19 Weeks Pregnant – Everything You Need To Know

At 19 weeks pregnant, you’re unmistakably pregnant.

People may have an urge to touch your belly.

It’s not unusual for pregnant women to feel their bodies have somehow become public property during pregnancy.

Complete strangers are eager to touch your bump!

If you aren’t comfortable with having your belly touched, be polite and firm but say no thanks.

19 Weeks Pregnant – Everything You Need To Know

With this renewed energy it’s a good time to make a list of the things you need to do in the coming months.

It’s easy to feel on top of everything in the second trimester.

Only to realise closer to your due date, when you’re tired and much bigger, you’ve got plenty to do.

Here’s BellyBelly’s top tips for your to-do list while you’re 19 weeks pregnant:

• Work out where your baby will sleep and if you need to rearrange anything.
• Research the best car seat for you.
• Make a list of what to put in your hospital bag.
• Learn everything you can about feeding your baby..
• Cloth or disposable nappies? Do your research and start stocking up.
• Organise a post natal doula or home help for the first few weeks after birth.
• Make plans for older children or pets when you go into labour.
• Birth photography is really popular now. Check out local photographers in your area and book one.
• Organise a cleaner for the weeks before you are due. Coming home to a clean house after giving birth is a great feeling.
• Start stocking up on household supplies each time you shop. That way you know you won’t run out of essentials in the first few weeks.
• Book a birth class if you haven’t already.
• Work out how you’ll announce your baby’s birth.
• Organise a list of baby essentials and start putting things away.

19 Weeks Pregnant – Your Body

While you are still feeling pretty good and having high-energy days, you may start to experience some uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms.

Aches and pains and swelling are pretty common, especially when you put in long days at work.

In the evenings, try taking a walk after dinner and then put your feet up while sitting in a chair for a while before going to bed.

The walk will help loosen muscles and ease back strain, as well as prevent heartburn by helping that dinner settle nicely.

Propping up your feet will help reduce swelling. But always speak to your doctor or midwife if swelling is sudden or severe.

You may also feel sharp stabbing pains down one or both sides.

This is round ligament pain and is very common during pregnancy.

The ligaments supporting your growing uterus are stretching.

This can really get your attention when you move or have been more active than usual.

Try and rest as much as you can to alleviate these pains.

If you’re also having trouble sleeping, it’s really time to slow down your routine a little in the evenings.

Winding down properly before bed can help you to sleep better.

Your hips are likely to hurt more now.

If so, try sleeping on your side with a pillow between your knees.

Leg cramps are probably not helping your sleep either.

If they strike in the middle of the night, try stretching your legs out and moving your feet back and forth from the ankle.

Started thinking about names yet?

Choosing names can be fun or it can be really challenging!

BellyBelly has name suggestions for boys and girls.

19 Weeks Pregnant – Your Baby

At 19 weeks your baby’s growth is speeding up.

Nerve cells responsible for hearing, taste, smell and sight are starting to develop.

So is a waxy coating on your baby’s skin, called vernix caseosa.

This protective coating is made up of hair from your baby’s skin (lanugo), dead skin cells and skin oil.

Vernix protects your baby’s sensitive skin from being damaged by amniotic fluid.

Otherwise at birth your baby would be very wrinkled, like being in a bath for too long.

Most babies lose their vernix before birth but some are born covered in a white, greasy coating.

This is actually very good for their skin and can be left until it is absorbed on its own. Want to know more? Read 6 Reasons To Delay Your Baby’s First Bath.

At this stage, there’s usually lots of talk about whether you’re having a boy or girl.

If you don’t already know and want to find out, you probably can get an answer now.

You have the option of an ultrasound somewhere between 16 and 19 weeks.

The sonographer will check baby is developing normally and can tell the sex.

If you’re having a boy, his scrotum is solid by now.

If you’re pregnant with a girl, her vagina is beginning to hollow out. She has about six million eggs in her ovaries!

At 19 weeks pregnant, your baby weighs about 240 grams, and is about 15.25 cm long, roughly the size of a mango.