We’re 27 Weeks Pregnant! - Milestones, Developments, Updates, and More!

by Lyn Lomasi, Write W.A.V.E. Media Staff

Rich and I are now 27 weeks pregnant with Nova Skye Rowell, as March 5, 2016. Here’s the latest on 27 week fetal development, Nova’s movements and health report, how I’m feeling, and more.

Some of the free stuff we received in the mail from Listia wins this week

What’s Nova Doing This Week?

Well, besides continuing to be a cute baby, Nova’s been responding even more to various things. She continues to kick for specific foods, but even more than before. She has also been responding with movements more regularly and more intensely to everything from sounds to touch. I was reading something that says she should start pulling on the umbilical cord this week and judging by the intensified and different pains I feel when she moves, I think it’s fair to say she just might be.

Next And Last Prenatal Visits

The next appointment is coming up soon! For the details on what will happen at this coming appointment, as well as what happened at the last one, please read the 26 weeks post. Otherwise, I’d be saying the exact same thing here. Haha

How’s the Momtrepreneur and Daddy-To-Be This Week?

We actually were able to get out and take a walk recently, despite the way I’ve been feeling.I was exhausted afterward. But at least my body actually allowed me to do a walk. Can’t say I’ll be doing many more until Nova gets here, as I’m really supposed to be resting and to be honest, I feel like crap pretty much all the time. But I got extremely stressed and tired of so many activity limitations.

So, on a day when the pain eased up just slightly (like, very slightly) and we were in desperate need of fresh air, we took a walk. I’m sure some of you will yell at me for doing it. But, everyone who knows me will understand just how crazy I’m being driven over not being able to be my normal super active workaholic self.

We’re also getting more and more excited as we narrow down our list of needs for Nova and it gets closer to her being here. We almost can’t believe just how much we’ve been accomplishing with so very little money.

Accomplishments This Past Week

If you read last week’s post, you’ll know we got a  free car seat and some other free items as well. Guess what?! This week, we obtained a free baby swing! I swear to you all, absolutely zero of these have been due to the five-finger discount. We’re just very determined to make sure we get everything Nova needs and I just happen to be extremely good at hunting down free and cheap things.

I will have to say though, there have been times I broke down crying thinking we would never get everything we needed, since we recently fell on hard times. But the universe always has a way of providing and I will definitely trust the universe from now on. Client work is slowly picking up, other revenue sources are doing the same, and everything we need for the baby seems to keep appearing exactly on time.

A couple other fun things we did this week involve both Aja (the 12 year old) and Nova. Aja is taking care of a special newborn-like doll as a homeschool project and also to prepare her for Nova. A couple days ago, she says to me, “Ma, I really need your help. My baby’s diaper is crooked.” I got to teach her how to properly put on a diaper, which is a skill she’ll need for her assignment, helping with Nova, and just life, in general.

This one is really fun. Because Nova is getting bigger, we can actually feel the shape of certain parts of her through my stomach sometimes. I felt her hand outline, so I had Aja feel and she thought it was both cool and weird. Then, Nova moved and she felt that too. So, Aja learned a couple baby lessons and Nova’s big sister now knows a bit more about her.

So, this is the FREE baby swing we got yesterday. I just put new batteries in it and it works perfectly. It's a 3-in-one design. The swing detaches and can also be used as a baby bouncer & rocker or as a toddler rocking chair. It also plays 5 songs if you want it to do so. Looked it up and there are no recalls on it. Cleaned the cover in the washing machine and cleaned/disinfected the rest. So, now all it's missing is Nova. This particular model is no longer available. However, to get something new that's comparable (can't find any used ones), we'd be looking at a price tag of at least $150 and we paid exactly ZERO dollars. I love Craigslist and people who like to make use of old items that would otherwise be in a landfill. P.S. Sorry for the water heater and furnace in the background. We're obviously keeping it put out of the way until Nova is almost here. --- Image © Lyn Lomasi; All Rights Reserved

Aaaaand OMG! We saved one of the best things for last (besides the super free swing)! Our super awesome friend San over at Informed Sharing sent us a ton of stuff! Some of it we can use right away and some will be for later, which is perfect. The right-away items are things we can now take off our needs list and the later items will fill some of the holes we had for when she gets bigger.

