This baby's back is turned and she's facing away from the ultrasound scanner. The skin is much less transparent than before since your baby is constantly laying down fat reserves beneath it. This fat accounts, in part, for much of your baby's weight gain from now on.
At 27 weeks and 4 days pregnant, you are in the final week of your second trimester. The third trimester begins at pregnancy week 28, so your due date is getting closer. Your baby is now the size of a cauliflower, and weighs around two pounds.
Constipation continues at 27 weeks pregnant. Your baby will be very active around this time so you should feel lots of movement and activity from your little one, including kicks and hiccups. In the 27th week of pregnancy, it is a good time to start finalizing your birth plan and begin researching a potential pediatrician. Make a pregnancy checklist of the tests coming up in the final trimester, as well as things you want to pack in your hospital bag. While nesting has not yet begun, you can begin setting up the nursery if you haven’t already. You should also start looking for a car seat, and if you have not already, begin searching through baby names to narrow down some choices of what to call your little one.
This baby's back is turned and she's facing away from the ultrasound scanner. The skin is much less transparent than before since your baby is constantly laying down fat reserves beneath it. This fat accounts, in part, for much of your baby's weight gain from now on.
If you are wondering “what does my baby look like at this point,” their eyes are now open, and both the eyebrows and their eyelashes have grown. The hair on your baby's head continues to get longer. In healthy pregnancies, the amniotic fluid index should be at around 14 cm when you reach 27 weeks, and will gradually begin to decrease in the weeks leading up to your due date.
Baby’s development is moving quickly at 27 weeks. Baby is growing eyebrows and eyelashes — and hair on her head — and making good use of all the space in your uterus. The baby’s lungs are continuing to develop, and still have about ten weeks until they will be fully functioning, though babies born prematurely around this time have a good shot of survival. Baby’s brain is mostly developed at this point, and they can hear sounds and may react to different voices.
It's quite likely that your baby is making use of all the space available and may be in a breech position (bottom down). This is the case in a third of pregnancies at this stage but your baby's position is unlikely to stabilize until after 36 or 37 weeks. Because the shape of your uterus naturally favors a head-down position, only 3 to 4 percent of babies remain in the breech position after 37 weeks.
It may be quite difficult for you (and your doctor) to tell the position of your baby at this stage. For example, just because the feet kick you in one particular place doesn't tell you much about your baby's position. She is very flexible and an ultrasound might show that she is doubled up with her feet on her head.
At this point in a healthy pregnancy, your pregnant belly will have grown a lot and may cause discomfort. Back pain, leg cramps, and round ligament pain might be making you feel achy. Check Amazon or a baby supply store for a maternity pillow to help you get more comfortable at bedtime.
Weight gain and bloating continue as your body adjusts to accommodate space for your growing child. Constipation and hemorrhoids may also occur from changes to your body. While iron is necessary, the high levels in your prenatal vitamin may be contributing to constipation, so stool softeners can be used to reduce straining. Drinking lots of water and eating fruits and vegetables can help with all of these issues to keep you more comfortable. Unless your doctor restricts your activity, continue taking time to move every day and get safe exercise. Walking and swimming are good low impact choices to help keep get your cardiovascular system working. Exercise during pregnancy can also help you relax and reduce anxiety levels by boosting serotonin and endorphins.
Around this time, you will likely have blood work done to make sure you do not have anemia. You will also continue to have your urine checked for HCG levels and signs of preeclampsia. Hot flashes, skin darkening, acne, extra hair growth, nose bleeds, and dizziness are normal around this time as well. If you have any concerns about your symptoms, seek medical advice from your obstetrician, midwife, or doula. As you approach your third trimester, the frequency of medical appointments may increase, so you will likely be going in every two to four weeks for your doctor to check your vitals, have your urine tested, and listen to your baby’s heartbeat.
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