PREGNANCY WEEK 27 ~ HEALTH and FITNESS

27 WEEKS PREGNANT

Raise your sparkling water glass and say goodbye to the second trimester! At 27 weeks, baby is breathing (it’s amniotic fluid, not air, but still pretty cool) and even showing brain activity. You’ve got a lot on your brain, too, from wondering what the birth is going to be like to trying to find the best pediatrician for baby. As you look ahead to the third trimester, be prepared for some pretty embarrassing stuff (like having to pee all the time—and maybe even when you don’t mean to!). It’s all par for the late-pregnancy course and totally temporary. It’s time to head down the home stretch. Are you ready?

How Big Is Baby at 27 Weeks?

At 27 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as a head of lettuce. The average 27-week fetus measures 14.4 inches and weighs 1.9 pounds. But baby's not just getting bigger—he or she is also getting smarter.

27 Weeks Pregnant Is How Many Months?

27 weeks pregnant is five months and four weeks pregnant. This is the last week of the sixth month and the last week of the second trimester.

27 WEEKS PREGNANT SYMPTOMS

The annoying symptoms you’ve been having aren’t likely to go away anytime soon, but at least you’ve probably found some ways to deal with them—and hey, maybe you’re even used to them right now. The most common 27 weeks pregnant symptoms are:

Leg cramps. Keep stretching those legs—flexing your feet can help—and drinking lots of water to prevent these ouchies.
Backaches. Gentle stretching can help your back, too. Consider sleeping with one of those huge body pillows, which can ease some of the pressure on your hips and help you get into a comfy position for your back.
Constipation. If you’re stopped up and you’ve done all the usual prevention—eaten lots of fibrous foods, drank lots of water, and taken plenty of walks—ask your doctor if a fiber supplement or stool softener is safe to take.
Hemorrhoids. Straining to go to the bathroom and all the pressure baby’s putting on your lower half can cause this not-so-pretty 27 weeks pregnancy symptom.
Skin, hair, and nail changes. Notch this one into the unpredictable pregnancy symptom category. Your skin, hair, and nails might be thicker or grow faster (yay!) but they might also be more brittle (boo).
Snissing. This is what we call peeing when you sneeze. Baby is putting a ton of pressure on your bladder and there’s not much you can do about it except take frequent pit stops to empty your bladder and maybe wear a pantiliner if you’re worried about an unexpected achoo.

Women who are 27 weeks pregnant with twins are vulnerable to preterm labor, so if you notice any pregnancy symptoms that are out of the ordinary—such as bleeding, watery discharge, abdominal pains, or consistent, repeated contractions, tell your OB right away.

27 WEEKS PREGNANT BELLY

Healthy weight gain at 27 weeks pregnant is around 15 to 30 pounds. If you’ve gained more quickly than recommended—two or more pounds per week—your OB may tell you to slow it down a bit. Sounds rough, but she can give you some tips on keeping the weight gain under control. By sticking to pregnancy weight gain recommendations, you’re reducing your risk of pregnancy complications and preterm labor. You’re also making your third trimester a little easier by not having extra pounds to carry around town with you.

If you’re 27 weeks pregnant with twins, you’ve probably gained more weight—about 29 to 44 pounds. Still, your twins are growing and developing at about the same rate as singleton babies do—though one baby is probably a bit smaller than the other.

You’re probably feeling a ton of kicks inside that 27 weeks pregnant belly—twice as many if you’re 27 weeks pregnant with twins. You may even feel tiny hiccups, which are like patterns of little twitches. For now, sit back and enjoy the kicks and jabs. Next week, you should start counting kicks to make sure baby seems consistently active from day to day.

27 WEEKS PREGNANT ULTRASOUND

Inside your 27 weeks belly, baby’s practicing inhaling and exhaling with his or her rapidly developing lungs. And it's official: Baby's showing brain activity! From here on out, baby’s brain will keep getting more complex, turning that 27-week fetus into a real smarty pants.

If your pregnancy has been uncomplicated so far, you probably won’t have a prenatal appointment or a 27 weeks pregnant ultrasound. Starting next week though, you’ll visit the doctor twice a month—or every two weeks. Maybe grab some magazines or download some new apps to make those future waiting room visits more enjoyable.