At 27 weeks pregnant, you are officially at your final week of the second trimester, congratulations!
The last third of pregnancy, which is the third trimester, is right in front of you, and greeting your baby is closer than ever.
Keep reading to learn more about what week twenty-seven has in store for you and your baby.
Physical Symptoms During Week Twenty-Seven of Pregnancy
Turning the corner into your third trimester will come with a whole new set of pregnancy symptoms and pregnancy-related discomforts, and you will spend the whole third trimester enjoying them.
Around week twenty-seven of your pregnancy, some of the main pregnancy symptoms you can expect are going to include:
Breast Growth
During your pregnancy, a healthy weight gain is non-negotiable, completely normal, and pretty much a given.
With every pregnancy week, the weight gain will come as a result of your growing baby, uterus, placenta, and amniotic fluid.
However, your breasts will also account for some added pregnancy weight, perhaps not surprisingly.
During pregnancy, the milk-making tissue is growing in preparation for your baby, which changes the size and weight of your breasts.
Hemorrhoids
Hemorrhoids are very common at the twenty-seventh pregnancy week, and many pregnant women deal with this uncomfortable pregnancy symptom.
The increased pressure caused by your growing uterus and issues with bowel movements caused by constipation can lead to swollen veins in your rectum, which we call hemorrhoids.
Leg cramps
You can expect your legs to cramp quite a bit at this stage of your pregnancy and in the weeks moving forward.
Keep stretching them when they start hurting and drink lots of water to prevent these cramps.
Constipation
Constipation is one of the most common symptoms of the second trimester, and it can make your days pretty uncomfortable.
Make sure to drink lots of water, walk after eating, and keep a healthy diet full of fiber-rich foods.
If that is not enough, advise your healthcare provider whether getting some fiber supplements or stool softeners would be a good and safe idea for you.
Skin, nail, and hair changes
The way your pregnancy hormones affect your nails, hair, and skin is a flip of a coin.
Hormonal changes might make your skin, hair, and nails thicker and healthier than ever, but they could also make them brittle and dry.
Snissing
This is a new term for you, and it means peeing a bit when you sneeze.
Your growing baby and growing uterus are putting a ton of pressure on your bladder, and when the sneeze comes, your full bladder is much more difficult to control.
Make sure to wear a pantiliner if you’re worried, and take a lot of bathroom breaks to make sure your bladder is empty.
What Happens to The Baby During Week Twenty-Seven of Pregnancy?
At 27 weeks pregnant, your baby measures 14.4 inches and weighs 1.9 pounds, which is about the size of a head of lettuce. Of course, the average 27-week baby grows more by the day, but they are also getting smarter and smarter! Both you and your baby are preparing for your first meet, which will come soon.
The baby’s head grows heavier as time goes on, due to the rapid development in that area of the body. The baby’s brain and baby’s lungs continue to grow and develop daily.
At this point of your pregnancy, the baby is developing their own waking and sleeping patterns, which is why you might notice that they are getting into a schedule of being more active and then asleep.
Pregnancy Checklist During Week Twenty-Seven
There are certain tasks you need to fulfill and cross off your list in order to avoid pregnancy complications and ensure baby’s health during your pregnancy.
The list of things you need to complete during your twenty-seventh week of pregnancy will include:
Stay hydrated
Stay on top of hydration during the day, but slow down as the day slowly ends to minimize your nightly trips to the bathroom.
Reach out for support
As your due date approaches, you might get more and more emotional, especially if this is your first pregnancy.
There is no shame in reaching out for support and making sure you have someone to talk to; it will help you process all your feelings and get support when you need it.
Get all the sleep you can
As your belly grows now, and once the baby comes, it will get harder and harder to get the sleep you need.
Make sure to use this time to get as much sleep as you can, and you will need all the sleep you can get before the baby arrives.
What To Avoid or Begin to Avoid?
It is very important to avoid potentially harmful and dangerous activities and things to protect you and the baby during your pregnancy.
During week twenty-seven, make sure to stay away from:
- Smoking, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, and being exposed to toxic substances.
- Sleeping on your tummy.
- Performing demanding workouts and carrying heavyweight.
- Touching kitty litter or cat feces.
- Drinking an excessive amount of caffeine and carbonated drinks.
- Getting tattooed as it poses a risk of infection.
- Eating junk food, deli meats, raw or undercooked meat, eggs, cheeses from unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized dairy foods, high mercury fish, and unwashed fruits and vegetables.
- Having close contact with anyone with rubella, chickenpox, or the Zika virus.