Pregnancy Stages: Week 27

Your baby:

Your baby’s weight is almost 1kg and he is about 38cm long. He follows a pattern of sleeping and waking up. He sucks his finger and starts to rotate “head down” in preparation for the big day. His lungs are still immature and will need medical assistance in case of premature delivery. You can feel sometimes a rhythmic movement due to the baby’s hiccups. Don’t worry, just enjoy these movements. His brain is developing rapidly and fat layers are building up to keep him warm once born.

Always count your baby’s movements. He should move 10 times in an hour. If you do not feel your baby’s movements, drink some juice or eat and lie down on your left side. You should feel the movements. If you baby hasn’t move at least 10 times in 2 hours, call your doctor.

Your body:

As you are heading for your last trimester, your body is getting ready for welcoming the baby and you might feel that your energy is dropping. With the increase of weight, leg cramps become common especially at night, back pain increases especially due to your uterus expansion and the pressure on the ligaments. Your breasts become tender due to milk production. Indigestion and heartburns become frequent as your uterus is pushing your stomach. If you feel menstrual cramps or any unusual lower back pain or more than 4 contractions in an hour, consult your doctor immediately. Sleeping becomes difficult. Use many cushions or buy the pregnancy cushion to support your belly while sleeping. The edema factor is normal at this stage. Your rings won’t fit anymore, your ankles are swollen and you will find hard time to wear your shoes. Be careful that any swelling in your face or puffy eyes with hands swelling and rapid weight gain necessitate medical intervention. Call your doctor immediately. You might be having symptoms of pre-eclampsia.

It is time to prepare all your baby’s accessories. You should buy the stroller, the car seat, the crib, the changing table and many other accessories. If you start worrying about the labor, the post partum phase the relation with your partner, the responsibilities, to work or not, just know that all pregnant women have the same fears. It is important to share these ideas with your partner and your doctor. They can help you out to manage this phase.

Continue eating properly and taking your prenatal vitamins. Drink lots of fluids and try to rest and relax whenever you can.