19 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect

Congratulations! You are halfway there, and you must be eagerly waiting for the day when your little one will arrive. At the 19th week of your pregnancy, you must be expecting certain surprises that it will bring. If you haven’t already felt your baby flutter, chances are you will feel it this week. Your baby will be the size of a mango and there will be a lot of developments this week. Want to know more how your little one is developing? Read on!

Video : 19 Weeks Pregnant – Baby Development, Symptoms, Dos and Don’ts

Your Baby’s Growth During Pregnancy – Week 19

Let’s just say that at the onset and by the end of the 19^th week, your baby should be the size of a large banana or a mango. By this week, your baby’s skin will have protection in your womb in the form of vernix caseosa.

Your baby’s body will also be protected by lanugo, which may look wrinkled at the time of birth, but your baby’s sensitive skin will be protected from the amniotic fluid. Your little one will continue to grow this week and in the coming weeks.

What Is the Size of the Baby at 19 Weeks of Pregnancy?

As mentioned above, at 19 weeks pregnant, the baby is the size of a mango or a banana. The baby’s weight will be anywhere between 240-250 grams and height should be around 6-6.5 inches. However, you can expect rapid growth from this point onward if you are doing everything right.

Other changes that you can expect to see are the development of the sensory parts of your baby’s brains, the appearance of distinct hair on your baby’s head and finally the almost complete functions of your baby’s kidneys.

Common Bodily Changes

As your baby’s body changes rapidly inside your belly, you too will feel certain changes in your baby during the 19^th week of your pregnancy. For one, you may feel more energetic or active, unless of course, you are still facing morning sickness or nausea. On days, you will feel a little tired than usual as your body will be working twice as hard to accommodate your rapidly growing baby.

Your breasts size will increase too. Also, you must have gained considerable weight, and it is most certainly advised to gain proper weight, neither more nor less as this will prove to be detrimental.

Symptoms of Pregnancy at Week 19

As always, you can expect new symptoms to come up during the 19^th week of pregnancy, along with the existing symptoms that you might have already gotten used to by now.

• Hot flashes: You may experience hot flashes as you enter the second or third trimester of your pregnancy. You may sweat and feel warmer owing to the fact that blood flow in your system will have increased.
• Pains and aches everywhere: No surprises there. Your body is holding quite a bit of weight and should have enough strength to accommodate more, but that’s not to say that it will happen without some hitches.
• Pain in the hip: This can be expected due to the loosening of the ligaments.
• Cramps: A series of leg cramps will continue due to weight gain, hormones, and fatigue.
• Dizziness: You can expect some lightheadedness and dizziness.
• Abdominal pain: You will find that your abdomen will experience some pain due to the growth of the uterus.

Belly at 19 Weeks of Pregnancy

With sufficient weight gain, you can expect your belly to be rotund and to be more than just a bloating from gas. Several women will probably start showing quite a bump at this stage of the pregnancy. Others might possibly do a better job of just about hiding the bump.

The most important update is that you will no longer be able to wave away the activity inside your belly as just gas or minor pain seeing that your baby’s movement that will include some kicking will be more pronounced and have a pattern.

19 Weeks Ultrasound

The ultrasound on the 19^th week will certainly have a few surprises of its own. For one, the 5 senses are on their way to being developed. Your baby already senses light and will continue to work on the nerve cells for smell, taste, and hearing.

Your baby also has a new protective layer roughly translated as varnish cheese that keeps it safe from the amniotic fluid. Most of you will be able to see it during birth and recognise it as the whitish oily substance on your baby’s sensitive skin. The baby’s reproductive organs will have fully developed.

Besides that, you may once again want to see more of the baby movements and listen to the heartbeat. Basically, you can expect to see the heart, brain, and spine at this particular scan.

What to Eat

What you eat during pregnancy will make its way to your baby, so you need to continue eating healthy until your delivery and even after that. Keep in mind the essentials that you need to incorporate into your diet for both the baby and you.

• Eat foods rich in Vitamin B is important for the development of the baby’s brain and nervous system. Add milk, meat, cheese, and soy to your plate.
• Good fats can help your baby grow well. These can be obtained from assorted nuts and seeds.
• Ensure you add milk to your diet to promote the bone health of the baby as it contains calcium.
• Leafy green vegetables and fresh fruits reduce the risk of anaemia and control blood pressure. So do include them in your pregnancy diet.
• Eat nuts and seeds with omega-3 fatty acids which are good for the baby’s brain development.
• Soya beans provide protein, fibre, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Lean meat and some red meat are rich in protein and can be a good option for non-vegetarians.

Care Tips

Pregnancy is certainly one of the most beautiful journeys of a woman’s life. However, it becomes increasingly important to keep yourself and your baby safe by doing everything right. Find a list of the anticipated pregnancy Dos and Don’ts that can help you with this. Above all, keep yourself in prime condition that should help you carry your kid without a hitch until the time of your delivery.

Dos

Below is a list of all the things you should do during your 19^th week of pregnancy.

• Stay positive and cheerful.
• Ask for help if you need it since you will have some mood swings
• Eat properly and at proper times
• Stay hydrated with water and juices
• Buy good pillows to help you with the aches
• Exercise meditate and do some yoga
• Take medications that your doctor advises
• Get plenty of rest and regular hours of sleep

Don’ts

Below is a list of all the things you should not do during your 19^th week of pregnancy.

• Smoke, drink alcohol or do drugs
• Stay in questionable hygiene conditions
• Expose yourself to smells, sounds or contaminants that will prove to be detrimental
• Stress yourself out
• Overeat or not eat as much as needed by your body
• Shy away from consulting your doctor if something does not feel right
• Neglect oral health

What You Need to Shop For

Shopping during pregnancy should be paid attention to as you need to be as comfortable as possible. Make sure that you pick cotton maternity clothes. You can opt for floral printed tunics or ethnic kurtis that emphasise comfort for the growing belly. Buy roomy clothes that can help you breathe. Are you finding it difficult to fit into your existing pants and jeans? Then check out Bella Mama’s range of cosy joggers and maternity pants. Buy good quality flat shoes as well as books on pregnancy and parenting. Oral care and sanitation products should be bought too as you are more vulnerable to infections due to a lowered immunity. Stock up on snacks such as nuts, fruit, and yogurt to promote healthy eating.

Prepare ahead of time and take good care of yourself for a safe and healthy pregnancy.

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