Pregnancy week 27

In the 27^th week of pregnancy, everything quite literally revolves around the bump: your little one is becoming increasingly rotund and is tumbling around even more, whilst your baby bump continues to grow. Read on to find out what else you need to do now, and why it might be a smart move to start thinking about a Pushchair!

What's going on inside you at 27 weeks pregnant?

Your baby is now roughly the size of a romaine lettuce!

Space in the uterus is becoming increasingly tight, although there remains sufficient room for the baby to turn and move. Babies only adopt the final birth position later on. If your baby is in the upright position at the moment on an ultrasound, there's no need to worry.

Many organs are now fully developed – only the lungs need a bit more time before they are fully functional. Meanwhile, the baby's bone marrow is forming its own blood cells. In the brain, the characteristic furrows are starting to form in the previously smooth surface. This is a clear indication that brain development is significantly progressing.

How do you feel at 27 weeks pregnant?

As babies are still able to turn, you may also feel kicks lower down in your abdomen. These can be very painful – muscles and bones are ultimately much stronger.

If you are thinking about buying a new pram/pushchair, it's worth having a good look round for one. Depending on your requirements, buying a baby pram/pushchair can be as big a challenge as buying a car – and some manufacturers' delivery times are also very long.

Which pram is best? 

As with many other things, the "perfect" choice depends on many individual circumstances and preferences. 

Questions you can ask yourself to help find the best model for you include:

• Do you need a folding pram/pushchair, e.g. so you can put it in the car?
• Will you need to be lifting it a lot when you get in and out of the car, etc.? If so, we would recommend a smaller, lightweight model.
• Does it need to be able to accommodate a growing child, from the time your baby is lying down to when they sit upright?
• Where do you tend to go when you're out?: around town on tarmac in a relatively small area or will you be using the pram/pushchair for walks in the countryside over uneven ground?
• Will you be taking it running a lot?
• Do you often use public transport and thus require a small, agile pram/pushchair?
• Which accessories will you need? Rain protection, sun protection, large basket or will a small pocket be enough? 

However, regardless of your preferences, there is one thing you always need to pay attention to: make sure the pram/pushchair is safe and made from non-toxic materials. There are various independent test institutes who put different models through their paces. You are best to ask a retailer about suitable models they would recommend or do some research on the Internet to find your favourite.

Ordering online can save money, however extensive testing of various functions (e.g. folding mechanism) and good advice from a specialist retailer can avoid stress lateron. A good alternative may be to try some of your friends' models. Test drives don't just pay off when buying a car – a pram/pushchair is likely to be your travelling companion for many years to come!

Photo: Shutterstock