27 Weeks Pregnant
At 27 weeks pregnant, you may have Braxton Hicks contractions. And your baby might start dreaming this week!
Congratulations! You’ve made it to your third trimester. You’re in the home stretch. Hopefully you’re feeling more comfortable as baby continues to develop and your body prepares itself for labor.
What to Expect at 27 Weeks Pregnant
How Many Months is 27 Weeks Pregnant
27 weeks pregnant is six months pregnant, which is the start of the third trimester.
Your Baby at 27 Weeks
In fun fetal development news, baby’s newly developed brain waves are creating sleep cycles, and your baby may even be dreaming! Here’s what else may be happening this week.
- Eyes: Your baby’s eyes are starting to open, and they are practicing opening and closing them. 👀
- Hiccups: Baby is also starting to hiccup. While they won’t make any noise, you might feel them as tiny sudden jumps or flinches in your belly.
- Listening in: It may be an exciting week for partners too! At the 27th week of pregnancy, baby is likely able to distinguish your voice from theirs. If they push their ear to your belly, they may even be able to hear baby’s heartbeat.
- Baby’s brain development: Your little smarty pants now has an active brain. Their brain tissue is still developing, but the brainstem is almost completely mature—it controls heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.
How Big is Your Baby at 27 Weeks?
Your baby is around 14.4 inches long and weighs 1.9 pounds this week. That’s about the size of a Barbie.
Fun Fact
Most umbilical cords are around 20” long.
27 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound
💛 Congratulations 💛
You’re almost done with the second trimester!
27 Weeks Baby Movement
You’re probably feeling much more movement inside that belly of yours! Try doing kick counts—they’re an easy way to monitor your baby’s health.
How should you do kick counts? Once a day take a few minutes to pay extra attention to what’s going on inside. “You’ll want to be able to feel 10 distinct movements—rolls, kicks or flutters—within a two-hour period,” Dr. Jennifer Lang, an LA-based ob-gyn and author of The Whole 9 Months: A Week-by-Week Pregnancy Nutrition Guide with Recipes for a Healthy Start, tells Babylist. It usually takes around five minutes to get to that number. Try to do your kick counts around the same time every day, and record baby’s movements and how long it took to reach 10 of them.
Your Body at 27 Weeks Pregnant
Your body is changing rapidly, and you probably feel it hourly if not more—you’re going to the bathroom often as baby grows and your uterus crowds your bladder. And that doesn’t account for the aches and pains you might be experiencing as you enter the third trimester.
27 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
You may be feeling those “fake” contractions more frequently now. If they’re coming on more than usual, try drinking water and getting a little extra rest.
Braxton Hicks contractions
Feeling contractions already? Braxton Hicks are totally normal. If you have more than four contractions in an hour, though, call your on-call nurse or midwife.
Higher blood pressure
Though a mild increase in blood pressure is somewhat normal when you’re 27 weeks pregnant, your doctor will be keeping an eye on your blood pressure to make sure you aren’t developing preeclampsia, especially after 20 weeks pregnant.
Mood swings
Feeling like an angry mama bear? Pregnancy can make some women more aggressive because your body is priming you to protect your young. If you breastfeed, these feelings could increase after birth because of lactational aggression, according to the National Library of Medicine.
Abdominal pain
Round ligament pain—from all the stretching your body’s doing—is a common cause of stomach pain. So are constipation and gas. But if you’re getting severe or persistent pain, or you have other symptoms, such as bleeding, it could be something more serious. Also, sensations that feel like menstrual cramps and pelvic pressure—downward pushing—should be checked out.
Restless legs
Can’t seem to keep your legs still at night? Restless legs syndrome is another not-so-fun condition that can crop up during pregnancy. You might feel an ache, a creepy-crawly feeling or just weirdness in your legs that drives you nuts. A warm bath or shower, massage and/or stretching can help in the short term. And getting exercise during the day may help you sleep better. Also, mention it to your doc, since low levels or certain nutrients can contribute to RLS, and they might recommend a specific supplement. (But don’t take anything without their okay!)
27 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms Not to Ignore
Call your doctor if anything you’re experiencing feels off to you. At 27 weeks, symptoms you’ll want to address include sudden and extreme swelling of the ankles, face, and fingers; vaginal bleeding; or any severe abdominal pain according to Healthline.
Pregnancy Symptoms Coming Up In Week 28:
Your third trimester begins in week 28. Sciatica, Restless Leg Syndrome and Braxton Hicks contractions are some symptoms you may begin to experience in the coming weeks.
To-Do: Create Your Babylist
With Babylist, you can add any item from any store onto ONE registry. You’ll even get a Hello Baby Box full of free (amazing!) goodies.
Real Baby Bumps at 27 Weeks Pregnant
Commonly Asked Questions About 27 Weeks Pregnant
As you settle into the first days of the third trimester, keep being kind to yourself and your body and be open to any questions that might arise for you.
How much should I be sleeping?
Sleep in—as long and as often as possible. Lounging around is going to be a major luxury soon, so take full advantage of lazy mornings. When you get hungry, go ahead and eat in bed. Crumbs? Who cares! You’ll get to those later, when you’re well rested.
Should I be preparing for breastfeeding?
When it comes to breastfeeding, you may be thinking, boobs + hungry baby = successful breastfeeding, right? But depending on your baby’s ability to latch, your milk supply and a whole bunch of other factors, breastfeeding can be far more complicated than it appears. If you decide you want to try it, get the downlow on the letdown, plugged ducts and other ins and outs of breastfeeding and look for classes in your area (La Leche League is a good resource) and check out The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, Latch and The Nursing Mother’s Companion for informative reads.
What remedies help with restless sleep?
A warm mug of magnesium before bed doesn’t sound all that enticing, but Calm, which comes as a powder you mix into water, can relax your muscles to help you sleep easier, improve restless leg syndrome and reduce constipation. As with all supplements during pregnancy, check with your doctor to ask about a serving size that’s right for you.
How can I avoid bathroom accidents?
Always stop for a bathroom break, even if you don’t technically need to go. As your uterus grows, your bladder shrinks. Sneak as many trips to the bathroom as necessary to avoid emergencies.
Recommended Products for Week 27 of Pregnancy
Your back might be aching and you might be starting to have trouble sleeping. The good news is, by the end of this week you are fully in the third trimester. These products may offer a little comfort for you at week 27 of pregnancy.
27 Weeks Pregnant Checklist
- Sleep in!
- Start doing kick counts.
- Reevaluate your workout. During the third trimester, you may want to modify a bit. Listen to your body.
- Planning on breastfeeding? Sign up for a pre-baby breastfeeding class at your local hospital or parenting resource center.
- Schedule a few daycare tours.
Sources
- Pregnancy and RLS
- Maternal defense: breast feeding increases aggression by reducing stress
- 27 Weeks Pregnant: When to call the doctor
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Babylist Staff
Babylist editors and writers are parents themselves and have years of experience writing and researching, coming from media outlets like Motherly, the SF Chronicle, the New York Times and the Daily Beast, and the fields of early childhood education and publishing. We research and test hundreds of products, survey real Babylist parents and consult reviews in order to recommend the best products and gear for your growing family.
