20 Weeks Pregnant – Everything You Need To Know

You’re 20 weeks pregnant. Congratulations! You are at the half way point in your pregnancy.

You’re definitely looking and feeling pregnant now.

Your uterus is at about the same height as your belly button.

20 Weeks Pregnant – Everything You Need To Know

As a result, you’re probably finding it harder to bend in the middle.

Are you wondering how many months is 20 weeks pregnant? You’re still in the 5th month of pregnancy. 

20 Week Pregnant Ultrasound

If you haven’t already had your mid pregnancy ultrasound, you’ll be due to have it now.

It’s also called the anomaly scan and it’s performed to check your baby’s development and discover any potential problems.

Some pregnant women worry about having too many ultrasounds during pregnancy.

You might like to read Ultrasounds In Pregnancy – Risks And Benefits to help make an informed choice. 

It’s this ultrasound scan that often shows women they’re pregnant with twins.

Your doctor or midwife will also start to measure your belly from 20 weeks of pregnancy.

This measurement is your fundal height, which is the distance from your pubic bone to the top of your uterus.

The fundal height is the way your care provider can track the progression of your pregnancy.

Your measurement should match your week of pregnancy, give or take a few centimetres.

If the fundal height is too low or too high, it can indicate a pregnancy complication.

This might be gestational diabetes, fetal growth problems, or an indication that baby’s position is breech.

If the scan detects potential problems you’ll be offered further testing or monitoring.

It can be frightening to be told things are not tracking along as expected.

Just remember to ask your care provider plenty of questions, and get all the information you need to make the right choices for you.

20 Weeks Pregnant: Relationships

Up to this point, from your partner’s point of view, pregnancy might seem like a one-sided affair.

From the outside, not a lot seems to be going on.

But clearly a lot is happening on the inside.

Your partner might be feeling relieved early pregnancy symptoms have eased off, and really looking forward to feeling your baby’s movements too.

It’s hard to tell exactly when this will be possible.

It varies a great deal between women and between pregnancies.

Any time from now, however, is a good time for your partner to start trying to feel baby’s movements.

Week 20 is also a good time to check in with each other and reconnect – especially if you’ve been really tired until now.

Perhaps your partner has been concerned about how to bond with your growing baby.

Maybe he has worries about becoming a parent.

Communication between couples about how they see themselves as parents can’t start too early.

A weekend away will give you a chance to take stock of where you are, and how you see the next months unrolling.

Involving each other in things outside of baby’s arrival is important too.

Even snuggling up for a movie night at home can do your wonders for your connection.

20 Weeks Pregnant: Symptoms

You might find you’re sweating quite a lot now; this is your body’s way of trying to cool off.

Stay hydrated, and don’t allow yourself to get overheated. The sweating will ease off after baby is born.

Heartburn and indigestion are likely to make an appearance.

This happens because baby is pushing up out of the pelvis and crowding your digestive system.

Your energy levels should be back to normal now – especially after a good night’s sleep.

Make sure you include plenty of protein-rich foods in your diet to help boost your energy levels.

It is really important to ensure you are getting plenty of nutrients in your diet, especially iron.

Your body needs iron to make haemoglobin – the protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen.

During pregnancy, your blood volume increases by up to 50% more than usual.

Therefore, it’s normal for iron levels to drop with the extra blood volume your body is making.

It’s important to make sure you’re getting enough iron in your diet.

Iron can be found in red meat, dark leafy greens, dried fruits and oatmeal.

Try to combine iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C. This vitamin helps boost iron absorption.

At 20 weeks pregnant, you are more prone to urinary tract infections (UTI), because the smooth muscles in your urinary tract have relaxed.

Keep an eye out for symptoms, such as pain or burning when you urinate.

Frequent urination is a common symptom of a bladder infection but it is also common during pregnancy.

If you have any pain or burning when you urinate it is a good idea to see your caregiver.

Untreated UTIs can lead to more serious problems, like kidney infections.

20 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby

At 20 weeks, your baby is growing fast but still has plenty of room to move about.

Your baby can be startled by loud noises.

Not only can can your baby hear your voice he can now recognise it and distinguish it from other people’s voices.

If you haven’t already started talking to him, now is a good time.

Listening to classical music at the end of the day might be soothing for both of you – especially if you take a warm bath at the same time. Just remember not to use water that is too hot.

Your baby is swallowing plenty of amniotic fluid now.

It is being filtered and some of it is becoming meconium.

Meconium is a thick, tar-like substance that fills the intestines. It will be your baby’s first bowel movement after birth.

This week, your baby weighs about 289 grams and is about the size of a banana. The crown to rump measurement is  16.5 cm.