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This is the last week of your second trimester.
And it’s the perfect time to plan a little getaway, either for you to relax on your own or babymoon with your partner.
At 27 weeks you usually don’t need a note from your midwife or GP to say you can fly (but do check with your airline on their policy). You can fly after 27 weeks but then you’ll need to get one of those notes, usually called a ‘fit to fly’ or ‘fitness to fly’ letter.
You can pack your bags and jet off until the end of your 36th week if you’re having one baby and until the end of the 32nd week if you’re cooking multiples. You might have to pay to get this letter and they only tend to sign on the dotted line if you’ve had a straightforward time with no complications.
What does my baby look like?
You might feel little hands or feet pressing against your tummy this week and sometimes you can even see the outline of them! You might feel your baby respond to noise as it increases their movement and heart rate, so chat away.
It’s no wonder you can feel bits all over the place as your baby is now around 36cm. Can’t wrap your head around what size that is? Fancy yourself a bit of a stir fry whizz? Your baby is now the same size as your wok pan!
And all that lovely healthy food you’re rustling up is helping your baby fatten up so they look less wrinkly and more squidgy.
I’m thinking about a home birth
You have a choice about where you give birth - either in hospital, in a midwife-led unit or at home. But it does depend on what sort of pregnancy you’ve had, and whether you or your baby might need extra help during labour. And there’s always a bit of a postcode lottery in the NHS so where you live matters.
But if you’re thinking of a home birth here’s what you need to think about:
- If you and your baby are healthy and there are no complications, you could go for a home birth. Otherwise, it’s safer to be in hospital.
- Home births are safe but slightly riskier for your first baby.
- You’ll still have a midwife with you and they can arrange a transfer to hospital if you want or need one. You don’t have to have a midwife (this is called a free birth).
- You can’t have an epidural at home but you can use gas and air and other pain-killing techniques like a TENS machine.
If you’re ready to get the real-life low down on home births and read some stories from our community check out Home Birth Myths Busted and Real Birth Stories.
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