In general, you should feel at least 10 baby movements over the course of two hours. We encourage you to take a look around our module and find out why each week is so exciting!
What to do. If your baby doesn’t seem active, try lying on your left side with a cool, sweet drink, or a snack and wait for the movements to start. If you still don’t feel any movements, call your health care provider. If you’re worried about how often your baby moves, ask your provider ahead of time what’s normal for you.
Always get up if the baby moves at night and time the movements, or kicks. The placenta is thicker on the right side and you will feel it better on your left.
Some women never notice their baby moving, but it’s more common for first-time moms to feel the baby move later than for those who’ve had previous pregnancies. For best results, lie down in a quiet room for about an hour before you try this test. A keen focus helps you pick up smaller movements, like little kicks and wiggles.
Start by lying on your side, ideally on your left side. Put your hand on your belly, and wait for baby’s movements to register with you.
Babies move less and less as they get bigger, but there’s one time when it’s especially important to feel them move: when you’re 27 weeks pregnant. Here’s why your baby’s movements at 27 weeks matter, and what to do if you don’t feel them kicking
This is the last week of your second trimester. At 27 weeks pregnant, the baby is now as big as a slice of pizza—about 37 centimetres (14.5 inches) long with her legs stretched out—and she weighs about 862 grams (1.9 pounds). Her brain is becoming more active, her eyes are opening and closing, and she is probably sucking her fingers from time to time, too.
What is happening with your baby at 27 weeks pregnant?
Around week 11 your baby’s eyelids became fused, but around the 27th to 28th-week babies can open and close their eyes. Your baby has also developed a regular wake and sleep cycle. Unfortunately, it may not be the same as yours. You may also begin to feel rhythmic movements in your uterus and wonder what is happening. It is likely that your baby has hiccups. This is completely normal and may occur quite frequently during this last part of your pregnancy as your baby’s lungs continue to mature.
What should you plan for during 27th week of pregnancy?
If you have not made arrangements for childbirth classes, now is the time. Remember that you want to have them completed by the time you have finished 37 weeks. Talk with your healthcare provider about organizations that offer these classes. If you are a single mom, you may want to ask a friend, family member, or doula to be your partner, or you might attend a special class designed for single women. We have provided links to some of the national organizations that provide childbirth classes. Check them out to see what is offered in your area.
Tips for making your pregnancy better
Did you know that the vast majority of hospitals require you to have an infant car seat before they will allow your baby to go home with you? If you have not picked out a car seat or a restraint system, it is time to begin looking for one. Talk with other moms and/or a pediatrician to find out what products they recommend. There are many options to choose from, but you want to find one that works for you and your situation. Also, make sure that the car seat fits in your car and is installed properly. Contact a local car seat technician who can help make sure your seat is installed correctly and can answer questions about proper use.
Tips for mom’s partner
As your partner progresses through these last several weeks of pregnancy, there may be certain household chores that become difficult and even dangerous for her to do. Offer to help her with these tasks, such as placing items on high shelves and cleaning the bathtub or toilet. These small gestures can make a huge difference.
Want to Know More?
- Pregnancy and Ice Cream: Nighttime Ice Cream is pregnancy friendly
- Safe Catch Tuna: the only tuna tested for mercury
- Get the Fetal Life App for Apple and Android endorsed by the American Pregnancy Association.
What Should I Be Doing at 27 Weeks Pregnant
By 27 weeks pregnant, you can feel your baby move much more. Some of your baby’s movements could be due to hiccups, while others feel like your baby is participating in an aerobic workout. Many women find these movements comforting, and these often help strengthen the bonding process between mother and child. Many women ask questions concerning how often they should feel their baby move. Later in pregnancy, you may be asked to determine your baby’s kick count, but for now, you just want to make general comparisons. If your baby seems less active than normal, it is important to discuss this with your healthcare provider.
27 weeks pregnant symptoms
Sleep problems
Did you assume that sleep deprivation wouldn’t kick in until after your baby arrives? Nope. Chances are, by 27 weeks you’re already struggling to get enough shuteye. Between being restricted to sleeping on your side (your practitioner may recommend your left side, which keeps the weight of your uterus off your liver and improves circulation and blood flow to the baby), restless legs syndrome (RLS), instant heartburn when you lie down and leg cramps (see below), it can be hard to catch enough zzzs. When you finally do drift off, you might be having intense dreams, too.
Notably disturbing dreams are common at this stage of pregnancy. They’re likely triggered by anxiety about anything and everything, from juggling finances to caring for a newborn to imagining what delivery will be like. It can be easier said than done, but the best thing you can do is to relax before bed. Quiet your mind with meditation, a warm bath or whatever works for you. Making a maternity-leave budget, signing up for a prenatal class or packing your hospital bag can also help you address what’s worrying you in the wee hours.
If RLS (which can affect about 15 to 25 percent of pregnant women) is keeping you awake, it can be minimized by upping your iron and folate intake with a supplement or eating more leafy greens and fortified grains. Reduce nighttime heartburn by avoiding trigger foods, eating a smaller dinner several hours before bed and propping yourself up when you lie down. Lots of strategically placed pillows will make sleeping on your side more comfy, too. To get support in all the right places, put one pillow between your knees, another behind your back and a smaller one under the side of your belly for maximum comfort.
Leg cramps
At this stage, it’s common to start experiencing cramping in your legs. Cramps are more common at night, but they can happen at any time. You’re carrying a lot of extra weight now, and your ever-expanding uterus is putting increasing pressure on the veins and nerves that run to your legs. Dehydration is often the culprit, so be sure to drink lots of water. Unfortunately, this symptom is likely to get worse before it gets better. Until your baby arrives, stop and stretch whenever a cramp strikes: Sit or stand, holding a counter, a desk or the back of a chair to keep you steady. Extend your leg and flex your foot, pointing your toes back toward your shin, and hold for a few seconds until the cramped muscles relax.https://promotions.lpage.co/campaigns/387741/form?viewport_type=embedded&isBuilder=false&uuid=aca18caa-ea31-4b64-9f27-f927683332bf
Baby hiccups
Those little rhythmic bumps you’re feeling every so often are your baby’s first hiccups. Even though she isn’t breathing yet, her diaphragm is getting ready to work outside the womb, and stimulation or irritation can cause those sudden contractions. Don’t worry: They won’t last long, and they don’t bother baby one bit. 
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What’s on your mind when you’re 27 weeks pregnant
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On the move
Keeping track of fetal movement is one way to determine if your baby is doing well, but counting kicks can be tricky—and stressful. As you’ve probably noticed, there may be some discernible patterns to your baby’s movement, but little ones aren’t totally predictable. She may be dancing up a storm one day, giving you jabs to the ribs and kicks to the bladder or cervix, and then nothing. Depending on how she is positioned, you just might not be able to feel them as much or she could be resting more one day than the next. During a time when your baby is typically active, prop yourself up with pillows behind you so that you’re at a 45-degree angle (and not lying totally flat) in a comfortable position. See how long it takes to log six to 10 movements or kicks—in general, you should feel about six to 10 movements over the course of two hours. (You can also try lying on your left side to encourage more activity because it allows for the best circulation.) If you’re concerned that fetal movement may have dropped off, keep track for a few days by writing down when you feel her and how many movements you count. If you notice a sharp decline, call your practitioner.
Just for kicks
Go on a date night
Once your baby arrives, one-on-one time with your better half will be scarce, so get some quality grownup time in now. Check out a new resto, go to the movies, hit up a gallery or do whatever you both enjoy doing. If you can, keep all talk of baby off limits and make it just about the two of you.