27th Week Pregnancy: Symptoms, Baby Development And Tips

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How Many Months Pregnant Are You At 27 weeks?

The 27th week marks the end of the sixth month and the second trimester of your pregnancy. You are just 13 weeks away from your due date. This post explains everything from fetal development to changes in your body, prenatal care and the necessary tips to follow this week.

How Big Is Your Baby At 27 Weeks?

This week, your baby is as big as thehead of cauliflower(1).The baby measures 14.5in (36.5cm) in length and 1.93 to 2.3lb (875 – 1055g) in weight(2).

Baby Development At 27 weeks

Here is how the baby inside your womb is developing this week:

Body Parts	Development
Eyes (3)	眼皮开始打开和关闭。瞳孔放大,start responding to light (4)
Nose	Is fully operational and able to sense smell.
Skin	Is less wrinkled and starts depositing fat beneath the skin layer. Skin is covered with vernix.
Brain	Is growing rapidly, taking half the energy that the fetus gets.
Nervous system	Starts controlling some body functions.
Bones (5)	Foot bones and thigh bones are about two inches long.
Lungs, Liver, and Immune system (6)	Not fully matured.
Ears	The ability to hear continues to develop, and the baby may recognize the sound of your voice.

Fetal position and movement: In this week, the baby still has enough space to move inside the womb and attain any position.The movements are vigorous and the kicks you feel this week are stronger than before.You may feel the baby taking hiccups. By this week, the baby develops a regular sleep and wake-up pattern during the day.

What symptoms of pregnancy do you experience in the 27th week?

As the body changes, you experience the following symptoms this week:

• Weight gainper week,as per the BMI (7):

BMI	Below 18.5	18.5 – 24.9	25 – 29.9	30 and Above
Weight gain (lb/ week)	1-1.3	0.8-1	0.5-0.7	0.4-0.6

• A pregnant women of normal weight with less than 30 minutes of exercise a week should strive for acalorie intake of 2,200by eating a diet of grains, dairy, protein, fruits/ vegetables, and healthy fats and oils. Limiting processed foods, sugars, and extra fats can help you attain your goals.
  
• Leg crampsare a discomfort usually experienced during the night time due to over-exertion, dehydration, low content of mineralspotassium, calcium, or magnesium.

• Backaches due to the pressure exerted by the extra weight of the baby on the hips and the lower back.

• The digestion process slows down as the progesterone hormone relaxes the digestive tract, leading toconstipation.

• An extra pressure exerted on the nerves in the pelvic and rectal areas might causehemorrhoidsin a few women.

• Pressure on the nerves of hands and wrists, due to an increased blood volumeleading to build up of fluid in the tissues, causes a tingling effect or numbness in fingers, hands, and wrists called theCarpal Tunnel Syndrome.It usually goes away a few weeks after the delivery.

• The extra weight of the baby, body aches, cramps, and frequent urination leads toinsomnia.

• The bladder is compressed by the growing uterus, increasing the frequency of urination.

• Due to the pressure on the bladder, you may unexpectedly pee while you sneeze, a phenomenon nicknamed‘snissing’.

• Excess retention of water in the body causes swelling of the legs, hands, and face, also known as edema. Drinking a lot of water helps expel the excess water.

• The loosening of the gums, due to hormonal fluctuations, make it more sensitive causingbleeding of the gums.

• Rising hormones in pregnancy causes blood vessels to relax and widen, causing increased blood flow to your baby but slows the return of blood into the veins to you. This results in reduced blood flow to the brain, causingdizziness.

• Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)is the uncontrollable urge to move the legs to relieve the uncomfortable tingling effects. Low hemoglobin ((specifically rise in estrogen levels), a history of RLS before conception, or RLS during the previous pregnancy could be a reason for this syndrome (8).

• The nasal membranes open up due to hormonal changes, resulting in more mucus secretion that further leads to astuffy nose or nasal congestion.

