Pregnancy Week 27

There is such a special sweetness in being able to participate in creation. --Pamela S. Nadav

What happens to you?

You're now in the third and final trimester. From now until about week thirty-six you will probably gain the majority of the weight in your pregnancy. Weight gain at this time is a good sign that your baby is developing and gaining normally.

The weight that you gain will be distributed in several places. In the beginning of pregnancy you may have noticed that your breasts got larger. The average breast before pregnancy weighs only about 7 ounces, but during pregnancy each breast can weigh up to an average of 28 ounces. Some of the weight will go to body fluids (amniotic fluid, blood volume, etc.). Remember that your blood volume increase by 30-50% during pregnancy. And some of the weight goes to the baby and the placenta! Add this to the few pounds put on as maternal fat storage, and you should average a weight gain of about 25-30 pounds.

The most important thing to remember is that a healthy diet is more important than what you gain. Some women will gain more, as in the case of women who were underweight to begin with, and those carrying multiple babies. Others will gain less. Pregnancy is not the time to go on a reducing diet. Even if you are overweight, reducing can actually harm the baby by burning your maternal fat stores. This can release toxins stored in your fat that are harmful to the baby.

What happens to the baby?

The baby's skin is protected with vernix, but it will still be very wrinkled from floating in water. The baby will often look wrinkled until a few weeks after birth as the newborn fills out into a baby.

The baby has finally hit the 2 pound mark (900 grams) this week.

Return to Pregnancy Calendar or continue to Week 28