Table of Contents
27-Week-Old Baby- Is your paparazzi-ready baby waving already!? The increasing baby actions and gestures, best baby playgroup and class ideas, and teaching babies how to swim.
Your baby's twenty-seventh week after birth
At 27 weeks, your baby is quite busy as they are developing, physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. Nowadays, your baby is increasingly becoming aware of what they want and when things don’t go their way, they’ll even show a little anger in their shrieks. Also, their little bodies are working day and night on improving their mobility skills.
Your 27-week-old baby's development and physical growth
Your baby’s diet:
- At this age, you can introduce solid foods without any hesitation.
- To boost your little one’s immunity, you should introduce various types of foods as early as they begin on solids.
- As soon as you begin giving solid foods to your baby, introduce common allergenic foods such as eggs, nuts, wheat, soy, dairy, seafood, etc in small quantities.
- A safe way to introduce nuts is through nut butter.
- Avoid honey, fast food, sweet desserts, and anything junk.
- You should also introduce different types of spices, herbs, and foods commonly used in your family.
- Instead of making separate meals for your little one, try to see what you can adapt from your own to suit your baby’s needs.
Your baby’s sleep:
- Your 27-week old little one needs to sleep around 14 to 15 hours every day.
- If your little one is emotionally drained or fatigued and has ache from a whole day’s playtime, they will get fussy during sleep time.
- Due to their sensory inputs throughout the day, your baby can feel overwhelming.
- This will make them cranky towards the end of the day and they need reassurance and comfort to settle down.
- As parents, you need to watch your baby throughout the day as you’ll be able to quickly learn when they have had too much activity.
- Then, you can step in and help them relax.
- Additionally, research suggests that after any new task, if your baby takes a 30-minute nap, it helps them remember (the said task) and apply it the next time.
Your 27-week-old baby's reflexes
Every baby grows at their own pace and they don’t reach their development milestones at the same time. More often, these developments show up when you are least expecting them. At 27 weeks, you will find that some babies are just sitting, some might crawl and some will seem to cruise. So, remember that milestones happen in a broad time frame. You don’t need to worry if your little one is a late bloomer. But if you notice any problems, consult your pediatrician as soon as possible. Here are common developmental milestones that you can expect:
- Your little one is happily on their tummy, or rolling or trying to get up.
- It’s a good time to help them sit right up.
- While playing, support your baby in a sitting position as this will develop their motor skills.
- By now, some babies have started teething.
- To ease their toothache, use some cold foods and teether toys or rings.
- During the teething time, pay attention to their moods and behaviors.
- If your baby’s gums are red or swollen, you can ease their pain with a cold teething ring.
- At this stage, your little one can understand your facial expression and related emotions.
- Your baby will be able to tell when you are appreciating what they are doing and when you are annoyed with them.
- Additionally, your baby can tell the difference between surprised, happy, fearful, and sad faces and the vocal tones that are associated with them.
Your 27-week-old baby's health
Physical tests:
- Weigh and measure your baby to plot it on a growth chart to get an idea about their growth rate.
- Heart and lungs are examined to check if there are any abnormal rhythms or breathing problems.
- Their eyes will be examined for any congenital conditions and blocked ducts.
- Ears are examined for signs of infections. Also, it shows how your baby is responding to sounds.
- Their mouth is examined for any signs of yeast infections such as thrush and new teeth.
- Their head is checked for its shape and soft spots (fontanels).
- Their body will be examined for reflexes, muscle tone.
- Their skin is examined for any rashes.
- While sitting, grabbing things, and other interactions, your baby’s muscle control is assessed.
- Finally, your baby’s arms and legs are moved around to look for problems in the joints.
Vaccinations:
- Your little one is given DTaP, polio, hepatitis B, pneumococcal, and Hib.
- These are combined in 2 or 3 shots.
- Also, your baby will receive a rotavirus vaccine which is given orally.
Consult a doctor:
- If your little one is not responding to sound stimulus by turning towards the sound.
- If their eyes do not follow you or moving objects.
- Plus, if they appear cross-eyes at times.
- If something is off with the way your baby is crawling if they are favoring one limb over another or tilt sideways.
- If you try to feed them new foods, they’ll show allergic reactions to them.
- If your little one’s bowel movement is dry and pellet-like.
