27 Weeks Pregnant

Key Takeaways

• Trimester: Congratulations! It’s the last week of your second trimester! Time to get ready for the grand-finale event. (Don’t worry, you still have time!)
• Pregnancy symptoms: The not-so-glamorous symptoms of pregnancy are in full effect. You may have constipation and hemorrhoids. Plus, baby is putting so much pressure on your bladder you may occasionally leak urine—especially when you cough or sneeze.
• Baby development: Baby is practicing breathing in and out (it’s amniotic fluid, not air, but still pretty cool), developing lungs and even showing brain activity now.

As you look ahead to the third trimester, be prepared for some pretty embarrassing stuff (like having to pee all the time—and maybe even when you don’t mean to!). I used to contemplate sleeping on a mattress outside my bathroom door to save time and precious shut-eye each night. I promise, this is all par for the late-pregnancy course and totally temporary. It’s time to head down the home stretch. Are you ready? (Trust that you are, even if it may not feel like it!)

Video Highlights

Baby at Week 27

Inside your 27 weeks belly, baby is practicing inhaling and exhaling with their rapidly developing lungs. And it's official: Baby is showing brain activity! From here on out, baby’s brain will keep getting more complex, turning that 27-week fetus into a real smarty pants. Additionally, their whole nervous system—which is made up of the brain, spinal cord and nerves—is continuing to mature.

Baby’s hearing continues to improve, and they’ll start to recognize your voice and your partner’s voice. That said, their ears are covered with vernix, a thick, waxy coating that protects the skin from becoming chapped by amniotic fluid, so sounds might be a bit muffled.

Your cutie-pie will continue to gain fat, which will help their skin look smoother and less wrinkly. Soon enough, baby will develop those chubby cheeks you’ll get to kiss in a few months!

How big is baby at 27 weeks?

At 27 weeks pregnant, baby is as big as a honeydew melon. The average 27-week fetus measures around 14.4 inches and weighs around 2.3 pounds. But baby isn’t just getting bigger, they’re also getting smarter.

What does a 27-week fetus look like?

If you could peek at baby at 27 weeks in the womb, you’d see your little 27-week-old fetus has continued to put on some fat and muscle with all that moving and dancing in your 27 weeks pregnant belly. Although baby at 27 weeks is just the size of a honeydew melon, they’re over a foot long now (whoa!) and basically a smaller, skinnier version of the baby you’ll meet when they’re born. Baby has learned to suck by now too, so they might be sucking their thumb in utero right now!

27 weeks pregnant is how many months?

You might find yourself wondering, “How long is 27 weeks?” It may feel like the answer is “Forever!” but 27 weeks pregnant in months is about six months pregnant.

27 week ultrasound

If your pregnancy has been uncomplicated so far, you probably won’t have a prenatal appointment or a 27 weeks pregnant ultrasound. Starting next week though, you’ll visit the doctor twice a month—or every two weeks. Grab some magazines or download some new apps to make those future waiting room visits more enjoyable.

Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 27

The annoying symptoms you’ve been having aren’t likely to go away anytime soon, but at least you’ve probably found some ways to deal with them—and hey, maybe you’re even used to them now. The most common 27 weeks pregnant symptoms are:

Leg cramps

Keep stretching those legs—flexing your feet can help—and drinking lots of water to prevent these not-so-comfy leg cramps.

Backaches

Gentle stretching can help your back pain too. Consider sleeping with one of those huge body pillows, which can ease some of the pressure on your hips and help you get into a comfy position for your back.

Constipation

If you’re stopped up and you’ve done all the usual prevention—eaten lots of fibrous foods, had lots of water and taken plenty of walks—ask your doctor if a fiber supplement or stool softener is safe to take.

Hemorrhoids

Straining to go to the bathroom and all the pressure baby is putting on your lower half can cause this not-so-pretty 27 weeks pregnancy symptom. Resolving constipation is essential to treating hemorrhoids.

