Pregnancy - week by week: Week 26-27

Pregnancy - week by week: Week 26-27

Week 26:

Your baby's brain will begin to become more responsive to visual and auditory stimulation as the visual and auditory senses continue to develop.  The baby does hear sounds around them including mom's heartbeat, mom's voice and the voice of other's around her.  Noises can be heard so well that the baby could very well become startled and move at the sound of a particularly loud noise. 

 The baby's lungs will also continue to develop (a process which will continue for weeks to come) as the air sacs start to form on the lungs.  Around this time, you may be more aware of your baby's movements.  In fact, other people may now be able to feel the baby's movements if they put their hand on your belly.  If you were looking at your baby now you would be able to see your baby's skin now, you would be able to see their veins.  By now your baby is probably about two pounds.  When measuring the baby from the crown of their head to their rump, the baby is probably about 9 inches long. 

Some women start experiencing Braxton Hicks as early as this week.  These typically will feel a lot like your menstrual cramps.  They should not be very intense and will be very irregular.  If you experience pain that is severe or comes in a regular pattern, call your OBGYN.  As the weeks of your pregnancy progress you may be having more trouble sleeping.  It can be difficult to get comfortable and you may wake up often as well.  Try to get as much sleep and at the very least as much rest as you can. 

Week 27:

Your baby is already taking on its own looks and looks a great deal like he/she will look when born.  By now your little bundle should be weighing in at about two pounds.  Last week your baby's lungs and brain really began to grow and develop.  They will continue to do so this week as well.  Around this time babies will start to open their eyelids.  The retinas of their eyes will start to become formed as the baby's eyes become more and more functional.

At this point your baby's organs are in place, but they still need to develop even more.  However, if your baby were born anytime from this point on, he/she would have a very high chance of survival. 

Mom:  You have entered the third trimester.  Keep up the good work!  You may start feeling some shortness of breath during this time.  Around this time you may also really start noticing your weight gain.  Do not worry about the numbers on the scale.  Instead, just make certain to keep maintaining healthy eating for both the baby and yourself.  Now might be a good time to decide what childbirth classes you would like to sign up for.  Even if you are not a first time mom, a refresher course can always be helpful.