• Round ligament paindue to the stretching of muscles and ligaments in the lower abdomen.

• Braxton Hicks contractionsare irregular, unpredictable, uncomfortable and less painful contractions that help prepare the body for labor. These are normal and go away when you try to switch your positions,relax (warm bath/ massage/ read a book/ listen to music/ nap) or drink water to rehydrate.

• Morning sicknessmay also be experienced during this week of pregnancy.

[ Read:29th Week Pregnant]

Bodily Changes You Experience In The 27th Week

Along with the symptoms mentioned above, you will experience certain physiological and psychological changes as well.

Physical changes:

• An enlarged belly with the navel popping out
• Enlarged breasts
• Darker areola and nipples
• Stretch marks
• Linea nigra
• Shinier, fuller, and thicker hair
• Fast growing and brittle nails

Emotional changes:

• Mood swings
• Anxiety and fear

In the case of severe or unusual symptoms, consult your doctor without delay.

When To Call The Doctor

Call your doctor immediately if you notice any of the following symptoms (9):

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Fever
• Belly orpelvic pain
• Uncontrolled nosebleeds
• Persistent leg cramps
• Urination with burning sensation or pain

Certain symptoms including vaginal bleeding, leaking of amniotic fluid, strong contractions every five minutes, and a noticeable change in fetal movements, could indicate preterm labor and delivery.

Your OB/GYN Visit

The OB/GYN visit this week will include:

• Weight and blood pressure check-up
• Measuring the fundal height
• Urine test

• 超声波扫描的双胞胎妊娠或high-risk pregnancies to monitor the fetal growth.

• Glucose tolerance test:This is a screening test to check the blood sugar level. It involves two approaches, one step or two step (10).

• One step (OGTT):Fasting blood sugar levels are tested, following which you have to drink 75 gm of glucose.The blood is drawn again for testing, at intervals of 1 hour and 2 hours to measure the glucose levels.

• Two-step:A blood sample is drawn two hours after you drink 75gm of glucose. This test is called the glucose challenge test. In case of an abnormal test result, a glucose tolerance test is done. Blood is drawn during fasting, and later at intervals of one, two, and three hours to check the glucose levels. Any abnormality in the test result indicates gestational diabetes.

Take the prescribed medications, if any, and follow the lifestyle and dietary changes that the obstetrician recommends to keep gestational diabetes and other conditions at bay.

Tips For Mom-to-be

• Drink plenty of fluids to flush out toxins and prevent cramps.

• Use cushions or pillows for sitting comfortably. Also, support your baby bump with a pillow while sleeping.

• Eat home cooked food. Include fish (12oz a week) in the diet as they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.避免鲨鱼,国王炭质页岩el and tilefish.

• Avoid oily and deep-fried foods as they may trigger heartburn.

• Keep stress and fears at bay.

• Whole grain bread, fruits and vegetables, bran, andbreakfast cerealsmake a healthy diet. Take more fiber-rich food to relieve constipation.

• Get proper rest.

• Avoid smoking, alcohol consumption, and excesscaffeine intake.

• Stay calm and relaxed.

• Do not forget to takeprenatal vitamins, iron, calcium, and folic acid supplements.

• Go for regular dental check-ups.

• Go for walking and do Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

• Avoid lifting heavy objects.

• Avoid OTC medicines and ask the doctor before taking them if needed.

• Wear breathable and loose clothes, with comfortable footwear.

• Stay away from toxic chemicals.

• Avoid cat litter cleaning to prevent toxoplasmosis.

Getting your partner to help, can make this phase easy to deal with.

Tips For Dad-to-be

Here’s what your partner can do:

• Accompany you to the prenatal visits.
• Create a happy environment at home, maybe even use soothing light and sound effects.
• Help you with the daily household chores.
• Start shopping for maternal wears.
• Go for an outing.
• Give you a neck andfoot massage.
• Help you exercise.
• Help find names for your baby.

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