Your week 27 guide

Measurements now commonly switch to head-to-heel length. Earlier in pregnancy babies are curled tightly and measured from crown to rump, and as the legs extend a full-length measurement becomes more meaningful. This is why the length figure appears to jump between one week and the next; the baby has not suddenly doubled.

Flavours from your diet reach the amniotic fluid your baby swallows. Taste buds are formed and functioning, and compounds from what you eat pass into the fluid within hours. There is reasonable evidence that this early exposure influences flavour acceptance later, which is a small argument for eating the foods of your own kitchen rather than a bland diet.

Familiar voices may prompt a response, though sound in the womb stays muffled. Lower frequencies travel best, so your voice reaches your baby more clearly than most other sounds because it also carries through your body. A change in heart rate or a burst of movement when you speak is a genuine response rather than a coincidence.

Bladder leaks, constipation, swelling, bleeding gums, congestion and an itchy belly can all occur. Leaking a little when you cough or sneeze is extremely common and usually improves with pelvic floor exercises, which are worth doing daily rather than occasionally. If you are unsure you are doing them correctly, ask to be referred to a physiotherapist rather than guessing.

Shoes may feel tighter as your feet and ankles swell. Some of this is fluid and some is ligaments relaxing and allowing the foot to spread, and the latter can be permanent. Buying shoes that fit now is more sensible than waiting for your feet to return to their previous size.

Movement patterns are usually easier to recognise by this stage. You may be getting to know your baby's active and quieter times, rather than comparing them with anyone else's baby. If movements are reduced, stop, or change from the usual pattern, call your maternity unit immediately, at any hour. Do not wait until later in the day or until morning, and do not rely on food, drinks or a home doppler to check that all is well.

Book antenatal or newborn care classes if you would like them. They fill up quickly in many areas and often run over several weeks, so booking now usually means finishing before you are too uncomfortable to attend. Classes on feeding and the first few weeks are often more useful afterwards than classes on labour alone.

Refine your birth preferences and talk them through with your care team. Writing down what matters most to you, in order, is more useful than a long list of specifics, because births rarely follow a plan exactly. Knowing your priorities helps whoever is supporting you speak for you if you cannot.

Choose comfortable, supportive footwear and stop wrestling with anything you have to balance in. Your centre of gravity has shifted and your ligaments are looser, which makes falls genuinely more likely than they were. This is a practical safety point rather than a comment on style. Alhamdulillah for shoes that let you move a little more comfortably.

Fibre works with fluids: Fibre absorbs water as it moves through the digestive system. Increasing fibre without drinking enough can make constipation and discomfort worse rather than better.

Drink regularly through the day, using water as your main source. Your needs rise in hot weather, during physical activity, or if you are vomiting. There is no single fluid target that suits every woman in every climate, so pale urine is a more useful guide than a fixed number of glasses.