What’s Happening With Baby this Week?

Today we are talking about the exciting developments that are happening with you and your baby during the 19th week of pregnancy!

This week, a waterproof protective substance called vernix caseosa or just vernix for short is developing. Vernix is a thick white fatty substance that is secreted by sebaceous glands in Baby’s skin. This substance coats your Baby so she doesn’t get chapped or scratched by her own finger and toe nails.

Fine hairs are growing underneath this greasy substance, this growth of hair is known as lanugo.

Another important development this week is Baby’s hearing. Her hearing has developed so much that Baby can hear your voice transmitted through your body and might even hear other voices during your conversations. Baby is likely hearing lots of other things as well, such as your gurgling intestinal sounds.

Inside Baby’s lower bowel, debris is accumulating called meconium. This paste like substance will form part of baby’s first bowel movement. Although baby pees in the womb baby does not have any bowel movements until after she is born. The exception to this is occasionally at the time of birth, sometimes baby can become distressed and have a bowel movement just before being born.

Baby’s intestines are starting to produce gastric juices, an acidic digestive fluid that helps her digest amniotic fluid that is absorbed into the circulatory system and also is passed to the kidneys to be excreted as urine. Eventually most of the amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby is made up of urine.

Baby’s sensory capabilities are now developed and has designated specialized areas within the brain for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.

Baby weighs in at about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches from crown to rump. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now… so baby is really becoming more human like all the time.

Now, let’s talk about how you are feeling this week?

You may be able to feel baby moving around now. These first movements are called “quickening” and feel like bubbles bursting or little flutters. Don’t worry if you have not felt Baby move yet because it can take as long as 22 weeks to feel movement especially if the placenta is anterior…meaning that it lies between you and your baby.

On this this ultrasound, you can see the placenta, a large thick structure lying over the baby and see the baby kicking and waving her arms, this particular Mom is 19 weeks pregnant and can’t feel any of these movements.

We can use a doppler to hear your baby’s heart beat just like your doctor who also uses doppler to listen to your baby’s heart when you are in for your antenatal check ups. It’s an amazing moment, going in for your ultrasound and hearing your baby’s heart beating for the first time… the beat of life right there inside you.

As your Baby grows, your abdomen will expand and you may experience lower back and abdominal pain. The extra weight gain puts a little stress on your lower back and the ligaments that support your uterus are stretching in response to increasing weight. This stretching can be uncomfortable but is nothing to be alarmed about. Do call your doctor if the pain continues, becomes more severe, or remains painful when you are resting.

My tip for this week is for you to try to engage in non stress exercises such as walking, yoga or pilates. Look around for classes that are designed for pregnant Mom’s that combine breathing, relaxation, strengthening and balancing exercises.

Exercise will help with circulation, strengthen your heart and help the lungs work more efficiently.

I would also like to stress that the pelvic floor exercise called Kegal exercises, named after Dr. Arnold Kegal, is very important and consists of contracting and relaxing the muscles of the pelvic floor. These muscles of the pelvic floor support the uterus, bladder and bowel. The aim of Kegel exercises is to improve muscle tone by strengthening the pubococcygeus muscles of the pelvic floor. Basically, this is meant to prepare the pelvic floor for the physiological stresses of the later stages of pregnancy and vaginal childbirth.

Trust me, after having 6 children myself I know these things will serve you well during labour and delivery!

Well, there’s week 19! if you have any questions or comments please let us know or join us in the forums. I can’t wait to tell you what’s happening in week 20!

Until then, enjoy this pregnancy journey of yours. These are the precious moments that our lives are made of.