At 19 weeks pregnant, you’ve got your energy back and you feel great!
With this renewed energy, it’s a good time to make a list of the things you need to do in the coming months.
You might have a while before the baby arrives but that time will fly!
If you’re wondering what to expect at 19 weeks of pregnancy, and you would like to see the to-do list, then read on.
19 weeks pregnant in months
You are now in your second trimester, at 19 weeks, and you might be wondering how many months pregnant you are.
This is your fifth month of pregnancy. Every day your baby is growing and, hopefully, your nausea has settled. Exciting times!
What should I be doing at 19 weeks pregnant?
It’s easy to feel on top of everything in the second trimester.
And then, when you’re closer to your due date, and feeling tired and much bigger, you might realize you’ve still got plenty to do before your baby is born.
Here are BellyBelly’s top tips for your to-do list while you’re 19 weeks pregnant:
- Work out where your baby will sleep, and whether 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. Book into a breastfeeding class and find a local lactation consultant
- Cloth or disposable nappies? Do your research and start stocking up
- Organize a postnatal doula or home help for the first few weeks after birth
- Make plans for older children or pets when you go into labor
- Birth photography is really popular now. Check out photographers in your area and book one
- Organize a cleaner for the weeks before you are due. Coming home to a clean house after giving birth is a great feeling
- Stock up on household supplies each time you shop. That way you won’t run out of essentials in the first few weeks
- Book a preparation class, if you haven’t already
- Work out how you’ll announce your baby’s birth
- Organize a list of baby essentials and start putting things away
- 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 ultrasound
At this stage of pregnancy, 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 can probably get an answer now. You’ll have the option of an ultrasound somewhere between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Before you have the scan, make sure you tell the sonographer whether you do or don’t want to know the baby’s sex.
If one parent wants to know and the other prefers a surprise, it’s also a good idea to work out how you will deal with that.
The sonographer will check baby is developing normally and growing as expected. The scan will also check for any fetal abnormalities, taking into consideration any risk factors you might have.
19 weeks pregnant belly
By now, you might be able to see the linea nigra – a dark line down the middle of your belly.
You can read more about this fascinating sign of pregnancy in Linea Nigra | When Does It Appear And Go Away?.
People might feel the urge to touch your belly during pregnancy. It’s not unusual for pregnant women to feel their bodies have somehow become public property. Even complete strangers are eager to touch your bump during pregnancy.
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If you aren’t comfortable having your belly touched, be polite and firm but say, ‘No thanks’.
Everyone, including your doctor and midwife, needs to ask permission to feel your belly before touching you.
19 weeks pregnant symptoms
Although you’re still feeling pretty good and having high-energy days, you might start to experience some pregnancy symptoms that are different from your first trimester ones.
At week 19 of pregnancy, aches and pains with swelling are pretty common, especially when you put in long days at work.
In the evenings, try to take a walk after dinner. Then sit in a chair and put your legs up for a while before you go to bed.
The walk will help loosen your muscles and ease back strain. It will also help your meal settle nicely and prevent heartburn.
Make sure to prop your feet up as this will help reduce swelling.
If you start to feel the swelling is suddenly getting worse, speak with your doctor or healthcare provider for more information and an assessment.
Dizziness at pregnancy week 19
Dizziness during pregnancy happens when your uterus expands, placing pressure on your blood vessels. Your baby is also crowding your lungs so you will have less oxygen.
If you’re feeling dizzy, lie down and drink plenty of water.
Round ligament pain at pregnancy week 19
You could feel a mild, stabbing abdominal pain down one or both sides during pregnancy, which should ease away.
This is called round ligament pain and is very common during pregnancy.
The ligaments supporting your growing uterus are stretching. The round ligaments will spasm painfully as you move.
Relaxin, the hormone you produce in pregnancy, will help with the stretching of your muscles, so your baby can fit down the birth canal.
The round ligament pain can really get your attention when you move or have been more active than usual.
Try to rest, have a soak in the tub, and use a heat pack to alleviate these pains.
Any persistent stabbing pain is not normal. If you experience it, you need to contact your doctor or health care provider.
Sleeping at pregnancy week 19
If you’re having trouble sleeping, it’s really time to slow down your routine a little in the evenings.
Winding down properly before bed will 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. This can alleviate the muscle cramp.
Speak with your midwife or ob gyn for more support if this becomes a problem for you.
Nasal congestion and nosebleeds
Your body produces more mucus when you’re pregnant. Because your hormones are rising and your body is producing more blood, the mucous membranes in your nose could swell, causing congestion and probably nosebleeds.
Nasal congestion isn’t a cause for worry if you don’t have any other symptoms of a cold, or any allergies.
The increased blood flow might cause recurrent nosebleeds, which are typically harmless, but you should contact your doctor if they keep occurring.
Skin changes at 19 weeks pregnant
Chloasma or the ‘mask of pregnancy’ might start to appear all over your body. Pregnancy hormones are to blame.
This skin change is a temporary condition that usually fades after pregnancy.
19 weeks pregnant – your baby
At 19 weeks, your baby’s growth is speeding up and sensory development is exploding!
The brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch.
The nerve cells responsible for hearing, taste, smell, and sight are also starting to develop.
The arms and legs are now in proportion to each other and the rest of the body.
The baby is developing a waxy coating on the 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 caseosa protects your baby’s sensitive skin from being damaged by amniotic fluid.
Without vernix, your baby would be very wrinkled at birth, similar to when you’re in a bath for too long.
Some babies lose their vernix before birth. Some, however, are born with this white, greasy coating covering all of the body.
It is actually very good for a baby’s 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 19 weeks of pregnancy, your baby is still small but will start to put on brown fat. This will help to keep the baby warm after birth.
If you’re having a boy, his scrotum is solid by now.
If you’re 19 weeks pregnant with a girl, her vagina is beginning to hollow out. She has about six million eggs in her ovaries.
Your little one is now starting to grow hair on that cute little head.
Until now, your baby’s skin was transparent, allowing you to see the blood vessels under it. This week, however, your 19-week-old baby’s skin will begin to become more pigmented.
Can you feel your baby through your stomach at 19 weeks?
Some women are able to feel baby’s movements between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy.
These movements can feel like butterflies fluttering in your belly! Sometimes, people refer to this fluttery feeling as the ‘quickening’, and it used to be the time when women would announce their pregnancy to the world.
At 19 weeks pregnant the movements might seem very light and you can easily miss them, especially if you’re busy or moving about. But soon you’ll start to recognize the movements, especially as your baby gets bigger.
It usually takes a little longer before your partner or others can feel these movements from the outside of your belly.
19 weeks pregnant baby size
At week 19 of pregnancy, your baby weighs about 0.24 kgs (8.4 ounces) and is about 15.25 cm (6 inches) in length, roughly the size of a mango.
