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Welcome to the second week of your fifth month as a pregnant woman. At eighteen weeks, you have five months and two weeks or twenty-two weeks of pregnancy left. Your baby has grown a lot and is now about the size of a bell pepper. You can now tell your baby’s gender on an ultrasound.
A protective covering called vernix caseosa which is a greasy, cheese-like coating begins to form on your baby’s skin. This coating lubricates the birth canal and moisturizes the their skin.
You may feel the baby kick for the first time this week, don’t be alarmed if you don’t. You will very soon.
The main airways (called bronchi) in your baby’s lungs form this week.
A protective covering called vernix caseosa which is a greasy, cheesy-like coating begins to form on your baby’s skin. This coating lubricates the birth canal and moisturizes the their skin.
You may feel baby kick for the first time this week, don’t be alarmed if you don’t. You will very soon.
The main airways (called bronchi) in your baby’s lungs form this week.
The parts of your baby’s brain responsible for smelling, seeing, tasting, touching, and hearing are developing at a faster rate this week. Your baby’s internal clock for sleeping has also been regularizing, and if you’ve started to feel your baby, you may notice particular moments of the day when your baby moves around more, signaling that they are awake.
These movements are too light for other people to feel when they touch your belly, and even you may not have started feeling your baby’s movements yet. Don’t worry, you will feel them in just a little time.
Also, this week, Vernix Caseosa is covering the baby’s entire body. It looks like cream cheese and protects the sensitive skin from the drying and hardness that amniotic fluid can cause. This coating also protects the baby’s skin from wrinkling during birth. Although the vernix is shed before delivery, you may see some of it when you meet your baby, especially if they arrive prematurely.
Your baby’s lungs which have already started forming earlier, are now developing. The bronchioles, also called the major airways, are forming this week. In less than half of your pregnancy, it seems like your baby has grown a whole lot. In your next ultrasound, which should be next week, you will be able to see your baby fully.
This week, your baby can be compared to a mango. Your baby weighs about 240 grams and measures about 6.02 inches in length. Your baby’s height and weight have significantly increased in these past weeks, and there is only more growth to come in the weeks to come.
By this week, you must have gained a significant amount of weight, and not only your belly but every part of you must be looking bigger. Your waist is disappearing, and your tummy is expanding to create space for your growing baby. Gaining weight may start to worry you about 19 weeks pregnant, as you’ve probably gained between 8 and 14 pounds so far and this is quite normal. If you’ve gained more or less weight than that, it would be best to visit your doctor to see if it’s something you should be concerned about.
At 19 weeks pregnant, you have about 21 more weeks to complete your pregnancy journey.
The first few tiny kicks can be felt differently between weeks 19 and 22, although it may take a week or two later to feel the kicks if this is your first pregnancy. Sometimes you may feel like something is swimming inside you, which it is! While other times, your first fetal movements may feel more like butterflies in your stomach. You’ll be able to tell what those little kicks feel like as your baby grows, so there’ll be no mistaking them for something else.
Leg cramps may occur this week; they are common during the second and third trimesters. The exact cause is not known. It’s possible that your leg muscles are simply tired due to the uterus compressing the blood vessels that pass blood to your legs or from carrying around all the extra weight of pregnancy.
The symptoms for this week are pretty much the same thing as last week’s. You may be experiencing discomfort in your hips, which may affect your sleep. it would help if you place a pillow in the middle of your knees for relief.
You may also get lower back pains resulting from your stomach expanding and being supported by your back. Placing a pillow behind your back when you sit can help relieve the pain.
You should also expect leg cramps this week.
You can also experience dizziness and feel faint many times. Dizziness can occur during pregnancy when your uterus expands, putting pressure on your blood vessels. Plus, because the baby is cramming your lungs, you’re getting less oxygen! However, other factors such as dehydration and hunger can cause lightheadedness, so take care of yourself, eat, and drink regularly.
This week, there is also a continuation of the round ligament pains, which must have started some weeks ago. These pains at the side of your belly result from your muscles stretching to create space for your baby. You will also continue to get nasal congestion. It would help if you were careful when blowing your nose because you could get a nosebleed from blowing carelessly. Hold one side of your nose down, and blow through the other side to prevent a nosebleed.
The symptoms for this week are pretty much the same thing as last week’s. You may be experiencing discomfort in your hips, which may affect your sleep. it would help if you place a pillow in the middle of your knees for relief.
You may also get lower back pains resulting from your stomach expanding and being supported by your back. Placing a pillow behind your back when you sit can help relieve the pain.
You should also expect leg cramps this week.
You can also experience dizziness and feel faint many times. Dizziness can occur during pregnancy when your uterus expands, putting pressure on your blood vessels. Plus, because the baby is cramming your lungs, you’re getting less oxygen! However, other factors such as dehydration and hunger can cause lightheadedness, so take care of yourself, eat and drink regularly.
This week, there is also a continuation of the round ligament pains, which must have started some weeks ago. These pains at the side of your belly result from your muscles stretching to create space for your baby. You will also continue to get nasal congestion. It would help if you were careful when blowing your nose because you could get a nosebleed from blowing carelessly. Hold one side of your nose down, and blow through the other side to prevent a nosebleed.
This week, you are having a lot of pains in different parts of your body, so taking time to rest is very important. Don’t stand for long periods, and try to take naps when you can. You can get a pillow for your swollen feet and raise your legs when you are sitting. Using a pregnancy or body pillow to support your hip or back while sleeping will also contribute to good sleep.
Make sure you are eating healthy and remembering to stay hydrated. Not drinking enough water can make things more uncomfortable for you, and not eating healthy can result in excess weight gain.
Monitor baby’s movement: It is crucial to watch out for your baby’s movements this week. If you have already started to feel your baby’s movements, you should try and monitor them so that you can notice if the movements decrease or stop. Change in baby’s movement can be a sign of a problem so if you notice that your baby is not moving as much as they used to before, say something. The record has shown that most women with stillbirths noticed a decrease in their baby’s movements but didn’t think it important enough to complain about.
Urinary Tract Infection: Fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, burning sensation while urinating, and pelvic pain are symptoms. Speak with your Ob-Gyn or midwife if you experience any of these. Your obstetrician will give you some baby-safe antibiotics to use.
Chronic Illnesses: Pregnancy can worsen chronic conditions. Conditions like hypertension and diabetes can cause a lot of harm to you and your baby. Take all prescribed medication and exercise regularly. Also, regularly checking your blood pressure or blood sugar level is very important.
© Mindsmaking 2024
