Welcome to week nineteen!
If you lay really still you may be able to feel tiny flutters in your belly, especially after you eat or drink.
There is still a lot of space for your baby to move around in, but they often find a favorite location to hang out. Your body is already preparing to feed your baby a special food created for human infants and your nipples may begin to express a tiny amount of clear to milky fluid. It is normal for this to happen even if you don’t plan on breastfeeding and if it does not happen, it is also normal.
Your body is already preparing to feed your baby a special food created for human infants.
How my Baby Grows
- Believe it or not, by this time in the pregnancy your baby’s senses like smell, vision, hearing and taste have developed-isn’t that just amazing
- He/she is about the size of a mango
- Your baby has a special covering that will stay with him/her until birth when it is washed off during the first bath, it is called vernix caseous
- This special covering protects your baby’s temperature
- Helps lubricate your baby as it comes through the birth canal
- And it is the best ever moisturizer for your baby because it is able to keep his/her skin soft while under water for the rest of the pregnancy
- He/she is about 6 and a half inches long
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- You may experience a number of skin changes during pregnancy
- Due to hormonal changes, you may have a dark line appear on your belly that runs from your lower abdomen to your belly button or farther called linea nigra
- This hyperpigmentation usually lightens and goes away over the first couple of months after you have given birth
- In some women it lightens but never goes completely away
- It will probably return with subsequent pregnancies
- You may also notice that your skin is more sensitive to lotions, bath products and laundry detergents, even ones that you have used for years
- You may have to use sensitive skin or unscented products to keep from developing rashes and itching
- You may also have to move to another, more gentle laundry detergent especially for clothing that is in direct contact with your skin
- You may notice more skin tags, darkening of your nipples and an increase in freckles, all of these changes usually disappear during the postpartum period
- If you experience severe itching in the second or third trimester you should let your doctor or midwife know as there is a disorder of the liver called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) that they can screen you for
- Are your toes looking a little puffy, fluid retention during pregnancy is very common due to the larger circulating blood volume you have and the smooth muscle relaxation of your blood vessel walls allowing fluid to seep into the spaces close to your skin
- There are times when this is worrisome, usually much later in the pregnancy and we will talk about that in the weeks to come
- If you elevate your feet a couple times a day above the level of you heart it will help a lot
- This particular symptom can be really bothersome in the heat of summer if you happen to be pregnant that time of year
Thoughts to Consider
- Do you plan to return to work if you are a working mom
- If so, it is not too soon to begin looking into daycare for your newborn and there are several types of options to consider
- You might like your newborn cared for in your own home with a caregiver coming in each day that you work,
- Benefits of this are that you won’t have to wake you baby up and take him/her with you and he/she will nap and play in familiar areas
- This is likely more expensive since the caregiver will only have one child and if the caregiver is ill, you might have trouble finding a short-term replacement
- Another choice is to take your infant to a daycare center where children are grouped by age and have multiple caregivers that get to know your child over time
- It might help you to visit them and observe how the children are cared for and meet the caregivers
- Another thing that you can do is ask other moms which daycare center they use and why
- Some jobs offer onsite daycare which can be a great option and you might ask now if this is an option for you
- You would bring you child with you to work
- If you are breastfeeding, you could take a break and visit while you feed your baby during the day
- There are many parenting decisions that you will be making even while your baby is young, it might help to keep a journal with the information that you gather so that you can discuss it with you partner
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Travel is something that it is difficult to put on hold while you are pregnant, whether it is for work or pleasure-there are a few things to keep in mind
- Whether you are traveling by car, train or air, make sure that you maintain good hydration even if you have to stop for frequent bathroom breaks
- If you are traveling by air it is best not to cross your legs as it will increase your chances of a deep vein blood clot in your legs (just being pregnant increases your risk for this too)
- If you are going out of country you may want to check with your doctor, midwife or the CDC about necessary immunizations, local health warnings and the safety of food and water
- Some cruise ships and airlines have travel restrictions for pregnant women so it is good to check with them before booking, if you have already booked and will not meet the restrictions your doctor or midwife can provide a note to help you cancel the travel
- There are still lots of places that you can go and things that you can safely do during pregnancy, have fun
