There’s a lot happening in week 19 of pregnancy. Your baby is growing and developing rapidly and you may be starting to experience some new symptoms. In this guide, we will take a look at changes that both mother and baby may experience during this week.
At 19 weeks, your baby is starting to look more like a newborn! This week, your baby is now about 15.3cm long and weighs about 240g. This is roughly the same size as a very large tomato! His or her bones and muscles are continuing to develop and strengthen and your baby’s teeth are starting to grow, of course though, they are still lined up behind the gum. It is possible however for a newborn to be born with a tooth, or even a few, but this is rare! This is called ‘natal teeth’.
By week 19 of your pregnancy, you may be feeling more energetic than before as the effects of morning sickness start to suppress. Around this time, you may also start feeling flutters in your abdomen, known as “quickening”, as your baby begins moving around inside the womb. You may also experience Braxton Hicks contractions, which feel like tightening around the stomach area, but don’t worry, these are normal and it’s just your body preparing for labour.
The most common symptom experienced by pregnant women at week 19 is heartburn due to increased pressure on the abdomen from the growing uterus. Other common experiences include constipation (caused by hormonal changes), backaches (due to your growing baby and hormonal changes), headaches (due to fluctuating hormones), fatigue (caused by energy spent growing a human!), sore breasts and round ligament pain (caused by stretching muscles). All these symptoms should subside within a few weeks as your body adjusts to its new normal but if they don’t, or you are particularly worried about anything, then please do speak to your midwife or healthcare professional.
Week 19 is an exciting time for expectant parents, you’re almost halfway there! We hope this guide provided you with some insight into what you can expect this week.
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