In no time, you are in your 27th week of pregnancy. You are (finally!) in the last week of the second trimester and next week you will officially enter your third trimester.

As you look ahead to the third trimester, be prepared for some pretty embarrassing stuff such as having to pee most of the time. It is part of the late-pregnancy course and totally temporary. Read on to find out your baby’s size, baby’s development and more!

Baby’s Size at 27 Weeks

During this week, your baby is the size of a cauliflower.

Baby’s Development in Week 27

Eyes: Your baby’s eyes are starting to open, and they are practicing opening and closing them.
Hiccups: Baby is also starting to hiccup. While they won’t make any noise, you might feel them as tiny sudden jumps or flinches in your belly.
Listening in: Your baby is likely able to distinguish the voices that he often hears – you and your partner!
Baby’s brain development: Your little one now has an active brain. His brain tissue is still developing, but the brainstem is almost completely mature—it controls heart rate, blood pressure and breathing.

Symptoms of The Week

The annoying symptoms you was 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 are 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 cramps.
Backaches. Gentle stretching can help your back 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.
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.
Skin, hair and nail changes. Your skin, hair and nails might be thicker or grow faster (yay!) but they might also be more brittle.
Sneezing. 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 pantiliner if you are worried about an unexpected achoo.

Women who are 27 weeks pregnant with twins are vulnerable to preterm labour, so if you notice any pregnancy symptoms that are out of the ordinary such as bleeding, discharge, abdominal pains or consistent, repeated contractions, tell your doctor right away.

Things To-Do This Week

Fight bloat

We know you are feeling gassy most of the time and it is normal! To help curb the problem, you may want to swap flatulence-causing foods like broccoli and asparagus for less-gassy spinach and carrots.

Also make sure to drink plenty of water and opt for smaller meals instead.

Combat puffiness

The two main culprits for under eye bags are water retention. So try to get as much rest as possible and drink plenty of water to flush your system. The more you drink, the less you retain.

You can also try these quick fixes: Your eye bags are more prominent in the morning. What you can do is try to place something cool over your eyes when you wake up.

You can try everyone’s favourite cool cucumber slices, cold tea bags, chilled spoons or a bag of frozen blueberries. To cover it up (more), put on some concealer before your powder and eye-opening mascara.

Monitor your heart rate

It is important to monitor your heart rate in order to check whether you are exerting yourself or not.

The best way to check how much you are exerting yourself is to use the exercise-talk test. No need to take your pulse! If you can’t exercise and talk simultaneously, your heart rate is probably too high.

Keep a food journal

If restless leg syndrome is driving you crazy, try keeping a food journal and note what you ate before you experience bouts of RLS. Some women find that certain foods, such as carbs eaten late in the day can trigger restless legs. A journal may help you figure out what foods make your symptoms improve or worsen.

Extra Tips for 27 Weeks Pregnancy

Sign up for infant CPR

You know it is wise to sign up for a birthing class. But it is also smart to take an infant CPR class and even an infant care class, too.

In the best of all possible worlds, you would never need to save your baby’s life. But emergencies can happen, even when you are vigilant, babies can choke on a piece of food or on something they have picked up from the floor or playground or get tangled up in a curtain cord.

Luckily, with a little preparation, you can handle many emergency situations yourself.

Research car seats

Did you know that you won’t be able to drive home from the hospital with your newborn if you don’t have a car seat?

It is likely the first piece of baby gear you will use and one of the most important, too. So there is a lot to consider when you are shopping for a car seat. Read this ultimate guide to find the perfect baby car seat for your baby.

You will be very excited for next week as the third trimester is going to begin. Be prepared for more upcoming information regarding your baby’s growth just at Motherhood Story.