Welcome to week twenty
Congratulations, you are now halfway through your pregnancy! You will be having your anatomy/morphology ultrasound about this time to take a close look at your baby’s heart and other vital organs.
During this ultrasound you will be able to see the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding your baby, the blood vessels in the umbilical cord (2 arteries and a vein), take measurements of the abdominal circumference, long bone of the leg and measurements of the head circumference and brain hemispheres. Your sonographer should be able to show you the baby’s boy or girl parts!
It is a common time in the pregnancy for moms and dads to be discussing names, themes and colors for baby’s room, and making other plans for when you will bring your new baby home. You may be finally accepting that fact that there will be a new person in your family
Congratulations, you are now halfway through your pregnancy!
How my Baby Grows
- Your little one is now the size of a banana and weighs about 10 ounces
- Your baby is now able to swallow amniotic fluid and produce urine
- Rapid brain growth is going on and will continue through the rest of the pregnancy
- Your baby has sleep and wake cycles and may even respond to loud noises
Symptoms Mama may Feel or Experience
- Indigestion can be quite miserable during pregnancy and has several causes that make it more uncomfortable as the pregnancy advances
- One reason for indigestion is the slowing down of your digestive system because of the hormone progesterone
- Another reason for indigestion is that the stomach is displaced as the baby takes over space in your abdomen and forces it up and out of its natural position
- Things that can help are listed below:
- Eat small frequent meals so as to never have a lot in your tummy at the same time
- Sip water all day long but not with meals as it can over distend your stomach
- Avoid food triggers such as those that are spicey or fried
- There are several over the counter medications that are very helpful, and your doctor or midwife can list the ones that they recommend
- Leg cramps are another symptom that made the “minor discomforts of pregnancy” list and some of the potential causes are listed below:
- They could possibly be caused by carrying the extra weight of baby, amniotic fluid, and the increase in blood volume
- Another possibility is that your baby is putting pressure on nerves and blood vessels that go to your legs
- Some evidence suggests that it may be related to low calcium
- They are more bothersome at night for most women and, the best thing to do while you have a leg cramp is have someone hold your heal and flex your foot towards your abdomen gently to release the cramp
Thoughts to Consider
- Now that you have found out what you are having and done a thorough evaluation of your baby by ultrasound, it is a good time to start your baby registries
- Before you start your registry, you will want to do your homework on different baby products so that you know exactly what gear you need and which ones that you feel will work best for you, some of the categories are:
- Strollers
- Care seats
- Bassinets and travel cribs
- Breast pumps
- Baby carriers
- Baby monitors
- Cribs (check out the safety on railing spacing)
- Nipples, bottles and pacifiers (which ones do most babies like and which ones are more natural for their anatomic sucking action)
- Diapers
- Lotions, bathing products
- Nipple cream for mom, butt cream for baby
- Sound machines
- Highchairs
- Rockers for late night feedings
- Hygiene kits with scissors, clippers, brushes
- Don’t forget to check out the StorkAdvisor product review section for information and recommendations
Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy
- Another way to stay healthy during your pregnancy is to get adequate, restful sleep and that may be a lot harder these days
- There are numerous reasons that sleep is difficult during pregnancy but at 20 weeks it may be due to round ligament pain, leg cramps, indigestion or difficulty sleeping in a new position
- There are a couple of suggestions that may help you out
- Use as many pillows as needed and sleep on your side which will also help blood flow to your baby but don’t panic if you wake up on your back, just reposition yourself
- Have a sleep routine that includes a relaxing activity right before bed such as reading, a warm bath, or yoga
- Keep your room dark, cool and free of electronic devices
- You may want to try a sound machine
- Turn off the TV at least 30-60 minutes before going to bed
- For some women a cup of warm milk is helpful
- Do not eat within three hours of going to bed as this may increase your heartburn
- Stay active during the day and include stretching exercises into your daily routine
