Your Baby Development: 27 Weeks Old

How big is your baby?
This week your baby will be weighing around 16 1/4 pounds and measuring 26 1/2 inches if he/she was of average size at birth.

As your baby continues to make progress in his/her ability to control his/her body, and by this time he/she can probably sit unsupported. Now, because she can sit unsupported, now may be the time to introduce the baby to a high chair specially designed for infants. You will find that baby may enjoy interacting with the family at the dinner table.

Now that he/she is sitting so freely, you may notice that he/she is using his/her hands to play with toys. He/She may reach for an object, grab it, examine it, and drop it and move onto a new object.

Your baby may now be propelling him/herself along the floor in some sort of manner. Some babies scoot back and forward, others move by rolling on their sides. It is going to be no time and he/she will be mobile and crawling all over the house!

You may also notice that baby's legs are

getting stronger, and he/she may help more when you hold him/her in a standing position, and it wont be long until his/her legs are strong enough that he/she can pull him/herself up into a standing position all by his/herself.

Baby Development Milestones This Week

Feeding Baby | Helping Baby To Learn To Eat

It's best for baby to get calories from many different foods. However, it is not absolutely necessary yet. Offer solids to encourage baby to learn to enjoy eating. Offer new foods fairly often, and urge baby to try them, but don't push it or battle over it. Baby doesn't need to eat everything you offer.

His/Her tiny stomach fills quickly, and he/she will get most of his/her nutrition from breastmilk or formula, so you can relax and enjoy mealtimes for you and baby.

When you do feed baby take into account the mood he/she is in. If he/she is in a good mood, feed him/her solids first, then the bottle or breast. If he/she is fussy, then feed him/her the bottle or breast first to help settle him/her, then offer solid food.

Baby Care

Hearing Problems
Parents usually recognize, or question, hearing problems before healthcare providers do because parents spend so much time interacting with their infant. Should you suspect that your baby may have a hearing problem, you should speak to your pediatrician immediately. A baby may be at risk of hearing problems if:

• Was born prematurely
• Had oxygen deprivation at birth
• Has severe ear infections
• Has had birth defects of the head, neck or spine
• Has cleft palate or ear deformities
• Had bacterial meningitis
• Has a family history of hearing loss.

Signs that baby may have a hearing problem include:

• Baby doesn't blink or startle at loud sounds
• Doesn't turn head toward voice when spoken to
• Look for the source of a sound
• Recognize his/her name
• Listen to simple songs or stories

Toys and Play

Give your baby practice picking up objects that are different shapes and sizes to help increase his/her dexterity. Place floating toys of various shapes and sizes in the bath tub, or give him/her different types of foods to play with when he/she is in the high chair. Remember, that he.she will probably put everything in his/her mouth, so be careful of what you give him/her to play with.