19 weeks pregnant – learning the changes you get to experience…
Pregnancy is truly a wonderful phase of a woman’s life. There are a lot of different changes that are happening while waiting for your child to be born. While this may also be a confusing and overwhelming phase, you can lessen such feeling if you take time to learn and understand the different changes that happens to your body. In fact, when you are 19 weeks pregnant, you will get to feel different pregnancy symptoms compared to the symptoms of the previous weeks. In addition, you may feel the same symptoms but more severe at this phase of your pregnancy. Here are some of the changes that you get to experience when you are 19 weeks pregnant.
More intense and recurring leg cramps
19 weeks pregnantLeg cramps are common during the second and third trimesters. While this symptom may occur during the day, this is often felt during the night. In fact, this symptom keeps most pregnant women awake at night. The cause of leg cramps during pregnancy cannot be determined. However, there are several theories why they occur. For instance, it is believed that the cramps occur because the muscles in the legs are stressed and fatigued from carrying all the extra weight of pregnancy. Another possible cause is the compression of blood vessels on the legs. Since the uterus is growing bigger everyday, the blood vessels on the legs are compressed and circulation is disrupted. Regardless of the cause, this symptom can be relieved by straightening your leg and flexing your toes and ankles towards your shins.
Fetal movements
If you have not felt your baby move yet at 19 weeks, you should not worry as this is normal. The first kicks may be felt between weeks 18 to 22. Some women will feel them earlier due to several reasons. For instance, thin women may feel the movements earlier. Moreover, muscle tone is another indicator when you will feel the movements of your baby. If you have lax uterine muscles, it will be easier for you to feel your baby’s kicks as early as 18 weeks. Your baby’s position will matter, too.
Increased appetite and constipation
Since your baby is growing and you are eating for two now, you will have an increased appetite and you may have a hard time staying away from the pantry and fridge. This is normal during pregnancy. You should stack on nutritious snacks and foods to ensure that you and your baby are eating healthy. Moreover, you should consider eating small frequent feedings throughout the day. This way, you can prevent heartburn and sudden weight gain.
Constipation is a common symptom of pregnancy. If you find this uncomfortable, you should consider seeking consult from your health care provider. This way, your health care provider can help you come up with alternatives to address this concern without compromising you and your baby’s health.
Dizziness and light-headedness
Since your uterus is growing bigger every day, it is putting pressure on your blood vessels. When this happens, blood flow to your brain is reduced. This causes you to become light-headed. Even though this symptom is common, you should not ignore this. Instead, you should take it easy and sit down as soon as you feel dizzy.This way, you will not hurt yourself or your child.
Round ligament pain and backaches
As the ligaments supporting your uterus stretches when your uterus grows in size, you will feel pain on your lower abdomen. This pain is often termed as round ligament pain. To avoid feeling this pain, you should avoid changing positions suddenly.
Backache is also common during the 19th week of a pregnancy. This is caused by the shifting of your center of gravity. Extra pressure is placed on your lower back causing pain. You should avoid straining your back further. You should avoid lifting heavy loads and always assume the right posture when walking, sitting, and standing.
Skin changes
At 19 weeks, you will also notice some skin changes. For instance, you will likely notice that the palms on your hands are red. This is normal as this is caused by the extra estrogen hormone that your body is producing. Patches of darkened skin may also appear. This is just temporary and this is caused by the increase in pigment. These patches can occur on the lips, cheeks and forehead. This is termed as the mask of pregnancy or chloasma. These darkened spots will fade after delivery.
Your baby’s growth and development
At 19 weeks pregnant, your baby is about six inches long. Moreover, your baby is already half a pound in weight. Your baby’s arms and legs are in proportion. Your baby’s nervous system is also developed. In fact, his or her neurons are connected between the muscles and the brain. Your baby is now coordinated and has more control over his or her limb movements. This explains the increasing instance of fetal movements that you will likely feel when you are 19 weeks pregnant.
At the same time, your baby is also being covered by a protective substance known as vernix caseosa. This is a greasy and white substance that is composed of lanugo, oil produced by your baby’s glands, and dead skin cells. This waxy substance protects your baby from the amniotic fluid.This substance sheds as the delivery approaches. However, if you deliver your baby early, you may still see a glimpse of this protective covering.
Picking out names for your baby
At 19 weeks pregnant this is a great time to pick a name for your baby. If you have had your ultrasound scan, you may already know if you are having a boy or a girl. This can be a fun activity for couples. This is an important decision that needs to be made as a name can last a lifetime. There are several ways on how you can get started in picking a name for your baby. The most important thing is that you choose a name that you and your partner love.
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