19 Weeks Pregnant

You might not feel like you are about half way done with your pregnancy at 19 weeks pregnant, but you are. The second half tends to move slower than the first half of pregnancy. Start reminding yourself now that women have gotten through pregnancy and birth for centuries before you and you'll also make it through!

MOM

At 19 weeks pregnant, your body is alerting you to the changes that are being made to your body to make room for the important job of having a place for your baby to develop and grow. Your uterus may make contact with your belly button this week. Any time now, you may feel your baby moving or kicking, like a faint tickling or fluttering. If this is your second or third baby, you may have felt these movements earlier. With the growing baby, you will find your balance is altered. Keep that in mind when doing things to avoid injuries while you are pregnant.

Your uterus may cause pressure on two of your large arteries and it may result in dizziness or lightheadedness when you lay down. Changing positions quickly from sitting to standing and low blood sugar from not eating enough or properly may also cause lightheadedness or dizziness in pregnancy.

BABY

At 19 weeks pregnant your baby is about ½ a foot long now and weighs close to 7 oz. Before you baby is born he or she will increase in size by more than 15 times. No wonder the last part of the pregnancy is so exhausting, there is a lot going on in there!

Those first poops you will find in your baby’s diapers are starting to be produced now. It is called meconium and is the waste that the baby produces in utero. It is a greenish-black tarry substance. If the baby passes meconium before birth it will be evident at the time the water breaks because the water will not be clear. It can cause complications like pneumonia in your baby. It is uncommon for a baby to pass meconium before birth, but when it happens it is manageable.

Your baby is producing Vernix now. Vernix is a white creamy substance that will cover your baby to protect his or her skin from the water. Most of it will be gone by delivery with some remains possibly in the folds of the skin and between toes and fingers. The baby's milk teeth are developing in the gums and so are the buds for permanent teeth. 

Baby girls have about 6 million eggs at this time, but by birth the count will be down to about 4 million eggs.

LIFE

Your body is focusing on many things right now and your digestion might not be as efficient as it used to be. Eat healthy, easy to digest foods. Be sure to include fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables, and fluids to keep wastes moving through your body. This will help reduce digestion related problems like gas, constipation, and heartburn.

Though your partner and children may need your help to prepare for the baby, the half way marker is a good time for you to sit back and really think about being a mom and preparing emotionally for your new role coming up. Enjoy every minute of your pregnancy that you have left and get ready for a wonderful new life ahead.

20 Weeks Pregnant

18 Weeks Pregnant

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