Welcome to Week 19 of Your Pregnancy!
Your Baby in Week 19 of Pregnancy
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The development through week 19 of pregnancy has been largely devoted to structure and formation, and not to size. The organs all have a blueprint, the skeletal formation is in place and the large systems such as the endocrine, circulatory, respiratory and pulmonary are all in place and will now further develop. Since the emphasis hasn’t been on growth up to this point, your baby probably weighs less than one pound right now. But don’t worry, your baby is now primed in week 19 of pregnancy to start packing on the pounds!
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Myelin is now forming in your baby around week 19 of pregnancy. Myelin is the covering that insulates all of the nerves and nerve endings throughout the entire body. When the nerves are well insulated, the signals are transferred from nerve to nerve more easily. The brain starts the message, and then the message travels along the nervous system, via the well-insulated nerves, to a specific region. For example, when you stub your toe, your brain immediately thinks “ouch”, and you can almost anticipate the pain. When the nerves around the injury get the message, your two will start to hurt. Well, this path from your head to your toe was obviously well insulated with Myelin because you received the message A-OK!
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There will be substantial growth in the brain during the next several weeks from week 19 of pregnancy onward, and the senses are up first. Even though your baby has no food to eat, it is working on its sense of taste and smell. Surprisingly, the food you eat does give them the basis for their senses. A dinner heavy in garlic will pass down into your baby’s senses. A creamy chocolate dessert will pass its sweet decadence into your baby’s system too. While some doctors feel that this may cause the baby to develop a penchant for certain foods, it’s impossible to tell for sure.
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Your baby is about the size of a small zucchini around week 19 of pregnancy…well, if zucchini had arms and legs! By this time, your baby is skinny, long, and looks like a regular baby as far as its features go. The size is small and thin, but the fat stores will start to build later on and fill out the form, rounding out the baby to its full size in later months.
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The sexual organs of your baby are also working on developing in week 19 of pregnancy. In a little girl, the uterus starts to grow larger. The vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes are in their proper location, but they are not their full size yet. They will continue to mature with your pregnancy. With little boys, their genitals are distinct, but still immature. With every week that passes, the sex of your baby becomes more evident.
Your Body in Week 19 of Pregnancy
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Your baby is growing enough to where others might be able to feel the movements by week 19 of pregnancy. Those little flutters may have grown in to tiny thumps, and those who press their hand against your belly might be able to feel it too. Of course, the baby will have to cooperate and keep on kicking after the initial kick because while they may feel like thumps to you, the kick may seem subtle to others. In due time you’ll see your belly actually move as the baby shifts, but for now, you’ll never know where the kick will be!
Tip: When you are trying to help someone else feel the baby, sit still and keep their hands to where you typically feel the baby the most. If they don’t feel movement right away, you can try to jumpstart your baby by drinking a glass of juice
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Every pregnancy will fluctuate in size from one to the next, but how much larger is your tummy this time around? Do multiples run in your family? If your doctor suspects you are growing too large for what week you think you are in, they will perform an ultrasound. The ultrasound will look for one of two things. First, it will measure the bones to see if your due date is off. Secondly, it will look for multiple fetuses in there! If you have multiples, your growth rate will be much more accelerated than that of a single baby’s growth in your uterus. How exciting…and nerve-wracking at the same time!
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Are your shoes a little tight around week 19 of pregnancy? With every other part of your body growing, it isn’t surprising to find that your feet are too. With the hormones in your system relaxing your bone structure to ease the delivery process, your feet are often affected.
The bones will spread slightly, making your foot a little wider. It may also make it grow a little longer. Most women’s feet will go back to their normal size after delivery, but some report slightly larger shoe sizes for good. Buy shoes that are comfortable to walk in during your expanded shoe size. Cramped and sore feet can affect your whole body!
Did You Know? Some women report up to a two-size difference in their shoes sizes while pregnant while others don’t notice any change outside typical swelling.
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As a new mother or a mother again, you may start having sleepless nights. Insomnia is common during pregnancy for a variety of reasons. If this is your first baby, you may have some anxiety with the upcoming life change. If this is your second, third or more, you just may be thinking of all the things you need to do before baby’s birth. No matter what the reason is, take steps to ensure you get a good night’s sleep.
Tip: Take a bath before bedtime with some soothing salts. Drink a cup of tea and read a chapter in a good book before bedtime. Get plenty of rest now while you can!
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If you are decorating a room for your baby and it needs to be painted, please get help to do it! While most paints aren’t toxic as long as they are used in a well-ventilated room, you may want to skip painting all together and have someone else do it. If you are stenciling or wallpapering and need a ladder, use great care. With growth during pregnancy comes a change in your center of gravity, and this can affect your balance. You don’t want a spill off the ladder!
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One suggestion that doctors offer to mothers during this time is to try and lie down or sleep on your left side. The reasoning is that the left side of your body is easier on your circulatory system. There is a major vein, the Vena Cava that sits slightly to the right of your spine. When the uterus gets big and the baby gets heavy, pressure on that vein can inhibit circulation, affecting your baby. By rolling to the left side, the pressure and weight fall to the left side, keeping your vein open and flowing smoothly.
Tip: If you have a hard time sleeping on your left side, try propping with a pillow to get used to the new position.
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