19 Weeks - Pregnancy

Baby

If you've had your ultrasound already, we bet you know what you're having! If you chose not to find out, you can get a laugh at some old wives tales to predict your baby's gender.

Whatever her gender, your baby is getting bigger every day. She now weighs about 10 1/2 ounces and is 6 1/2 inches in length. If you are having a girl, her vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are now in place. If you are having a boy, you will surely know it on the ultrasound.

Your baby's nervous system is busy this week, as she develops myelin, a fatty substance that coats her nerves. This insulates the nerves so that impulses flow smoothly to the brain. Speaking of brain, it is hard at work, with special areas forming to hold your baby's sense of taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

Mom

Have you had your pregnancy ultrasound yet? An ultrasound is often scheduled between 16 and 20 weeks to check on your baby’s development. Sex can often be determined during the ultrasound as well, and your due date is double checked by the progress of your baby’s development. Your doctor will also check the placenta and umbilical cord, and he will take a lot of measurements of your baby, along with checking out the baby’s organs for any abnormalities. This is a painless procedure and is often a lot of fun. You finally get to see a beautiful profile of your little one. They will also give you some pictures to take home as well. Your first snapshot!

Now that you're about halfway through your pregnancy, you will notice that your body is constantly changing. Your heart is beating 30 to 50 percent more blood through your body than normal, so don't be surprised if you feel your heartbeat when everything is quiet.

Have you noticed any skin changes yet? Now is the time for many strange pregnancy symptoms to pop up, including red palms form increased estrogen, patches of dark skin (when they show up on your face, this is called the "mask of pregnancy"), darker freckles or red moles, skin tags, and a dark line running from you belly button to your pubic bone. This is due to a temporary increase in melanin, which is what colors your hair, skin, and eyes normally. Once pregnancy is over, most of these skin changes will disappear and your skin will go back to normal.

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PLEASE NOTE

This should be used as a general guideline and is for general information and educational purposes only. Please remember that all pregnancies develop at different rates. If you have questions about your baby's development, please contact your doctor or midwife.