Day 191 of 280, second trimester
You are 27 weeks and 2 days
Your baby has developed a sleep-wake cycle very similar to the one she'll have in her first weeks after birth.
89 days until your due date
Until now your baby's yawns have been occasional, single events, but now they're more repetitive, with several in a row. Her swallowing reflexes developed at 25 weeks but still need to become much better coordinated.
Breathing movements are vital for normal lung development. Your baby doesn't breathe amniotic fluid into her lungs; they're filled with fluid made by the lung tissue itself, and small amounts are pushed out as she practices breathing. With each breath, the diaphragm pushes down and the chest wall moves in as the larynx relaxes, letting fluid out. Only a tiny 0.5 percent of the lung fluid escapes with each breath, compared with 20 percent of the air in your lungs moving in and out with each breath.
Your baby has been breathing for weeks, but the pattern has been fairly random. Now her breathing starts to reflect her more developed sleep-wake cycle and becomes more rhythmic.
Time to think about
Prenatal care
From now on, you'll have appointments every two weeks. At each one, your blood pressure is measured and your urine tested for protein. Your doctor will check your baby's size by measuring the height of your uterus, listen to any concerns, and give advice.
Focus on
Nutrition: Burning calories
In pregnancy your body stores fat, mainly on the hips, thighs, and abdomen, to make sure there's enough energy for your baby to grow. Normally the body runs on glucose, but in mid and late pregnancy, hormonal and metabolic changes help it use fat for energy. Regular exercise without extra calories could reduce these fat stores, and regular cardio and weight-bearing exercise also slightly raises your metabolic rate, so you burn more calories even at rest.
It's important to exercise regularly, but make sure you eat enough for your growing baby and your body. As a simple guide, in the third trimester eat an extra 200 calories a day, plus an extra 150 on days you exercise.
Appointments and key dates around now
- Whooping cough vaccineUsually around 20 weeks, best before 32 weeks
Read the full 27 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.