Pregnancy Weeks 21-27: Hiccups, Kicks, and Entering the Third Trimester

Watch the original video from BabyCenter — your baby's senses are developing so fast!

By Rahimibu | Reading time: 4 minutes

If weeks 15-20 were about feeling those first magical flutters, weeks 21-27 are when your baby really starts to interact with you. They can feel your touch, respond with kicks, and even get the hiccups. Yes, hiccups. Inside. It's as cute as it sounds.

Based on the BabyCenter video above, here's what's happening during these weeks as you officially prepare to enter the third trimester. Spoiler: your baby is now aware of you touching your belly.

Weeks 21-23: Responding to Touch & First Hiccups

Between weeks 21 and 27, your baby's sense of touch goes into overdrive, along with the formation of their unique fingerprints. Now, when you gently rub or press on your belly, your baby might respond with a wiggle or a kick. It's like they're saying, "I feel you, Mom."

Around week 23, your baby starts practicing swallowing. And if you feel a rhythmic, repetitive movement in your belly—that's fetal hiccups. Don't worry, it's completely normal and a sign their respiratory system is developing. They might hiccup several times a day. Weird? Yes. Adorable? Also yes.

📖 ALSO READ: Pregnancy Weeks 15-20: The Halfway Mark & First Kicks — Catch up on the weeks before the hiccups started.

Weeks 24-27: Breathing Practice & Almost Viable

Inside your uterus, your baby's lungs are forming millions of tiny branches called bronchioles. And here's the amazing part: they're already "practicing" breathing by inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. It's like a rehearsal for the real thing.

By week 24, your baby reaches a major milestone: viability. Medically, this means they have a chance of surviving outside the womb with intensive medical help. It's a scary thought, but also a powerful reminder of how far they've come.

By week 27, your baby's eyelids can open and close reflexively, even though their vision isn't fully developed yet. And their tongue? It now has tiny taste buds, so they can start detecting flavors from the amniotic fluid they're swallowing. Spicy food cravings suddenly make more sense, right?

👶 ALSO READ: I'm Scared of Giving Birth: Honestly, This Isn't Drama — As you approach the third trimester, it's normal to think about what's coming.

By the end of week 27, your baby weighs nearly 1 kg (about 2.2 lbs) and is around 37 cm (14.5 inches) long. One more trimester to go, and you'll finally meet them face to face.

I don't know about you, but feeling my baby respond to my touch was a game-changer. It stopped being just "a baby" and became my baby—with preferences, reactions, and even hiccups. It's wild to think they can already taste what I'm eating.

📌 Week-by-Week Highlights (21-27)

• Weeks 21-23: Responds to touch, starts hiccupping
• Week 24: Viability milestone — chance of survival outside womb
• Weeks 25-27: Breathing practice, taste buds develop, eyelids open
• End of week 27: ~1 kg (2.2 lbs), 37 cm (14.5 in), almost third trimester!

Watch the original video:

This article is based on the BabyCenter video "Pregnancy week by week: Weeks 21-27". If you want to see exactly what's happening in there, go watch it. It's beautiful.

Are you in weeks 21-27 right now? Have you felt your baby respond to your touch? Or are those hiccups keeping you company? Drop it in the comments—I read every single one.

📹 Video source: BabyCenter on YouTube | 💬 Real talk since 2026