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You are now 27 weeks pregnant and are heading inexorably towards the 3rd trimester of your pregnancy. You can start thinking about the time after the birth. In this part of our pregnancy calendar, you will find out how best to prepare for breastfeeding. We also tell you how the foetus develops in week 27 of pregnancy and what helps against incontinence and sleepy fingers during pregnancy.
Take a carton of milk out of the fridge. Can you feel how heavy it is? That's about how much - around 1 kilogramme - your little belly dweller weighs in this week of pregnancy. A big milestone! Your little one measures around 34 centimetres from head to toe. If you have an ultrasound scan this week, the baby can no longer be visualised in its entirety due to its size. Only the individual body parts such as arms, legs, head and torso can be recognised. You will notice, for example, that the foetus already has all its fingernails.
While blood was mainly formed in the liver and spleen in the first half of pregnancy, the bone marrow is now the most important haematopoietic centre. This does not change for the rest of your life.
Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.
Your baby can already see well in the tummy and reacts to light. If you shine a torch on your tummy, it may turn away or cover its eyes with its hands. As the light shines through the abdominal wall, it is mainly red tones that your little one perceives. So our tip: pack a red towel in your hospital bag. The familiar colour will calm your baby when you wrap it in it after the birth. Light interests your baby. Strong light sources disturb your baby. You should therefore not try using a bright torch with your baby.
Between the 27th and 30th week of pregnancy, you will gain around 400 to 500 grams a week. This is not only due to the growth of your baby, but above all to fluid retention in your tissue. Water retention during pregnancy is normal at first. It ensures that the first small wrinkles disappear from your face and that your body looks fresh and rosy overall. If you retain a lot of water, this is known as oedema.
You may have already noticed that tight shoes no longer fit you so well and that you find it difficult to get your ring off your finger. If your fingers have thickened due to fluid retention, you can also wear your wedding ring on a chain around your neck for the rest of your pregnancy. This way you won't run the risk of not being able to get the ring off.
The hand tingles, feels numb and hurts - especially at night. These symptoms indicate carpal tunnel syndrome. Both hands are often affected. How does this happen? Water retention often forms in the connective tissue due to pregnancy hormones. This causes pressure on the median nerve of the hand, which runs through the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers. The symptoms therefore mainly occur in these fingers.
What helps against carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy?
- Try not to bend or stretch the wrist to an extreme.
- Avoid activities that can aggravate the syndrome, such as prolonged vibration when mowing the lawn or playing string instruments. Working at a keyboard can also favour carpal tunnel syndrome. Try to set up your PC workstation as ergonomically as possible and take frequent breaks.
- Stretching exercises and yoga help many women.
- See a doctor if you have severe pain. They may fit you with a splint to immobilise your hands at night. This is because as long as your hand is in a straight position, only little pressure is exerted on the nerve. If the pain is very severe, an operation may be considered.
Fortunately, in most cases carpal tunnel syndrome disappears of its own accord after delivery.
Hush - and it's already happened! For some pregnant women, the weight of the baby in week 27 already puts pressure on the bladder. If your little one kicks and punches you, you may unintentionally leak a few drops of urine. There's no need to be embarrassed. This is completely normal in the last few weeks of pregnancy, especially when coughing, sneezing and laughing.
What helps against incontinence during pregnancy?
Strengthen your pelvic floor by consciously tensing it again and again in everyday life. This is not only good against incontinence, it is also ideal preparation for the birth. If you know your pelvic floor well, it will be easier for you to consciously relax it. This will help your baby on the way out.
Despite pelvic floor muscle training, it is not always possible to avoid leaking urine during pregnancy. Panty liners and thin pads can help you during this time. Another tip: turn your head to the side when coughing and sneezing. This will reduce the downward pressure and thus limit uncontrolled urine leakage.
Especially after birth, the Postnatal gymnastics essential to get your pelvic floor fit again. Didn't have any complaints during your pregnancy? But you shouldn't do without it. Your future self will thank you if you are spared incontinence in old age. The Online postnatal course by midwife Katharina. This video course contains 22 hours of exercises for postnatal recovery and the pelvic floor. Train at your own pace and choose the level of difficulty that suits you. Another plus point: you can watch the units over and over again. The pelvic floor is a muscle-tendon plate. The same applies to it as to any other muscle: if it is not trained, it becomes weak. If the pelvic floor is weak, you lack the holding function in the pelvic area. That's why pelvic floor training is not something you need to do for a few weeks and then forget about. Your pelvic floor needs lifelong daily training. This also applies to men, by the way.
How can urine be distinguished from amniotic fluid?
Towards the end of pregnancy in particular, the question often arises as to whether the fluid is amniotic fluid or urine. If the fluid pours out like a gush and does not stop dripping, it is usually amniotic fluid. This is usually colourless and smells slightly sweet.
It is more difficult to differentiate when only individual droplets are released. Because even if it is often suggested in Hollywood films: A rupture of the membranes does not always leave a huge puddle. The amniotic fluid can escape gradually over a longer period of time. If you are not sure, please contact your midwife or doctor. They can carry out a pH test to distinguish urine from amniotic fluid. Sometimes the gynaecologist will also perform an ultrasound to check the amount of amniotic fluid present. Ultimately, however, you can be guided by your keen sense of pregnancy odour. You can recognise the difference between urine and amniotic fluid. The amniotic fluid smells like your baby.
Fortunately, a rupture of the membranes is very unlikely in the 27th week of pregnancy. However, if you have a premature loss of amniotic fluid, you will be referred to hospital. If the rupture is only very small, it may be able to close on its own. Otherwise, a premature birth may occur. In order to delay the onset of labour, treatment with tocolytics and antibiotics will be administered in this case. In addition, the pregnant woman is given lung maturation injections to improve the baby's chances of survival outside the womb.
The baby is already practising for its first meal in the womb. To do this, it sucks on its thumb and swallows amniotic fluid diligently. It is also best to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy. First of all: it is your personal decisionwhether and how long you want to give your baby the breast. But even though bottle feeding is getting better and better, one thing is undisputed: breast milk is best for your child.
Breastfeeding has been the most natural way to feed a baby for thousands of years. Nevertheless, it has to be learnt to some extent. In the past, people lived in large communities and young mothers were able to learn everything important by observing breastfeeding women. Today, these role models are often missing. For this reason, you should start learning about breastfeeding now if possible.
A large part of the preparation takes place in your head. Think about why you would like to breastfeed your child. These reasons will later motivate you not to give up, even during difficult phases of breastfeeding. Exchange ideas with other breastfeeding mums.
Talk to your partner about your desire to breastfeed your baby. Not only in the Postpartum it is invaluable for the success of the breastfeeding relationship if both parents pull together and your partner supports you in this decision. Together you can Workshop by midwife Katharina to get you in the mood for the postpartum period and breastfeeding.
Preparing the body for breastfeeding
How do you prepare your body for breastfeeding? Well, there's not much to do here. Without any action on your part, your body and especially your breasts prepare themselves to provide your baby with the best possible nourishment. Your nipples don't need any special care during pregnancy. Nor do you need to "harden" them in any way for breastfeeding.
Do you have nipple slips or inverted nipples? This is also no obstacle to breastfeeding. In this case, however, it is even more important to latch the baby on correctly. It is also advisable to use nipple formers during pregnancy.
The ideal situation is to have a Breastfeeding preparation course to take. In her online course, midwife Katharina reveals all kinds of tricks for latching on your baby. You will learn how to treat sore nipples and resolve breastfeeding problems. And you will learn how you and your baby can become a well-coordinated team so that breastfeeding becomes the most natural thing in the world.
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