Week 19
Your baby now measures about 14.2 cm (5.5 in) from crown to rump and weighs roughly 190 g (6.5 oz), about the size of a mango. Babies vary, so do not worry if your scan shows slightly different numbers. A protective coating called vernix is starting to cover the skin, held in place by fine, downy hair called lanugo. The brain is laying down areas for touch, taste, smell, sight and hearing. You may be feeling the first flutters by now, or still waiting, and both are normal. This week covers what the anatomy scan might show, choosing prenatal classes, and a few everyday comforts, from your bowels to your workday.
Day 127 · 18 weeks 0 days
A coat of cream and a layer of down
Your baby spends months floating in fluid, and the skin needs protection. Around now, glands in the skin begin to make a white, waxy coating called vernix caseosa. It looks a little like cream cheese. It helps waterproof the skin, so it does not wrinkle and chafe in the amniotic fluid, and it may help protect against infection.
Holding the vernix in place is lanugo, a covering of very fine, soft hair that grows over much of the body. Lanugo may also help regulate temperature before your baby has much fat.
Both are temporary. Most lanugo is shed before birth, although babies born early, and some born on time, still have a soft fuzz on their shoulders, back or ears. It falls out by itself within a few weeks. The amount of vernix drops in the last weeks of pregnancy. Babies born before their due date often have more of it, tucked into skin folds, while those born late may have very little.
After birth, many care providers suggest leaving any vernix to soak in naturally rather than scrubbing it off. It is thought to help moisturize the newborn's skin.
Try this: If you are keeping a pregnancy journal or photo log, add a note about what your baby is doing this week to read back later.
Day 128 · 18 weeks 1 day
Choosing prenatal classes
Prenatal classes help you learn what to expect in labour and birth, ways to cope with pain, how to feed and care for a newborn, and how to look after yourself afterward. They are also a chance to meet other people due around the same time, and those friendships often outlast the classes. There are many options. Hospitals and birth centres often run classes that include a tour of where you will give birth. Community groups, public health services and independent educators offer courses too, some with a focus on breathing and movement, some on breastfeeding or chestfeeding, some for parents expecting twins, and some for second-time parents. Online classes suit people with tight schedules or long travel. Costs vary, and some are free.
When choosing, ask what the course covers, how many sessions there are, how big the group is, and whether partners or support people are welcome. Think about what you most want to learn and how you learn best. Most courses run in the last two or three months of pregnancy, finishing a few weeks before your due date. Popular ones fill early, so this is a good time to look and book.
For your partner: Take on the research. Find two or three classes that fit your schedules, check what they cover, and bring the options to talk over together.
Day 129 · 18 weeks 2 days
Small changes on the toilet can ease constipation
You read in week 8 how progesterone and iron can slow your bowels, and how fibre, fluids and movement help. In the middle months, your growing uterus starts to press on your bowel too, so constipation can return or get worse. A few habits around the toilet itself can make a surprising difference.
Go when you feel the urge, rather than holding on. For many people it is strongest after breakfast, so leave time for an unhurried visit. Rest your feet on a small stool so your knees are higher than your hips, lean forward with your elbows on your knees, and let your belly relax. This position straightens the end of the bowel.
If fibre and these habits are not enough, or your iron supplement seems to be the cause, talk to your pharmacist or care provider. Some fibre supplements and stool softeners are considered safe in pregnancy, but check before using any laxative.
Try not to strain or hold your breath. Straining raises pressure in the veins around your bottom and can lead to hemorrhoids, which you will read about in week 22.
Call your care provider if you have severe belly pain, blood in your stool, or constipation alternating with diarrhea, or you have not had a bowel movement for several days despite these steps.
Try this: Put a small step stool, or a stack of sturdy books, beside the toilet today.
Day 130 · 18 weeks 3 days
If the scan needs a second look
Most anatomy scans show a baby growing as expected. Sometimes, though, the sonographer cannot get a clear view because of your baby's position, and you are asked to come back. This is common and usually just a matter of timing.