Postpartum baby tips: Week 27 after birth
Understanding your baby’s transitional object
- At this stage, your little one will choose their first real lovey.
- For years to come, your little one will favor and drag around a blanket, teddy bear, or another toy.
- It’s called a “transitional object”.
- It helps babies bridge the divide between dependence and autonomy.
- When your baby is afraid, it will offer comfort and helps them sleep better as it reassures them (when you’re not around).
- Buy some extra for backup to not deprive them of their friend during laundry, or if it goes missing.
- Bizarrely, your baby will be more daring to achieve physical milestones, if they are reassured by your presence or that transitional object.
Understanding REM sleep in babies
- As your little one is sleeping, have you noticed their eyes fluttering around under their eyelids?
- Well, it’s a sign that they’re in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.
- During this lighter part of the sleep cycle, your baby is busy dreaming.
- Experts stated that babies tend to spend half of their sleep time in REM sleep.
- Whereas, older kids and adults tend to sleep fewer hours, with less time in REM sleep. But why do babies need REM sleep?
- According to research, it supports their brain development and helps them convert their waking experiences into lasting memories and lifelong skills.
The mother's after childbirth: What is happening in the twenty-seventh week after giving birth?
You need to spend time with your baby
- Separation anxiety can be tough for your baby and parents.
- You get emotional about leaving for work, a night out with your partner or even about 20 minutes of errands.
- So, what is the best way to ride out this phase?
- Simply, develop a parting ritual.
- You can give your little one a hug and a kiss, hand over their lovey, and then leave.
- Remember that it will be harder for both of you if you drag your departure out.
- So, you don’t need to wait for your baby to stop crying because most babies tend to quiet down and are perfectly fine about 2 minutes after you leave.
- Until then, maximize the time you do get to spend together with your baby.
- You can develop a repertoire of games that you love to play together.
You’re looking for some games and activities to do with your baby
- Pots and Pans: Simply take some pots and pans, lids, and some Tupperware along with a few safe kitchen tools. Now, you can watch your little one go to town on them.
- Busy Board: They are also known as sensory boards. These busy boards let your little one explore different types of textures available. It perfectly captures your baby’s attention. Since everything is glued or screwed into place, they’re very safe. You can go for busy boards that are simple or complex. It can be as you want them to be. You have a wide range of options that you can choose from. Also, you can go for premade boards, if you don’t have the energy to make one on your own.
- Sensory Bins: Although, they’re a bit messy, they’re worth it. It’s super simple to make. You need a large plastic bin and put something inside it. As for the baby set, pair these items with some scoops or measuring cups:
- Dry pasta
- Dry cereal
- Water
- Please note: Don’t leave your baby unsupervised with it. Make sure they don’t put anything in their mouths.
- Finger Paints: Your baby will love this messy yet fun activity. Or, buy some washable finger paints and tape a large piece of paper up on the wall (we’re assuming you have a tiled shower or tub). Then, let your little one go to town with it. Once they’re done, simply hose everything down.
- Shakers: As we know, babies love to shake things and make lots of noise. So, simply fill just about anything (such as a toilet paper or paper towel roll, water bottle, plastic eggs). You can also use whatever you have lying around the house (like rice, pasta, etc.). Now, let your baby explore different types of sounds. Also, make sure everything you’re using is sealed tightly. Your baby shouldn’t be able to pry it open.
Final Thoughts
At 27 weeks, your little one is growing up and developing rapidly. Remember that every baby is different so they’ll develop at their own pace. They’ll eventually reach all the milestones on their own. In case your baby is yet to get there, wait for it patiently. Until then, enjoy this amazing parenting journey!
FAQs: Your 27-week-old baby - development & growth
1. What should my baby be doing at 27 weeks?
At this age, your little one will grow comfortable enough in their sitting position. While being seated, they’ll twist or reach over to pick things up. Also, get ready for their next milestone as soon they’ll be crawling.
2. What should a 7-month-old be saying?
Your 27-week old baby’s babbling might sound almost like talking. You might notice your baby using their body language to communicate. Also, if your little one is an early talker you might hear them say some words (like 'mama' or 'dada'). However, they won't know what it means.
3. How much water should I give my 7 months old?
By 6 to 12 months, your baby will need about 2 to 8 ounces of water per day. This is on top of the water they get from breast milk or formula. Let them take sips from their sippy cups throughout the day.
