Week 27

Your second trimester is coming to an end. Your baby is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals. As your body gets ready for the final lap, you might experience heartburn. Find out more below about what you can do to relieve it.

At week 27, your baby measures around 37cm long and weighs around 2lb. This final stage of pregnancy is when your baby begins to receive immunity to infection, which is provided by your placenta in the form of antibodies. Once your baby is born, breastfeeding will help to boost this immunity further.

Heartburn, which feels like a sharp pain in the middle of your chest, is common during pregnancy. It’s often brought on by lying flat after a meal, as the stomach acid released to digest your food leaks into the oesophagus.

These tried and tested tips can help to prevent and soothe heartburn:

• Eat little and often instead of large meals
• Don’t eat too close to bedtime – give your body a couple of hours to digest your meal
• A glass of water will help cool the burn – avoid milk, as it can make heartburn worse
• Sleep with your upper body slightly raised using a couple of pillows to prop up your back and neck
• Get plenty of medical advice – and don’t take any indigestion remedies before checking with your doctor first

If you were planning to get away before the baby is born, assuming you’re having a normal pregnancy, most airlines will allow you to travel by air until you’re 28 weeks pregnant. After this, flying is not advised. Wherever you’re thinking of going, if you’re flying you may need a note from the doctor to say you’re fit to travel before the airline will allow you on board. And remember to work from your stage of pregnancy when you fly back, rather than when you fly out.

Learn about heartburn and indigestion in pregnancy >>

Have a question about holidaying while you’re pregnant? Get expert advice from our Careline team by calling 800 6458 6262 (UAE)/ +971 4 420 9489 (Other countries) between the hours of 9am and 6pm Saturday to Thursday.