Baby Milestones at Pregnancy Week 19
At pregnancy week 19, your baby’s nerve cells that enable hearing, seeing, feeling, and smelling are rapidly developing. She is also developing a greasy white protective coating over her skin known as vernix caseosa. This coating protects her sensitive skin from the surrounding amniotic fluid. The skin underneath this coat is beginning to form a pigment. At 19 weeks, she has started making breathing movements as well as swallowing the amniotic fluid.
Finally, your baby’s arms and legs are in the right proportion to each other and to the rest of her body. You are 4 months pregnant and she looks like a complete newborn baby now. She is about 24 cm long, weighs about 270 grams and is about the size of a mango. The neurons between her brain and little muscles are connecting meaning that she can now toss or turn at will. She can touch her face, pedal her legs and even suck her thumb. Still, she needs most of the energy for her growth and will sleep for 20 hours a day.
If you haven’t had your anomaly scan yet, now is the week to do it. Ask your partner to accompany you on these antenatal visits as it’s a form of bonding as you both wait for the baby to come.
Related: Pregnancy Week 18: Symptoms, Body Changes, and Baby Development
Body Changes at Pregnancy Week 19
Your abdomen is itchy and you are still feeling the occasional pain in the abdomen and around the hip area.
At pregnancy week 19 you may find yourself running out of breath after minor activities. This is because the growing baby is taking space in your abdomen and pushing on the diaphragm, which in turn reduces the space where your lungs could have expanded into. You will need to get used to this until the final weeks when your baby starts descending into the cervix in readiness for birth.
This week you will notice feet swelling due to the healthy baby weight gain. You probably already have a collection of flat comfortable shoes by now, but you’ll also need a few pairs with a wider fit as well. Remember to constantly prop your feet up when sitting to reduce this swelling.
The frequent urge to urinate may also come back at pregnancy week 19 . This time it’s not because of the hormones but your growing uterus putting pressure on the bladder. Pay attention to your bathroom habits because you are now more susceptible to urinary tract infections than ever. If you feel an urge to go, don’t ignore it.
The growing bump is likely causing heartburn and indigestion as well. You can control it by spreading out your meals into many smaller meals and avoiding heartburn triggering foods like caffeine, greasy, and very spicy foods.
Pregnancy week 19 tip: You are now experiencing an increase in the back pain and finding a comfortable position to sleep is becoming harder. Try adopting the baby’s fetal position as it will help solve these two problems.
Next Week: Pregnancy Week 20: Baby Development and Body Changes to Expect
Get Your Anomaly Scan at Malaica Maternity Hospital
During the anomaly scan appointment, your doctors should discuss your results in detail and answer all the questions you have. No question or concern is too insignificant so remember to ask everything for your peace of mind.
Beyond this clinical assessment, Malaica Maternity Hospital’s antenatal care also includes an online support community for pregnant moms, a virtual psychologist specialized in maternal mental health, maternal health nutritionist, and 24/7 access to a nurse midwife for emergencies.