The 27th week of pregnancy

27 weeks pregnant: what can I expect?

There are a lot of factors that will determine how much weight you will gain during your pregnancy. Learn more from your doctor about how much weight you are supposed to gain during each week based on your height and weight. To keep your weight gain at a steady level one option is to follow a healthy eating plan made out by your doctor. Another option is to join exercise clubs for pregnant mums, where along with maintaining your weight you can bond with women in the same situation as you.

Physical changes in you at week 27

• Breathlessness is common and normal during pregnancy – it will come and go. As your pregnancy progresses your growing uterus puts pressure on your diaphragm and your breathing might become more labored. When you feel breathless it’s a good idea to take things slowly and rest as much as possible.
• Itchy skin is another common symptom during pregnancy as your skin stretches over your growing belly. Rapid weight gain could be another reason for itchy skin. To treat itchy skin keep your skin moisturized, dry skin increases the itchy feeling.
• You will be troubled with sleeplessness during pregnancy – you will find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night. Several factors like heartburn, frequent urination and breathlessness could be disturbing your night sleep. To sleep effectively avoid drinking water late in the evening, go to bed with a clear head forget about your anxiety and have a warm shower before you go to bed.
• Avoid napping in the afternoon, as this will make it difficult for you to sleep in the night.
• Fluid retention in your body can lead to symptoms like carpal tunnel syndrome, which is the feeling of pain and numbness in your wrists and fingers. To relive numbness in your hands avoid sleeping on your hands in the night. If you are working on the computer typing all day, it’s a good idea to take a five minute break every hour to stretch your hands.

Emotional changes in you at week 27

• You will be excited about the new baby. If you are still working you might want to start planning at what stage you want to apply for maternity leave. Having a date in mind will mentally prepare you to plan your schedule accordingly. Do your research about your work entitlements and at what stage you plan to return to work.
• Anxiety is common during pregnancy and you might worry about your parenting responsibilities. If this is not your first pregnancy you might worry about neglecting your older children. Sharing some of your parenting responsibilities with your partner at this stage will help relieve your anxiety.

How’s my baby doing?

• At 27 weeks your baby will be spending more time being curled up. Your baby will measure roughly around 38 centimeters. Your baby is developing quickly at this stage.
• Your baby’s eyes will now open and close more frequently. There is a lot of visual development in your baby’s eyes. Your baby will be spending most of its time sleeping and waking up at regular intervals. It may suck on its thumb occasionally.
• Your baby’s brain will be active at this stage as more brain tissue develops. It will continue breathing the amniotic fluid in and out of its lungs. This will give your baby’s lungs the practice it needs to use after the time it is born.

Useful tips for you this week

• If you have decided to bank your baby’s cord blood after it is born, you might want to find out more information from your midwife or doctor. Information like who will have access to donated cord blood, when it will be taken and for how long it will be stored are all things you might want to find out about.
• If you are breastfeeding for the first time you might want to attend some breastfeeding classes at the hospital. It’s important for you to eat well during breastfeeding. If your nipples turn sore and you are unable to feed your baby you might want to think about alternative options. These are all things you might want to plan during your pregnancy.
• Take a tour of the hospital so that you know where the labor wing is when you are admitted for your birth.
• There is always a newer kind of infant car seat available, find out which is best suited for your car. The highest priority here is your infant’s safety.