Your changing body At week 19, you may begin to experience sharp pain in your lower abdomen or hip area. This is due to the stretching of round ligament which supports your Uterus. It can be stretched easily during any movements like changing position from sitting to standing quickly, laughing or coughing. You need not be alarmed as it is very common during second Trimester. You may experience the pain only for a few seconds.
You are now 20 weeks pregnant. Congratulations! You are halfway through your pregnancy! Your Uterus is just about at the same level as your navel and you could see your waistline disappear gradually as the weeks pass by.
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Your growing baby
Your baby weighs around 240 g and measures about 15 cm during these 19 weeks. Specialized areas in the brain that are responsible for senses—taste, smell, hearing, seeing and touch are developing. Your baby’s kidney starts making urine and hair on your baby’s head is sprouting. If you are having a baby girl, she has 6 millions egg formed in her ovaries already.
At week 20, your baby is steadily putting on weight and may weigh around 300 g. Your baby measures about 16.5 cm from crown to rump. A white, fatty substance called vernix caseosa begins to cover your baby. This substance helps protect your baby’s skin against irritation from long exposure to the Amniotic Fluid. It may shed just before birth, which will aid your baby’s passage through the Birth Canal during labor. You may begin to feel your baby move occasionally as he or she may be turning, wiggling and kicking often in your Uterus.
Things to consider
If you experience sharp pain in your lower abdomen, take rest. Changing position slowly show help alleviate this kind of pain. However, if you have persistent pain, do inform your doctor.
It is important to make sure that you get enough nutrients in your diet, especially iron. The need for the iron increases as it assists in the production of hemoglobin in your baby and prevents anemia, Low birth weight and premature delivery. The iron content in your Prenatal nutrition must be 38 mg/day. Good sources of iron include lean red meat, fish, spinach, poultry, oatmeal and cereals fortified with iron. To read more about healthy eating during pregnancy, click here.
Tips to reduce back pain As the weight of your baby increases, you may experience some degree of back pain as your pregnancy advances. Here are a few measures that you can take to manage back pain during pregnancy:
- Maintain good posture
- Avoid lifting heavy objects
- Avoid standing for long time
- Avoid sleeping on your back. You can put a small pillow under your side. Click here to read more on sleep during pregnancy.
- Elevating your feet is also good for your back.
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