Week 19 of Your Pregnancy
154
Days to go
0.22
kgs
Pregnancy Symptoms
Fetal movements
Have you ever felt butterflies in stomach feeling? Well, this is week makes it real for you. You may experience small fluttering movements of your baby from from this week.
Stretch Marks
As your baby bump grows, you will start noticing stretch marks more prominently. They will be in sync with your skin color. While you may not have anything to do to avoid stretch marks, try to protect your skin by using safe skin care products, do not let it dry out as it may cause itching and irritation.
Dizziness
Getting up and feeling the world is whirling? Dizziness is quite common during pregnancy. As your bump grows, your uterus will start pressing the veins that carry blood back to the heart. You may also feel dizzy if your blood pressure is low. Avoid sleeping on your back, sleep on your sides preferably on your left side.
Pain in pelvic region and lower back
Your baby is growing so fast and so is your uterus to accommodate enough space for the little one. The ligaments present around the pelvic area are relaxed by the pregnancy hormones to allow the uterine expansion. This can lead to lower back pain during pregnancy, it is not going to go away anytime soon. Try using pregnancy belly belts to support your baby bump.
Constipation
Constipation occurs because of the slowed down digestion during pregnancy. Pregnancy hormones ensure the maximum absorption of nutrients for your growing buddy. You need more to compensate the pace of metabolism for your body. Take enough amount of fiber and drink plenty of water to get rid of constipation.
Excess saliva
Pregnancy hormones change your body's way of working in many ways. Salivary glands are also affected, causing excess saliva in the mouth. Ptyalism is also caused due to morning sickness and nausea. If you are one among those women who still experience nausea, try to cope with it by chewing something sour and keep sipping water.
Pregnancy brain/forgetfulness
Keep your tasks noted somewhere, because there is something called pregnancy brain. This will make you forget things and reduces your cognitive capabilities. However, it is common as most pregnant women experience this brain fog at some or the other point during pregnancy.
Baby's Development
How big is your baby?
Baby’s Length: 7 inches(17.5 cm
Baby’s Weight: 0.22kgs
Your baby is now the size of a Mango. Following are the developments of your fetus this week.
Most significant development in week 19 is the formation of a protective layer over the baby’s skin. It is a waxy, white, cheese-like coating termed as – vernix caseosa. This is made up of dead skin cells, oil secreted by the baby’s glands and lanugo- the downy hair covering the fetus. Vernix caseosa is important as it protects the baby from the amniotic fluid around it. This will however, disappear before the baby’s birth. It is also observed that some premature babies are born with vernix caseosa.
From this week you maybe able to feel the baby’s movements as well. If you still can’t feel them, no need to panic, it will happen. If this is your first baby, chances are you may start to feel them a little later, say around week 20-22. There may also be a chance that you are feeling the movements like tiny flutters in your tummy, but you are not able to recognize them as you are looking for kicks and punches! Baby’s movements during these early weeks feel like flutters and many moms can confuse them with gas! But, as the pregnancy progresses and baby gets bigger then only you can feel pronounced kicks and punches that everyone talks about or you read about.
Baby’s lungs are also developing and main airways called bronchioles are forming.
Baby’s legs have also done some growing and are now in proportion to its arms.
Now that the baby can hear the outside sounds, you may want to steer away from loud noises etc.