Week 20
Second Trimester . What happens to me?
Congratulations, you are now halfway through your pregnancy! You will no doubt feel the kicking and movement of the baby. The baby may be so active sometimes that you may have trouble sleeping. The next 10 weeks will be the baby’s busiest.
It is not unusual to have trouble breathing, since your internal organs and the expanding uterus are cramping your lungs. This can continue until the baby "drops" or engages into the pelvis How much will I be showing?
As your uterus presses upward and outward, your belly button may pop out and stay that way until delivery. While growth of the uterus may have been irregular to this point, it usually becomes more regular after the 20th week. The uterus is measured to keep track of the baby’s growth. What happens to baby?
You may be aware of sleep/wake cycles in the baby. The baby has started to swallow amniotic fluid, and the kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on the scalp is sprouting and sensory development reaches its peak this week. The nerve cells serving each of the senses, taste, smell, sound, sight, and touch, are now developing in their specialized areas of the brain. If you are carrying a baby girl, she now has roughly 6 million eggs in her ovaries. By the time she is born she will have about a million left since most of them will disintegrate during gestation.
How big is the baby?
The baby is about 6 1/2 inches long and weighs around 9 ounces. Tip of the Week
Try to avoid artificial sweeteners during pregnancy such as aspartame (i.e., Nutrasweet or Equal) as their safety is unclear for the baby. Want to figure out your due date? Click Here
Just found out you're pregnant? Don't forget to check out the previous Weeks!
Pregnancy Calendar Disclaimer
|