Sometimes the scan finds something that needs following up. One of the most frequent findings is a low-lying placenta, which sits close to or over the cervix. At this stage it is common, and in most people the placenta moves up as the uterus grows. You will usually have another scan later in pregnancy, often around 32 weeks, to check.
The scan may also pick up a "soft marker", a small finding that is often a normal variation but can slightly change the chance of certain conditions. On its own, a soft marker rarely means a problem, especially if earlier screening was reassuring. Less often, the scan shows a clear difference in how an organ has formed. You will then be offered more information, more detailed scans, or a referral to a specialist team.
Waiting for answers is hard. Ask what was seen, what it might mean, and what happens next. Write down the words used so you can look them up from reliable sources. You do not have to make any decisions on the day. Try this: If you have a follow-up, ask your care provider who you can call with questions while you wait.
Day 131 · 18 weeks 4 days
Your baby's brain is mapping the senses
Inside your baby's growing brain, nerve cells are moving to where they belong and starting to connect. Areas that will handle touch, taste, smell, hearing and sight are taking shape. Your baby has been touching the face, the cord and the walls of the uterus for weeks, and those early sensations help wire the brain.
The nerves are also beginning to gain a fatty coating called myelin. It works like insulation on a wire, helping signals travel faster. Myelination continues long after birth, well into childhood and beyond.
Taste buds are already formed, and the amniotic fluid your baby swallows carries hints of the flavours in your diet. Some research suggests babies become familiar with these tastes before birth.
The reproductive organs are developing too. If your baby has ovaries, they already contain millions of immature eggs, more than there will ever be again. If your baby has testes, they are formed and will slowly move down from the abdomen toward the scrotum over the coming months.
Everything you do to look after your own health, from eating well to resting, supports this quiet work.
Try this: Eat something with a strong, distinctive flavour today, such as ginger, garlic or a fragrant herb, and remember your baby may get a hint of it too.
Day 132 · 18 weeks 5 days
Thrush is common in pregnancy, and treatable
As you read in week 10, more discharge is normal in pregnancy. One change worth knowing about is thrush, a yeast infection. Higher estrogen gives yeast more to feed on, so thrush is more common now than at other times.
Thrush usually causes itching, soreness and redness around the vulva, with a thick, white discharge that looks like cottage cheese and has little smell. Peeing or sex may sting. It is uncomfortable, but it does not harm your baby.
Treatment in pregnancy is a little different. Antifungal creams or vaginal tablets are preferred, often for a longer course of about seven days. Antifungal pills taken by mouth are usually avoided. Check with your care provider or pharmacist before buying a treatment, since other infections, such as bacterial vaginosis, can look similar and need different care. Call your care provider if symptoms do not clear with treatment or keep coming back, or your discharge is green, yellow or grey or smells strong or fishy. Get help right away if you have a gush or a steady trickle of watery fluid, which could mean your waters are leaking, or any bleeding. Loose cotton underwear, skipping scented washes and drying gently after a shower may help keep it from coming back. If you are not sure whether something is normal, ask.
Try this: If itching starts, note when it began and what your discharge looks like, so you can describe it clearly when you call.
Day 133 · 18 weeks 6 days
Make your workday work for you
If you are working, the middle months are often more comfortable than the first. Still, a growing bump, back strain and the need for regular snacks can make a long day harder. Small changes add up.
If you sit at a desk, adjust your chair so your lower back is supported and your feet are flat, and set your screen at eye level. Get up every 30 to 60 minutes to walk, stretch or refill your water. If you stand for long periods, shift your weight, take short sitting breaks and wear supportive shoes. Keep snacks and a water bottle within reach.
If your job involves any of the risks you read about in week 9, such as heavy lifting, night shifts, chemicals or infections, keep talking with your care provider and your employer as your bump grows. In many places you have a right to a risk assessment and reasonable changes to your duties. You may also need time off for appointments, including scans and classes. Find out what your workplace allows so you can plan.
If work stress is wearing you down, say so. Your health, and your baby's, come first.
Try this: Look at your workspace today and change one thing, such as your chair height or a footrest, to make it more comfortable.