Second trimester
27 weeks pregnant
The final week of the second trimester. The fetus is around the size of a swede, with established sleep and waking cycles and rapidly developing brain tissue.
Size of
cauliflower
Length
37 cm
Weight
870 g
Your baby at 27 weeks
Sleep and wake cycles are more regular, and the fetus may have periods of consistent activity you can recognise.
The brain is developing rapidly, with tissue becoming more complex. Hiccups are common and feel like rhythmic twitching rather than kicks.
The lungs continue maturing, though they would still need substantial support if birth happened now.
How you may be feeling
This is often the last comfortable week for a while. From here appointments typically become more frequent and symptoms more insistent.
Many people start noticing their baby’s daily pattern clearly, which becomes important for monitoring movement in the third trimester.
Common symptoms around week 27
- Fetal hiccups, felt as rhythmic twitching
- Leg cramps
- Backache
- Trouble sleeping
- Braxton Hicks
Appointments and tests around now
From week 28 appointments usually become more frequent, often every two weeks. If you are rhesus negative, anti-D is typically offered around 28 weeks.
What is normal, and what varies
Hiccups are normal and often frequent. They are not distressing to the fetus, however odd they feel.
Worth doing this week
Learn your baby’s pattern now
Third-trimester monitoring depends on knowing what is normal for your baby specifically, not on hitting a number.
Plan leave properly
The third trimester is more tiring than most people expect. Decisions made now are easier than decisions made at 36 weeks.
Check your rhesus status
If you are rhesus negative, anti-D is typically offered at around 28 weeks and matters for future pregnancies as well as this one.
Looking ahead
Next week begins the third trimester, with more frequent appointments and faster growth.
Nearby weeks
Not sure which week you are in? The week tracker works it out from the first day of your last period, and the due date calculator gives you an estimated due date.