Fetal development in pregnancy week 27 - I'm a survivor, I'm gonna make it!
~length
14.5 in 36.8 cm
~weight
2 lbs 900 g
Your not-so-tiny-anymore baby (2 pounds and 14.5 inches long!) is slowly rotating in preparation to “head out” for the grand entrance on their birthday!
Now obviously, this doesn’t happen overnight, but when you start to feel a new sort of pressure "down there" (aka your cervix), you’ll know you’ve got a fully flipped locked-n-loaded womb-fruit waiting for the countdown to launch!
If you feel like they're still not flipped, don't worry, you've still got time.
Impressive physical developments of the week: your child's lungs are already capable of breathing air as their vascular system can now handle oxygen/carbon exchange and their brain stem can now regulate rhythmic breathing as well as their basal body temperature!
For what it’s worth, at this point in a healthy pregnancy - if you were to give birth prematurely, your tiny fighter could easily win on the show: “Survivor: The Early Years.”
Go ahead, give your belly a gentle hi-five!
And how's mom doing?
All aboard the same lame symptom train for one final looooong ride before we arrive at the labor and birthday party! Time to kick your baby-on-the-outside preparations into high gear: get the all-essential car-seat, stroller, baby wrap, diapers, a breast pump, a bassinet crib or other safe sleeping area and a clean space set-up for diapering.
As you've probably noted, the hormone factory is once again running at full-tilt - causing nausea, heartburn, as well as Sasquatch-like hair growth.
Your *yaaaawn* increased fatigue stems from several factors, including weight gain, shortness of breath and of course, sleep deprivation associated with your big busy baby and blasted busted bladder.
And yet another old symptom is back: breast tenderness is common at this phase due to milk production kicking in.
If this isn't your first child, and you've been breastfeeding throughout your pregnancy, your breast milk will begin to revert to colostrum soon. Some children, used to the taste of breast milk, will self wean at this point, though many will continue to feed happily. You may have heard from well-meaning sources that you need to wean your breastfeeder while pregnant - not true!
Our last thrilling third-trimester symptoms: more swelling cankles and feeling like you live in a Swedish sauna as a result of increased basal body temperature.
Thanks to your baby's body heat adding to your own, you're one hot mama!
Finally, the third trimester is definitely the right time to kick your baby-on-the-outside preparations into high gear: get the all-essential car-seat, stroller, baby wrap, diapers, a breast pump, a bassinet crib or other safe sleeping area and a clean space for diapering.
After you get all that under your belt, go ahead - relax and enjoy this time… when you’re not nauseous, constipated, running to the toilet, or just plain wiped out.
Oh yeah! Don’t forget your daily prenatal, get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water, stay active, and eat well!
Sheesh woman, we're tired just thinking about what you're going through. A healthy pregnancy definitely isn't for the weak!
Enjoy!
-AKL
