27 Weeks Pregnant

Congratulations, you have entered the third and last trimester of your pregnancy. If you are planning to enroll in any prenatal classes, now is the time to do so. The hospital will send you admitting forms in the next few weeks and they recommend taking child birth classes. These classes will teach you breathing techniques during childbirth and some exercises that will make childbirth a bit more relaxing than stressful. At this stage of your pregnancy, you should discuss with your doctor your birthing options.

If you have not been eating healthy all that much throughout the pregnancy now is the time to start. At the last few weeks of pregnancy, you want the baby to get as much nutrition as they can. Empty calories are not going to keep the baby healthy. Remember the food that you are eating is what is feeding the baby. Try eating a bit healthier at least until the end of the pregnancy. Try adding in more fruits and vegetables and less fried food and processed foods.

Continue to take your vitamins and stay hydrated. You want to continue to build up your immune system as well as the baby’s. Stay away from strenuous activity such as heavy lifting and anything that makes you exert yourself.

Baby’s Development

At week Twenty-Seven of your pregnancy, the baby should be about 14-1/2 inches and weigh in about 2 pounds. In the last weeks of pregnancy, the baby will gain ½ a pound per week. The baby’s skin is wrinkled only because they have been surrounded by water for the last 5 months. The baby’s skin will look wrinkled until at least a few weeks after the baby is born. The skin will stretch out and will look and feel smooth.

The baby’s retina’s are developing at a good pace, they will soon be able to help the baby adjust to light images. These layers are considered to help the brain receive light and some images as well as be able to transmit them the information of what they are seeing to the brain. The membranes that have been covering the baby’s eyes will start to separate and in a few weeks, the baby will be able to open their eyes.

As everyone knows all baby’s eyes are blue when they are born. If the eye color is going to change to another color they will do so a few weeks after birth. At this week in pregnancy the baby will continue to begin their own sleeping patterns and waking up patterns. You will soon see that their sleeping patterns are opposite as yours. Most of the time you feel the baby kick is when you are trying to get some sleep.

It has been said that baby’s start to dream while in the womb. The brain is still active and the grooves on the surface of the brain will begin appearing as the brain tissues start to develop. You will also notice the baby hiccuping more and more because the lungs are maturing and they are practicing breathing.

Changes With Your Body

At week Twenty-Seven your body will need more caloric intake. It would be safe to start with 300 to 350 calories. You will gain a bit more weight right up until the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy. By now many pregnant women think they look fat and it can be a bit depressing for them. But never alter your diet to take in fewer calories, by eating less you are depriving the baby of less calories as well.

If you have any concerns about your weight, now is the time to talk to your doctor. Remember you are also carrying a baby, so some of the weight you will loose when the baby is born. Stay on track with your prenatal vitamins and any nutritional supplements that you may be taking. At this week, the uterus is leaning on the rib cage. If notice you may be out of breath from just getting dressed everyday. This would explain why. The uterus will prevent the lungs from full expanding cause some breathing problems. Talk to your doctor but you should not worry, there is nothing to worry about.

As you enter into the third trimester, talk to your doctor about the warning signs of premature labor. This tends to happen more in the summer months due to lack of hydration. It is very important to stay hydrated, carry a water bottle around with you at all times. You may spend more time in the bathroom but you are doing what you have to, to stay hydrated.

Some of the warning signs to look for are bright red blood from the vaginal area. If you experience a sudden rush of a watery discharge from the vaginal area, contact your doctor right away. You may experience severe pain in the pelvic area or a very dull pain in the lower back. Some women have felt contractions for more than an hour or so. If your hands and feet start to swell, it could be a sign of premature labor. It is your body and you will know when something isn’t right, contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room right away.

What To Expect

When you reach this stage of pregnancy, may women will feel comfortable and confident that everything is well with the baby from the baby’s movement. When we feel the baby kick or hiccup we take that as a great sign that things are OK. We tend to panic when we don’t feel anything, but don’t panic just yet. Your body may have put on some weight in the abdominal region that would cause you not to feel the baby kick.

If you think that the baby was active a bit and you aren’t feeling the same, contact your doctor right away. It is always better to be safe than sorry, especially in the last trimester. You will continue to see the symptoms of pregnancy such as constipation, leg cramps, round ligament pain and frequent urination. As you continue to go to your doctors’ appointment they will continue to monitor your blood pressure, weight gain and urine.

In the last trimester, you have to be careful of a condition called Hypertension or Pre-Eclampsia. This can be determined through the urine tests, it happens when there is too much protein in the urine. As the condition progresses, the placenta is not able to grow. It caught in time it can be treated but if left untreated it could lead to premature labor or fetal death.

Tips/Advice

This stage of the pregnancy is the important stage. You have to keep healthy both physically and mentally. Continue to take the prenatal vitamins and add more fruits and vegetables to your diet. If you feel that something isn’t right, then contact your doctor or visit your local emergency room right away.

Source : www.pregnancyweeks.us