Welcome to the 27th week of your pregnancy! Here's what you can expect when you're 27 weeks pregnant.

Baby at 27 weeks pregnant

Clocking in at two pounds and almost a foot long, your baby is in prime shape to offer some kicks, jabs, and punches, so get ready, mama! Now through about 32 weeks are baby’s most noticeably active days. Add in those fetal hiccups, and your belly might be actually bouncing with your baby’s movements. 

Can we get a hooray for modern medicine: if your baby was born this week, s/he would have a 94 percent chance of survival. There is still some maturing that needs to happen with the lungs, liver, and immune system, but your baby is getting very close to fully baked, mama!

In sensory news, your baby is beginning to recognize your voice, although it’s kinda muffled by the vernix covering his or her ears. Your little currently has more taste buds than s/he will have at birth, and s/he’s using them when sampling the amniotic fluid. Remember, that’s flavored by what you eat and may help shape your baby’s likes and dislikes. Lay off the cookies and send in the broccoli now and who knows, maybe you’ll head off some food battles with your future toddler! 

Your body at 27 weeks pregnant

It’s the last week of the second trimester, how are you feeling, mama? You’ve probably gained between 15-20 pounds by this stage, and you might be starting to feel some of that weight as strain on your lower back. Support your spine and back with a pillow between the knees when you sleep, and with a footrest when you’re seated; unfortunately, that strain is not going to ease up until that baby’s out!

You might find yourself hungrier than normal, so do your very best to direct that hunger at nutrition-packed superfoods. Treats are okay, but they should be treats and not the majority of your diet.

If you notice any pain in your pelvis, talk to your doctor; you might have pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain or symphysis pubis dysfunction. Your healthcare provider can offer advice on how to get some much-needed relief.

27 weeks pregnant ultrasound

Novelty 3-D and 4-D ultrasounds are popular among expecting parents, who delight in getting a detailed look at their developing babies. They are best done between weeks 26-30. Although 3-D ultrasounds are legal, you should know that the Food and Drug Administration cautions against them. Inexperienced technicians and unnecessary exposure to ultrasound equipment are two of their primary concerns when it comes to 3-D ultrasounds; educate yourself before making a decision.

27 weeks is how many months pregnant? 

At this stage in your pregnancy, you're six months 3 weeks (6m3w) pregnant.

How big is my baby at 27 weeks?

At 27 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a lettuce head, measuring 14.5 inches long and weighing 2 pounds on average.

Common symptoms at 27 weeks pregnant

These are some commonly reported symptoms from moms at 27 weeks pregnant.

• Obvious baby movements: Your baby’s activity will more noticeable than ever for the next handful of weeks, so get ready for a lot of movement!
• Achiness in abdomen: With your ligaments stretching to accommodate your uterus, your uterus crowding your internal organs, and your pelvis loosening in preparation for childbirth, there are a lot of reasons you might be noticing some achiness in your abdomen.
• Rising blood pressure: After months of lowered blood pressure, yours is likely now beginning to increase and will gradually return to where it was before you were pregnant.
• Heart palpitations: Your growing uterus isn’t just crowding your internal organs, it’s also impeding the return of blood to your heart. As a result, you might experience some flutterings in your chest. It doesn’t signify anything serious and it usually eases up later in pregnancy, but let your doctor know anyway.
• Continued breathlessness and shortness of breath: Stimulated by the hormone progesterone, your lung capacity continues to expand, leading to deeper breathing. But it’s likely that you’re still breathing faster and continuing to experience shortness of breath.
• Bumps on your breasts: Now happening on your areolas: the development of tiny skin glands. These bump-like glands will secrete oils to keep your nipples moisturized and soft during breastfeeding.
• Braxton-Hicks contractions: These false labor contractions feel like a squeezing sensation at the top of your uterus, or down in your lower abdomen or groin, as your uterus exercises its muscle and building strength in anticipation of labor. Braxton-Hicks contractions are different from true labor because they are irregular in their frequency and vary in length and intensity.
• Clumsiness: As your body prepares for childbirth, it’s loosening up the ligaments supporting your pelvic bones. While this is beneficial for helping your baby squeeze out of a tight spot, all these relaxed ligaments can leave you feeling a bit clumsy.
  
• Leg cramps: Commonly occurring at night, spasms in the leg muscles can wake you up with their painful, annoying cramping. When leg cramps happen, try gently flexing your foot or leg, and massaging the area. Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated and prevent leg cramps as much as possible.
  
• Wild dreams: Pregnant women often report having vivid, frequent dreams, another symptom courtesy of hormonal changes. Experts believe they occur because increased estrogen causes longer periods of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is the phase of sleep when dreams most often occur.
  
• More stable emotions: Now that your hormones are finally evening out, you might notice you’re no longer riding an emotional roller coaster.
  
• Feeling worried about labor: As your due date approaches, you might feel scared or worried about having the baby. Share your fears with your partner, and also your care provider, who can help you get a handle on what to expect and how you can best prepare for labor and delivery. 
  
• Nasal congestion, nosebleeds, and bleeding gums
  
• Sluggish digestion: Pregnancy hormones may continue to wreak havoc on your digestive system, resulting in constipation, heartburn, and indigestion.
  
• Waddling posture: By now your weight gain has changed your center of gravity. To help your posture, consider getting some gentle exercise, such as swimming or walking.
  
• Backaches
  
• Skin pigmentation: Skin pigmentation, such as the linea nigra on your belly, is a common side effect of pregnancy. Any pigmentation will fade and most likely completely disappear after pregnancy.
  
• Increased libido: Many women notice they feel “in the mood” more often during the second trimester. Unless your doctor says otherwise, sex is safe during pregnancy. 
  
• Increased appetite

Pregnancy checklist at 27 weeks pregnant 

Here are a couple of things you should know or do this week.

• Get a booster: It’s recommended that pregnant women receive a Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis) booster between weeks 27-36. This vaccination protects you and also your baby, who will benefit from the protective antibodies you will generate from the shot. Whooping cough (pertussis) is especially dangerous for newborns, who can’t be vaccinated until two months old, so take this precaution seriously.
• Think carefully about 3D ultrasounds: Those 3D ultrasounds ultrasounds they do at the mall are tempting – how fun to get a really good look at your baby – but you should know that the Food and Drug Administration caution against them and all non-medical fetal imaging. They cite concerns like prolonged exposure to ultrasound machinery, which can raise the temperature of your skin.
• Get support for back pain: Many women at 27 weeks pregnant suffer from back pain. This is from the extra weight, as well as the hormones that are preparing your body for birth. Exercise, maternity support belts, light stretches, and massage can all help relieve back pain.

What to Expect at 28 Weeks Pregnant