27 Weeks Pregnant — Your Baby Is The Size Of A Giant Container Of Ketchup

Welcome to Scary Mommy’s pregnancy week by week guide! We’re here to give you all the info about what to expect when you’re expecting: be it week by week symptoms, your baby’s development, your changing body, or ultrasounds and appointments. Here’s everything you need to know about week 27.

Your Body at Week 27 Pregnant

A Pain in the Back

Many moms-to-be experience lower back pain as their pregnancy progresses. This pain can be caused by several factors. To prepare your body for pushing a baby through your pelvis, a hormone called relaxin is released, which causes your ligaments to loosen and your joints to become more flexible. Sciatica, which is caused by the growing uterus exerting pressure on the sciatic nerve, can also cause pain radiating down the back of the leg. If you feel numbness or intense pain, inform your doctor.

Not fitting into your shoes or jewelry? You might experience swelling — called edema — around this time. Edema occurs when fluids build up in your body tissue due to increased blood flow and uterine pressure on the vena cava. Make sure you keep hydrated and talk to your doctor if the swelling seems extreme.

Your little one is taking all the nutrients it needs from you, which can actually leave your hair, skin, and nails dry and brittle instead of luscious and strong.

Your Baby at Week 27 Pregnant

At 27 weeks pregnant, your baby is about the size of a giant container of ketchup, weighing in at around 2 lbs and measuring about 14-and-a-half inches.

You Can Feel Your Baby Hiccuping

As baby’s lungs continue developing, you might begin to notice tiny, repetitive spasms. That’s the baby hiccuping! Trippy. As the baby inhales, amniotic fluid enters their lungs, causing her diaphragm to contract. Fetal hiccups indicate that both baby’s respiratory system and nervous system are developing according to schedule.

Your baby is developing a regular sleep cycle. Don’t be alarmed if they seem more active in the evening — some babies are lulled to sleep by your daytime routine (you might be racing around like a maniac, but baby is relaxing to your rhythms). It might be difficult to sleep with your baby partying the night away, but it’s nothing to worry about.

Your Symptoms and Health at Week 27 Pregnant

Hemorrhoids Are Giving You A Pain In The Butt

One of the most delightful effects of all that constipation you might be experiencing are pregnancy hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are swollen varicose veins in the rectum that can cause itching, pain, and bleeding, and they can be caused by all the straining you are doing while on the toilet. There’s really not much you can do except look forward to when they go away (usually a few weeks after birth). You can get a bit of comfort from soaking your bum in warm water a few times a day or using a cold witch hazel compress to help reduce swelling. Check with your doctor before using a hemorrhoid cream.

As the baby continues to put pressure on your bladder, some women find they can’t always control when they pee. Sometimes it happens when sneezing! Or laughing! Why don’t you just give up and live on the toilet bowl?

Feeling Tense or Moody?

Being pregnant is hard work and planning for baby can be stressful even without a history of depression or anxiety. A wide range of emotions are totally normal during pregnancy, but if you find yourself feeling more overwhelmed than usual, please reach out to your doctor. If you’re confused about whether it’s depression or pregnancy (a fun game), you can try monitoring your moods with an app or in a journal.

Double Trouble

Last week of second trimester! By now, your twins are probably a little over 2 pounds. They’re also more active now, so you might have a hard time getting a good night’s sleep while the two take turns waking you with a kick. Hey, at least it’s good practice!

The contents of this article have been medically reviewed by Ruth A. Tessler, M.D. in July, 2019.

Written by Patricia Grisafi.

Follow Preggo Nancy’s pregnancy journey week-by-week and share in her joy, her symptoms, and even her pregnancy cravings.

Read More:

26 Weeks Pregnant — Your Baby Is The Size Of A Stack Of Pancakes

28 Weeks Pregnant — Your Baby Is The Size Of A Bread Basket