Pregnancy Week 27
You’ve reached the final week of your second trimester. If you’re fortunate, you may still be experiencing a pregnancy glow and people may tell you that you are looking healthy and radiant.
Enjoy this while it lasts (and sorry to all those mums-to-be who never really felt like they were glowing). The third trimester can start to feel tougher as your baby grows and has less space in your body. You may notice some of the symptoms you felt in early pregnancy – particularly the exhaustion – start to return in the coming weeks as you get ready for your little one to arrive.
How can I sleep comfortably at 27 weeks pregnant?
Resting is important but you might find it is harder to sleep as you struggle to get comfortable. If you’re still sleeping on your back, now is the time to do something about this and switch to sleeping on your side.
From 28 weeks of pregnancy, sleeping on your back is not advised as research suggests it can double the risk of stillbirth. The safest position at this stage of pregnancy is to sleep on your left hand side as this helps make sure your baby gets all the blood and nutrients they need.
Don’t worry too much though if you find you can only get comfortable on your right side. This is still much safer than sleeping on your back.
Using a long pregnancy pillow can help you to get comfortable and stay in a side position – which can be tricky if you’ve spent your whole life sleeping on your back! You might find it easier to switch which side of the bed you sleep on too, depending on whether you prefer facing towards or away from your partner.
Keep your knees and legs bent – you might find putting a pillow between your legs helps. You might notice you snore more in pregnancy, no matter what position you are in – this is normal and is a result of your nasal passages becoming swollen. Don’t worry, this won’t last forever.
This is likely to be the last week you can easily fly off for a quick getaway. From next week, many airlines will require a fitness to fly note from your midwife or doctor before letting you on the plane. If you are planning to travel, check with the airline you are using as rules vary from company to company.
What is happening to my baby at 27 weeks?
At this stage, your baby is fully formed and is just concentrating on getting bigger and stronger. Their lungs are capable of breathing, although these next few weeks are important in making sure they are ready for the outside world.
Measuring around 36.6cm from head to heel, your baby is around the same size as a cauliflower. They will start to look a little plumper and less wrinkled from this week onwards as their skin starts to fill out and they begin laying down fat.
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