^^^^^^^^ Above is all the super awesome stuff San sent us ^^^^^^^^

Interesting 27 Week Fetal Development & Pregnancy Info

Every extra day in the womb increases your baby’s survival rate, if born prematurely. Therefore, do what you can to follow your doctor’s advice and keep that baby inside as long as possible until full term. Depending on the individual baby and situation, the exact rate of survival can vary. But at 27 weeks, your baby may have up to a 90% survival rate, but will likely need medical treatment. How extensive will depend on a variety of factors. But the outcome is definitely getting better as you near your due date.

At 27 weeks gestation, your baby can now open and close eyes at will and also sleeps and wakes at somewhat regular intervals. You may even notice your baby being soothed to sleep when you perform certain activities. Finger sucking and hiccuping are also common at this stage. If you haven’t experienced leg cramps yet, you might be feeling them now, as the blood vessels have more pressure on them from the uterus. This is when your baby should weigh about 2 pounds and be about 14 ½ inches long. A whole inch of growth is expected during just this week alone!

Your baby may also begin to dream at 27 weeks, as many experts say they should by 28 weeks gestation. More brain tissue is developing and the characteristic groves start to appear. Eyelashes are also likely appearing right now. They are important for your baby, as they shield the sensitive eyes from debris.

When your baby is hiccuping, don’t be alarmed. It may feel a bit strange, compared to other movements, but shouldn’t last too long. Shortness of breath might also seem scary, but is normal from this point on, as your uterus expands to accommodate your growing baby. This is the stage when your uterus is right up against the rib cage. Hemorrhoids and varicose veins are some of the other “lovely” symptoms that may creep up between 27 and 28 weeks and continue throughout the pregnancy.

The areola on your breasts got darker in previous weeks. You may now notice that the darkened area is covering even more of your breast. For most women, this darker area will expand beyond the areola and likely end up expanding to cover about half of the entire breast area. This natural and temporary change usually lasts up to a year after your baby is born and is nothing to be alarmed about.

You may also be experiencing some dramatic dreams. This is not unusual for pregnant women. In fact, it’s quite common and is possibly related to the hormonal changes in your body. Another theory is that it’s the mind’s way of dealing with the wide range of new thought processes and emotions emerging throughout pregnancy.

Your baby’s lungs, liver, hearing, and immune system are continuing to develop further along at 27 weeks gestation. The nervous system is even developing enough so that your baby can control some bodily functions. The respiratory system still has some work to do, but the lungs are already producing the surfactant they need in order to expand when your baby takes the first breath after birth.

Your baby is likely responding to specific sounds and may even recognize specific voices. This is a good time to read to your baby, play soothing music, talk to your baby, and more. Whatever you can do to stimulate activity with positive noise will be very beneficial to your baby’s development. Also, remember to be careful about negative noise, such as arguments. Your baby can hear those too.

As always, consult your doctor for exact advice. This post is based mostly on personal experience with some research and is meant for informational purposes only. Every pregnancy is different.

Stay tuned for our 28 weeks pregnant (and other posts)!

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We’re 26 Weeks Pregnant! - Milestones, Developments, Updates, and More!

SOURCES

Personal Experience
National Library of Medicine | Fetal Development
Pampers | 27 Weeks Pregnant: What’s Going On
BabyCenter | What Your Baby Looks Like: 27 Weeks
BabyCenter | Fetal Development - 27 Weeks Pregnant
Similac | 27 Weeks Pregnant
Pregnancy.org | 27 Weeks Pregnant
Parents | Fetal Development Weeks 27 Through 30
Spencer’s Hope | Chances For Survival
Quint Boenker Preemie Survival Foundation | Preemie Info