You are pregnant - Week 19-24

You are now nearly halfway through your pregnancy; this is exciting times in your baby's development, and during this time you will start to feel the baby move. There are also a couple of things you would need to take care of before you get too pregnant such as a visit to the dentist; as it gets difficult to lie on your back and it is also said that you lose a tooth for every child you have. (Why I am not certain, so if anyone has any ideas shout.)

During this visit the dentist needs to be aware of the fact that you are pregnant and that all x-rays should be done at a later stage. It is also important to establish a routing for relaxation. I for example put on a peaceful CD and relaxed at around the time everyday, my sister used to watch Egoli for her breather; and both our children tend to become more relax when they hear the music associated with these period of quiet times. It worked so well with me that Mia is still, at the age of 18 months, going to bed with the CD I listened to most.

Week 19:
You should now be visible pregnant and the idea of a midriff is something of the distant past. You will also start to become more of a scatter brain. If you do not already keep pen and paper handy for notes then now is a good time to start; if you can find it again... Also try and do some of those pelvic-floor exercises this is to ensure and assist your muscles in your core to stay activated.

All should be well with baby, and although there are still space, it is rapidly becoming cramped. This is one of the reasons why you will start feeling baby kicks; your baby has also developed some muscle which provides a greater force behind these movements. As there are still a relative amount of space, your baby will be doing a lot of different movements. There is also the first fat lining within the baby to provide some insulation.

Baby weight around 260 gram and is about 15cm tall.

Week 20:
You are halfway, and you will have to dig deep in your wardrobe to find some clothing for the coming months. Dependant on the season you are pregnant you might need more or less clothing. It does not matter what you buy as long as it is comfortable; also remember that your shoes needs to be comfy. Your feet might swell  during pregnancy so drink lots of water and wear flat comfortable shoes. You might even need to go up a size, so be sensible when you select maternity shoes. Try and stick with natural fabrics the likes of cotton, as it is softer on the skin and the last thing you want now is to be irritated by what you wear.

Al is well with the bump, there are more muscles and all the gymnastics is working nicely to toughen these up. The oil glands are now laying down the vernix caseosa; which is the white, cheesy stuff that will cover the baby at birth still. This is done to minimise scrapes in the womb. In some European countries women leave this on the baby for up to a week after birth, as it is said to be anti-bacterial by nature. An interesting fact is that only marine mammals have babies born with this covering on them, which leads to the conclusion that it protects the baby's skin against becoming dried-out due to water.

Baby weight around 320 gram and is about 16cm tall.

Week 21:
You might be seeing some blemishes appear on your body, most of these will disappear again after the birth, and once your hormones settles back to normalcy, You should also now be going for a detail scan, around this time in your pregnancy. During this scan they review the baby's development and check that all is on schedule. As part of this they look at the heart, bladder, and all the inner workings of the organs. You will also be able to hear your baby's heartbeat. If you are lucky enough to go for a 4D scan then you would be able to get an idea of your babies feature. If your baby looks more alien than you like; then you should not be too concerned; Mia had Michael Jackson's nose after all the ops had gone wrong, on these scans, and yet when she was born she had a perfect button nose. I must also say that this scan was the highpoint of my pregnancy.

The wonders of heartburn will also now make it appearance that is if you have not had it all along. Old wives tale has it that this indicates the amount of hair your child will be born with, there is however no scientific base for this. You will also be faced with being told how huge and small you are all in one day, remember everything is relative. You should not take all that is said too personal. (Yes, it is difficult if your body is loaded with more hormones than a Russian Olympic athlete, but grin and bear it.)

Baby has eyelids although they are still glued together. The baby can also hear sounds from both inside and outside the womb. Although the foetal brain is well developed the surface of it is still smooth and it is only around the seventh month of pregnancy that the trenches will formed on the surface of the brain.

Baby weight around 390 gram and is about 18cm tall.

