You have reached the final week of the second trimester! The golden days of pregnancy are drawing to a close, and the intense, final stretch of the third trimester is imminent. Your baby's lungs are making rapid strides, and they are capable of regular, rhythmic breathing movements—even though they are breathing fluid, not air.
🍼 What's Happening With Your Baby
Now the size of a cauliflower, the baby weighs nearly two pounds. From here until birth, the primary objective is gaining weight and maturing the lungs.
The brain's surface, which has been smooth until now, is beginning to fold and develop the complex grooves and ridges (sulci and gyri) characteristic of the human brain, allowing for vastly more brain tissue.
The baby is likely dreaming. Scans show that fetuses at this stage enter Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the phase associated with dreaming.
🤰 What You're Feeling This Week
Your uterus is now the size of a basketball. The physical burden is becoming significant, and you may find sleep increasingly difficult to achieve.
Leg cramps are common, but you should also watch for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)—an uncontrollable urge to move your legs, often described as a 'creepy-crawly' sensation when you lie down.
You might notice colostrum leaking from your breasts. This thick, yellowish fluid is the nutrient-dense 'first milk' your body produces, and leaking a few drops is a perfectly normal sign that your body is preparing to nurse.
The Brain Folds
The folding of the cerebral cortex allows a massive amount of brain tissue to fit inside the skull. This week marks a massive leap in fetal intelligence and processing power.
✅ What To Do This Week
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Finalize your birth plan — Think about your preferences for pain management, who you want in the room, and immediate postpartum care (like delayed cord clamping and skin-to-skin contact).
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Get the Rhogam shot if needed — If your blood type is Rh-negative (e.g., O-negative, A-negative), you will likely receive a Rhogam shot around week 28 to prevent your immune system from attacking the baby's blood.
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Watch for swelling in one leg — While bilateral swelling is normal, swelling, heat, or pain in only ONE leg can be a sign of Deep Vein Thrombosis (a blood clot). Seek emergency care immediately.
"Two trimesters down. One to go. Your body has successfully built the life-support system and the passenger. Now, the final, heaviest phase begins."
— A Note From Your Body, Week 27