Pregnancy week 27 - baby's development and your body

Your baby is growing, developing, and becoming stronger through movement and kicking. There is still plenty of room to turn and move in the womb.

Size:

Your baby is about 36 cm long or 14.17 inches, from head to foot.

Weight:

Approximately 875 grams or 1.93 lbs.

Fetal development:

All of your baby’s body parts and senses are now developed, though the eyes remain closed. Even so, your baby can detect light and darkness through thin eyelids. With short-term memory in place, it can also react to familiar voices and sounds.

The nervous system continues to mature, and your baby is starting to accumulate fat, which helps smooth out previously wrinkled skin.

Babies born this week usually survive with intensive care, and each passing week significantly improves survival rates while reducing the risk of long-term complications.

Your body:

The top of your uterus has now grown to about halfway between your navel and ribs.

With your baby getting stronger, it may now be possible for others to feel movements from the outside of your belly, if they haven’t already.

Many people find pregnancy symptoms less bothersome during the second trimester, though as the belly grows, you may feel increased pressure on the ligaments around the uterus or experience pelvic pain. The skin on your belly might also feel dry and itchy as it stretches.

Other common symptoms in the second trimester include breast growth, increased appetite, back and pelvic pain, and swelling in the feet and ankles. Skin changes, like darkened nipples or a “linea nigra”—a dark line that can extend from the pubic bone to just below the navel—may also appear.