Week 22:
Weight gain is one of the biggest talking points during pregnancy. Any mother will be able to tell you exactly how much or little weight she gained. As outline in week 9 weight gain is one of those case to case topics. Most of your weight gain will take place during your 4th-7th month; around 12-16 kilos is seen as normal, although some might gain as much as 20-30 kilos. It really is not a problem as long as you are eating healthy  and ensure enough water intake. Also try and stay active even if it is just walking for an hour daily. If your doctor is worried; it will be discussed and a plan will be made. One of the baby books  outlines in great detail that you can loose up to 12 kilos during birth alone; not to bear in mind all the other fluid losses which will occur during the next couple of days. I though there is no way – yet within four months I lost all the kilos I gained during pregnancy, (yes I did gain some again). The first couple of days after birth your hormones will be all over the show, and you are carrying all of the extra blood, and you will have little time to sleep. The fact that baby will be in your arms a good couple of hours of the day (and night), will also raise your temperature, you will be hot, hot, hot. See this as the build in sauna period.

The Foetus at this stage has fixed routines around sleeping and active times, in most cases it would not be the same as yours, and it is also the first signs of an individual personally being formed. The inner-ear is also formed and human hair will also now start growing. The lungs are still being dosed with surfactant which help the development of the lungs, this reduced the surface tension which allows the lungs to enlarge as if it has been breathed in.

Baby weight around 460 gram and is about 19cm tall.

Week 23:
Your hair should be long and thick and all boast about their strong long nails. You are however spending more time in the toilet as your bladder is under pressure. You might also be experiencing some  Braxton Hicks contractions, these already start around the 6th week of pregnancy. Some will experience these only later during their pregnancy if ever, this is due to the thinning of the cervix in preparation of the birth. A couple of differences between  Braxton Hicks and the real thing,,  Braxton Hicks has no frequency; where as all real ones have specific timing intervals to them.  Braxton Hicks has no frequency; where as all real ones have specific timing intervals to them.

The Foetus is growing at an alarming rate; and the brain is developing to look more brainy and less bean; although the surface is still smooth. Some researchers theory is that the baby is now capable of thought, although some others conclude that there is no real way of telling. Although there is not a lot of fat the baby's skin is growing very fast.

Baby weight around 540 gram and is about 20cm tall.

Week 24:
Now is the time to go on a holiday. The last three months is on hand and you are not yet too big or too uncomfortable to move around. You are also still able to fly and there will thus not be any complications which  can effect your baby. It is important that your are well rested before you take on the last couple of months. If you can get away then ensure you are well prepared. You will need your medical details, and also find a doctor that understand and speak your language, if you do venture outside your countries borders.

Constipation and low blood-pressure might also be a problem. Make sure you take in enough fluids and don't move to fast; especially when you get up. You might also feel faint if you stay on your back for longer periods  of time. This is due to your uterus putting pressure on your  vena cava inferior. This is the vein that carries blood from your nether regions to your heart. Change position if this happens, when lying on your back.

The foetus's eyes are now fully developed and can look all sides, the eyelids can also open and close. The skeleton continually forming; the hair and nails  are growing still and it might start sticking over the ends of the fingers. The foetus can also now make a fist and has a strong grip. Baby can also cry.   There is frequency to the breathing patterns of the foetus, although all oxygen is still being provided by the placenta. Babies born at this stage of the pregnancy has a very slim chance of survival as the lungs are not yet strong enough.

Baby weight around 630 gram and is about 21cm tall.

Sources:
Louw, D.A. 1990. Menslike ontwikkeling. Tweede uitgawe. Pretoria: HAUM – Tersiêr.
Cooke, Kaz.  2006. The Rough guide to Pregnancy & Birth. Second Edition. London: Rough Guides – Pregnancy.
The Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. Vernix caseosa. Retrieved 17 July 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernix_caseosa
DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE AKADEMIE VIR WETENSKAP EN KUNS. Surfaktant. Retrieved 17 July 2008
http://www.akademie.org.za/tuisblad/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=36
The Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. Braxton Hicks contractions. Retrieved 17 July 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braxton_Hicks
DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE AKADEMIE VIR WETENSKAP EN KUNS. vena cava inferior. Retrieved 17 July 2008
http://www.akademie.org.za/tuisblad/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=28&Itemid=36

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