27 Weeks - Third Trimester (aka cauliflower with dreams)

I'm still up the 8 pounds from earlier this week. No massive gain over last week so I am pleased. Max is still very active and kicks around a fair bit. Nothing too extreme or obvious from the outside. Sleep is still a mystery for me. I spent large amounts of time in my bed at night wishing for sleep but not very much time actually sleeping. I'm hoping to catch up some over the weekend.

So far no sign of the baby hiccoughs I hear can start this week. Just his normal couple of kicks in any location followed by a pause and then a couple of kicks somewhere else. I have my gestational diabetes test next Wednesday (the day after Xmas, what was I thinking? oh yeh, that it was the only day M was still in town and could come and get me at the doctor's office if needed) and I'm really hoping that comes back ok.

Here's the 27 week update:
http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-27-weeks_1116.bc

This week your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14.4 inches long with his legs extended. He can now open and close his eyes, and he sleeps and wakes at regular intervals. He may suck his fingers, and although his lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with assistance — if he were to be born prematurely. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and isn't bothersome to him, so enjoy the tickle. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. Wonder what he's thinking?

http://www.maternityandbabyshoppingmart.com/pregnancy_week_27.html

By pregnancy week 27 your baby is over 2 pounds and is almost 15 inches long! That's quite large considering your baby's original size was smaller than a grain of rice! Your baby is now perfectly formed, though she still has a lot of growing to do in the upcoming weeks.
During pregnancy week 27 your baby's internal organs and systems continue to grow, mature and develop. Most noticeably, around pregnancy 27 weeks your baby's eyelids will open. Up until this point in time they were fused together. Around pregnancy week 27 and 28 they finally open. During this time the retina of the eye also starts maturing, allowing your baby's eyes to finally receive light and translate images.

You may start noticing around this time your energy starts dropping. While most women enjoy a pleasant energy spurt during the middle of the second trimester, this often fades as they approach the third trimester. Remember as you are entering your third trimester, your body is working very hard to complete its masterpiece... creation of a new life! This takes a lot of energy, so it makes sense you'd feel a bit tired.

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment/27weeks/

Your baby now weighs nearly 2 pounds/ 875 grams and measures 14.5 inches/ 36.6 centimetres from head to toe. Her eyes open and close, she sleeps and wakes at regular intervals and she may suck a finger or thumb.

Sweet dreams, little baby! Some experts believe that babies begin to dream by the 28th week. What do they dream about? No one knows for certain but the brain is active this week as well. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops. Chalk up any rhythmic movement you may be feeling to a case of the hiccups, which are common this week and throughout the pregnancy. Your baby has them but is breathing in amniotic fluid rather than air. A paper bag can't cure her hiccups, obviously, but an episode usually lasts only momentarily. The sensation for you may be strange but not unpleasant.

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And although there is no reason whatsoever to think I would have a premature baby, it is nice to know that the March of Dimes gives the baby a 90-95% chance of survival after this week...

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1157.asp

What about babies born at 28 to 31 weeks gestation?

These babies look quite similar to babies born earlier, although they are larger (usually between 2 and 4 pounds) and even more likely to survive (about 90 to 95 percent).