled for them though, as their little ears are coated with vernix. This thick waxy layer stops the skin from becoming dried out or irritated by the amniotic fluid, but also obscures sounds. The baby can hear music; so if there’s a song you play a lot, it’s likely the baby will recognise it after birth!

27 weeks pregnant is how many months

You’re in your sixth month of pregnancy. Three months left to go, and next week you’ll be officially in your third trimester.