Pregnancy Week 19

As in previous weeks the baby is undergoing continuous growth and development in this week also. The mother’s body is undergoing changes to support the growing foetus. The changes in the baby and mother in Pregnancy Week 19 are as listed below.

Changes in the Baby

• This week the baby measures around 7 pounds in weight and 7.5 inches in length. Hair has started appearing on the scalp; kidneys have stated functioning; part of the brain responsible for the functioning of the sense organs has become functional.
• Lanugo or baby’s hairs appear on the skin trapping the vernix caseosa beneath it. Lanugo helps in insulating the body in the absence of fat. But as the baby grows and fat gets deposited under skin, the lanugo starts disappearing. But most of the premature babies are born with this initial hair. This is because lanugo disappears completely only in the last few weeks of Pregnancy when fat deposits are adequate to keep the baby warm after delivery.
• Permanent teeth buds are forming behind the milk teeth buds that have already formed. Toes are also growing fast.
• Reproductive organs are developing. The sex of the baby can be determined in this week 19. The testis of the baby boy or the uterus of the baby girl will now be visible in the ultrasound. The baby girl’s ovaries now contain 6 million eggs. Foetal congenital abnormalities like spina bifida; hydrocephalus etc can be identified in the ultrasound now.
• As the baby’s sucking reflex improves it swallows more and more amniotic fluid. Since the digestive system is functional the baby is able to digest this. The undigested debris gets deposited in the baby’s colon as meconium.
• Baby’s sleep pattern this week 19 is that it spends about 6 hrs awake and 18 hrs asleep. Get Sumary of Pregnancy Week by Week here.

Changes in the Mother

In this week not many discernable changes are there in the mother except that discomforts become obvious.

• The uterus pushing against the tummy causes the digestion to slow down. Coupled with this the excess of Pregnancy hormones in the body cause a nasty case of heartburn in many women. A dose of any prescribed antacid will help. Eating smaller portions of food at a time and sleeping in a reclining position with the upper body elevated will help to lessen this discomfort.
• Stuffy noses and dizzy spells are the common irritants in this week. Shoe size also changes because the ligaments are loosening to make space for the expanding uterus. This loosening also causes ligament pains in the mother. Pain is usually felt in the stomach or hp area due to the stretching. Stretching of the abdominal muscles and skin causes stretch marks to appear on the tummy and thighs. Skin becomes dry and itchy. Lots of water, proper diet and moisturising creams help in removing dryness. Taking rests can help relieve the pain.
• Breasts increase in size and the areola gets larger. This is in preparation of breastfeeding the baby. Well fitting bra must be worn to prevent sagging.

The mother in this Pregnancy Week 19 must think about joining childbirth classes. This will help in reducing the anxieties and questions she will be having about child birth and labour. Proper diet, exercise and adequate rest help in reducing discomforts and infusing a general feeling of well being.