Week 27 of Pregnancy: A Small Cabbage, and the Last Week of the Second Trimester
Key takeaways
- By week 27, the baby is about 36.6cm long, roughly the size of a small cabbage, and getting noticeably plumper.
- The lungs are now capable of breathing, even though they'll continue maturing for weeks yet.
- This is the final week of the second trimester — the third and last trimester begins next week.
- For many couples, this is when preparing for the baby starts to feel real rather than distant.
- In Finland, this is a natural point to apply for the Kela maternity package, the country's well-known baby box.
Week 26 passed quietly. Week 27 didn’t — this is the final week of the second trimester, and for us, it was the week everything started to feel genuinely close.
What’s actually happening in your body
The baby is now around 36.6cm long, roughly the size of a small cabbage, and getting visibly plumper as skin folds fill out with fat. The lungs are now capable of breathing, even though they’ll keep maturing for several more weeks. This week marks two-thirds of the way through pregnancy — the final week of the second trimester, with the third and last trimester beginning next, according to NHS guidance on week 27 of pregnancy.
What I actually felt
Crossing into the third trimester felt genuinely great. We’d already started arranging the home and properly preparing to welcome the baby — shopping for clothes, getting the essentials together. We also received our maternity package from the government around this time, which included essential baby items. In Finland, this is the well-known Kela “baby box” — a long-running programme where expecting parents receive a package of around 50 baby essentials, or a cash grant instead if they prefer. Seeing it arrive made everything feel real in a way that scans and appointments hadn’t quite managed to.
If you’re in Finland and haven’t applied yet, it’s worth doing so a couple of months before your due date, since processing takes some time. If you’re elsewhere, the equivalent moment might be a baby shower, a first proper shopping trip, or simply setting a date to start preparing the nursery.
Nutrition focus this week
No changes from earlier weeks beyond whatever guidance you’re following if you’ve had a gestational diabetes diagnosis. Otherwise, keep up with your prenatal vitamin and the general guidance in our foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy.
What to discuss with your doctor or midwife
As you move into the third trimester, it’s a reasonable time to ask what changes to expect in your appointment schedule from here, and to raise any practical questions about preparing for the birth itself.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to suddenly feel ready to prepare once the third trimester starts?
Very normal. A lot of parents describe this exact shift — the second trimester can feel like it has plenty of time left, while the third trimester makes preparation feel more immediate.
What is the Finnish baby box?
It’s a maternity package provided by Kela, Finland’s social insurance institution, to all expecting parents — around 50 items including clothes and care products, or a cash grant as an alternative. It’s been running since 1938.
Are the baby’s lungs actually ready to work at week 27?
They’re capable of breathing at this stage, but they continue maturing for several more weeks, which is part of why every additional week of pregnancy still matters.
What size is the baby at week 27?
About 36.6cm long, roughly the size of a small cabbage.
References
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