27-Week-Old Baby
Your 27-week-old is changing by leaps and bounds every day. Baby is showing off their personality, getting the hang of sitting up independently and maybe even sprouting their first tooth. At least most of these developments are fun! Here’s a closer look at what to expect this week.
Growth
Just how big should baby be this week? According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the average 27-week-old boy is about 26.8 inches tall and weighs 17.7 pounds. For girls, the average is about 26.1 inches and 16.3 pounds.
Emerging skills
At 27 weeks, it may seem like you've got a newly emerged social butterfly on your hands! Baby might be big on "chatting" back and forth with you, laughing or squealing when they get a kick out of something and beginning to recognize familiar people. Baby’s also getting more serious about exploring the world by reaching for interesting objects and putting them in their mouth. Physically, baby’s likely doing a lot of “pre-crawling,” like pushing up with straight arms when on their belly, and rocking on their hands and knees. Pretty soon, they’ll be zooming across the room!
Feeding
While breast milk or formula will likely remain the bulk of baby’s diet for another few months, they should be starting to try out solids at this age. Don’t be surprised if baby doesn’t take to solid foods right away—or if most of the food ends up on their face, hands or bib at first. Babies have different levels or readiness. Start gradually: You can give baby a little breast milk or formula, switch to a half-spoonful of food, and finish with more breast milk or formula. If baby cries or turns away, don’t try to make them eat. You can always try again later!
Sleep
Baby needs about 12 to 16 hours of sleep a day, including at least two naps. While most babies this age are starting to stay asleep for longer stretches of time—a process known as sleep consolidation—this is also a common time for baby to go through a sleep regression. If that’s the case for you, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel! Continue to make sure the room is dark and quiet, let baby get plenty of sunshine during the day to enforce a day-night distinction and follow a consistent schedule and bedtime routine.
Common Ailments
Pink eye (conjunctivitis)
As baby gets out into the world more—perhaps to daycare or a play group—they become more susceptible to bacteria and viruses that cause ear infections, sinus infections, and, yes, pink eye. In addition to the telltale red or pink color, pink eye often comes with discharge from the eye, pain and swelling. (Allergic conjunctivitis, which is not contagious, can also cause itching and watery eyes.) Pink eye is usually not serious and can be treated with warm compresses at home. But if it doesn’t improve within two or three days, or baby has a fever along with it, make sure to give your pediatrician a call.
Baby is doing everything but eating their food—smashing it, banging on the table and spitting it out! Is this normal?
Yes! While all of these behaviors might be frustrating for parents, they’re completely normal. At this age, babies are learning to grab and manipulate things, which is why they might be squeezing and smashing food. Banging on the table is their way of experimenting with sound and touch. They often spit out their food because they’re learning how to chew and swallow. It’s best to be patient and create a positive environment while letting baby explore.
Should baby get the COVID-19 vaccine now that they’re 6 months old?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that babies get their COVID-19 vaccine starting at 6 months. The Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine can help protect baby against severe disease and hospitalization. If baby has already had COVID, they should still get vaccinated. Their next dose can be delayed three months from when symptoms started or they got a positive test. Baby can safely receive other vaccines on the day they get their COVID vaccine.
Talking to baby
It's not just your imagination: Baby is a language sponge these days, imitating the sounds of your speech more and more. Give baby plenty to work with by introducing them to simple words and syllables, like "baby," "cat," "dog," "go," "mama" and "dada." Baby will understand many of the words you say well before their first birthday. (But it might take a bit longer for you to understand baby, which is okay!)
Baby proofing
Before your little one is on the move, it's extra-important to make sure your house is free of hazards. Experts recommend getting down on all fours to get a baby's eye view of what could pose a danger. Anything that fits through a toilet paper tube is a potential choking hazard. Cover electrical outlets and move cords out of reach, secure heavy furniture, move dangerous items (knives, medicine, cleaning supplies, etc.) to latched cupboards, install baby gates where needed, place a child lock on the toilet seat and protectors on sharp table corners, and generally keep an eye out for anything accessible that could harm your child. Check out our complete baby proofing checklist here.
- Pick one small goal to tackle. It’s normal to feel like you’re stuck when you can’t get anything done beyond taking care of baby. Try to break big goals into smaller, more manageable chunks. Been meaning to hang some new photos or artwork? Start by taking 15 minutes to order prints when baby is napping and another 15 minutes to order frames after bedtime. Want to give the kitchen its first deep-clean since before baby was born? Mop for 20 minutes one day, and clear out the crumbs and gunk behind the toaster after dinner one night while your partner does bath time.
- Straw cup. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that you offer baby a cup when they start solid foods. Many feeding therapists recommend straw cups or open-top cups so baby can practice skills they’ll be using for the rest of their life.
- Suction toys. As they continue to explore solid foods, baby’s likely spending more and more time in the highchair. And not all of that time will be spent eating. Give them some fun toys with spinners, lights and more that’ll stick to the highchair and entertain them while you’re preparing food or cooking…or just trying to get a moment to yourself!
Set aside a few quiet minutes for sharing books as part of your bedtime routine. Find a quiet, comfortable place. Name and point to the pictures baby seems drawn to. Help baby turn the pages, and act out the pictures using your hands, face and voice. Before long, baby might start to repeat some of the sounds that you make!
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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