Skin, hair and nail changes

Notch this one into the unpredictable pregnancy benefits category. Your skin, hair and nails might be thicker or grow faster (yay!) but they might also be more brittle (boo).

Snissing

This is what we call peeing when you sneeze. Baby is putting a ton of pressure on your bladder and there’s not much you can do about it except take frequent pit stops to empty your bladder, and maybe wear a panty liner if you’re worried about an unexpected achoo.

What to expect at 27 weeks pregnant with twins

Women who are 27 weeks pregnant with twins are more vulnerable to preterm labor, so if you notice any pregnancy symptoms that are out of the ordinary—such as bleeding, watery discharge, abdominal pains or consistent, repeated contractions, tell your OB right away. Many twin pregnancies are delivered by 37 weeks, but the longer you can keep those babies in there, the better for their development.

Your Pregnant Belly at 27 Weeks

Healthy weight gain at 27 weeks pregnant is around 15 to 30 pounds. If you’ve gained more weight than recommended, your OB may give you some advice to keep it under control. On the other hand, insufficient weight gain may pose risks to baby. By sticking to pregnancy weight gain recommendations, you’re reducing your risk of pregnancy complications and preterm labor.

If you’re 27 weeks pregnant with twins, you’ve probably gained more weight—about 29 to 44 pounds. Still, your twins are growing and developing at about the same rate as singleton babies do, though one baby is probably a bit smaller than the other.

You’re probably feeling a ton of kicks inside that 27 weeks pregnant belly—twice as many if you’re 27 weeks pregnant with twins. You may even feel tiny hiccups, which are like patterns of little twitches. For now, sit back and enjoy the kicks and jabs. Next week, you should start counting kicks to make sure baby's consistently active from day to day.

Tips for 27 Weeks Pregnant

Ready to feel great this week? Here are some steps to take.

Stay hydrated during the day

Focus on staying hydrated during the day, but slow down as you get closer to bedtime so you’re not getting out of bed every two minutes to pee.

Get all the support you need

You probably need support in all kinds of ways right now, from a great bra to hold up those increasingly heavy boobs to a good pregnancy pillow to support your belly at night. Don’t forget about the other kinds of support, though. As you get closer to your due date, you might find yourself getting more and more emotional. Make sure you have someone to talk to—whether that’s a partner, a friend or a therapist—so you can process all your feelings and get support when you need it.

Safety first

It’s time to get in a safety mindset by making sure you’re ready to keep baby safe at all times. Make sure any new baby gear meets current safety requirements, get started on baby proofing, take an infant safety and CPR class and get your vaccines. There’s a lot to think about, but it’s better to check it off your list now, before baby comes.

Sleep while you can

Your sleep may be interrupted by a wiggly 27-week fetus and trips to the bathroom, but get all the sleep you can while you can. It’ll get harder and harder to get the shut-eye you need as baby grows—and trust us, you want to be as rested as you can before baby arrives.

Wins, Challenges and Wisdom

It’s officially the last week of your second trimester! Can you believe baby will be here soon? As hard as it may seem, try to stay present and grounded in this stage of pregnancy and don’t stress too much about all that’s to come. Here, moms who’ve been there share their tips and tricks:

• Win: “Today I’m 27 weeks pregnant, and I’m so excited to be at this point in my pregnancy. This pregnancy has been really good to me, and I hope and pray it continues to be!” - Neary2011
• Challenge: “I’m 27 weeks and 4 days. I’m feeling okay. I've been having crazy painful leg cramps in the early morning. Sleeping is getting less and less… I’m not able to stay asleep for long at night. I failed my one-hour glucose test and had to do a three-hour test today. Fingers crossed!” - gladtobee
• Wisdom: "I’ve been totally doing belly comparisons. I feel like a house compared to the tiny bumps I've seen. But when have we ever not compared our bodies with other women? I think we just have to accept the fact that every woman is different and some people show more than others." - PrettyBabyBlues