It becomes even more important to pay attention to maintaining a healthy lifestyle after you enter the seventh month of your pregnancy. After the first month of your third trimester, there isn't much time left in finally getting your baby in your hands. Be sure to follow a nutritious diet and don't ignore any warning signs at this stage. You need to be even more careful when you're pregnant with twins.
Fetal Development at 27 Weeks Pregnant with Twins
After 27 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor will view each baby separately on ultrasound to check their growth and identify any defects. They will also assess the amniotic fluid levels and evaluate the growth rate and relative size of the babies.
1. Length and Weight
The weight of each of your twins should be about 1kg with a length up to 15 inches. At this stage, your twins can open and close their eyes, suck their thumb, sleep and wake up at regular intervals.
2. Brain Growth
Your twins' brain will grow rapidly atthis week. Brain tissue will develop and most babies will begin to react to sound when the seventh month ends.
3. Motor Skills
The motor skills of your twins will improve as well. They will be able to open and close their eyes and be able to turn their heads in the womb. They will react to bright light shining outside the womb.
4. Reproductive Organs
This is the time when testicles in boys will descend from near the kidneys through the groin heading to scrotum; for baby girls, clitoris will not be covered with the small labia and become prominent.
5. Bones
Your twins' skeletons will become hard and they may stop growing in length, but they will still keep gaining weight until birth.
Here is a video where a mom shares her experience with twin pregnancy:
What Changes to Expect When You're 27 Weeks Pregnant with Twins?
When you're 27 weeks pregnant, you will also experience certain changes in your body. You may experience Braxton hicks contractions, constipation, frequent urination, leg cramps, round ligament pain, symphysis pubis dysfunction, restless leg syndrome, and pregnancy food cravings. Here are some other changes you may experience:
- Shortness of breath with pain under the ribs
- Thigh, joint, back, and hip pain
- Indigestion, gas, and bloating
- Weird, vivid dreams
- Alternative chills or hot flashes
- Pelvic girdle with tailbone pain
- Sleep disturbances
- Bleeding, swollen gum
- Emotional changes with mood swings
- Sore throat and nasal congestion
When to Seek Medical Help
With so many changes taking place, you may sometimesfeel irritated, but you should still ensure that you don't miss warning signs and see your doctor when you're 27 weeks pregnant with twinsand notice certain issues, such as:
- You notice frequent contractions with bleeding, discharge, period-like cramps, spotting, or pressure in your pelvic area.
- You experience pain or burning while urinating along with yellowish jelly like discharge, lower back pain, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and chills.
- You experience extreme fatigue with dizziness and other issues such as persistent headaches, blurred vision, upper abdominal pain, feeling out of breath, vomiting, nausea, and swelling on the hands or face.
- You notice clear watery or yellowish discharge.
- You experience extreme urination and thirst with or without excessive tiredness, vision changes, and severe nausea.
- You notice no fetal movement for up to 5 hours.
Things to Keep in Mind for Twins Pregnancy
When you are 27 weeks pregnant with twins,you will look bigger as compared what you would be with one baby. It also means that your uterus will expand beyond its normal size to accommodate your growing twins. This will make pregnancy uncomfortable, but you will still face several issues because you cannot increase your height to provide your growing babies with more space.
1. Complications Along With Twins Pregnancy
Since your body will have to make serious adjustments to accommodate your growing babies, you may end up dealing with certain complications. You will be at a greater risk of miscarrying in the first trimester and experience higher risks of generalized pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and pregnancy induced hypertension. Twins pregnancy will also increase risk of caesarian section delivery and premature birth.
2. Possible Signs of Early Labor You Should Know
When you are 27 weeks pregnant with twins, you should also understand certain signs associated with early labor. Contact your healthcare provider immediately if you notice symptoms such as more than five contractions per hour, backache, cramps feeling like menstrual cramping, and rhythmic pelvic pressure.
Persistent contractions are usually the main indicator of preterm labor, but some other signs will help to confirm that labor is already in progress. The list includes diarrhea, uneasy sense that something is wrong and vaginal discharge or bleeding. You should also contact your doctor if you experience leaking of fluid from the vagina because it may mean your membranes have ruptured and the amniotic fluid is leaking.
