19 weeks pregnant
19 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby’s Development
There's a definite upswing on the foetal growth chart now, so expect some big gains in the coming weeks.
Extra eggs. If you're carrying a girl, her little reproductive system is already well established. The vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes are all in place and the ovaries contain more than six million primitive egg cells. When she is born, that number will have shrunk to about one million.
You've got male. If you're having a boy, his testicles have formed and have been secreting testosterone since about week 10 of your pregnancy. The external genitalia, which became male in the first trimester, are continuing to grow.
Second skin. Around this time, the skin starts to produce a waxy coating called vernix caseosa. Made of oils secreted by the skin, dead cells and lanugo (the fine hair that covers the body), vernix protects your little one's skin from the effects of floating in amniotic fluid. Most of it will disappear before birth, but premature babies are often born with a lot of vernix.
19 Weeks Pregnant: Your Symptoms
Funny face. Hormones are to blame for the “mask of pregnancy”–the brown splotches on your nose, cheeks and forehead–and the linea nigra, the dark line running down your belly to your pubic bone. Both gradually fade after you give birth, but exposure to the sun can darken the pigments in your skin even more, so be sure to use sunscreen.
Round ligament pain. As your uterus grows, the round ligaments supporting it have to stretch. Occasionally, these stretched-out ligaments will cause a sharp pain or a dull ache in your lower abdomen, usually on one side or the other. It's probably most noticeable when you change positions or get up suddenly. Call your doctor if you’re worried about the pain.
Did you know? Are you having a boy or a girl? While the ultrasound can’t yet tell, a baby girl’s vagina, uterus and fallopian tubes are in place and she has primitive eggs in her tiny ovaries. If you’re having a boy, his testicles have formed and a scrotal sac can be seen. Vernix, a substance that looks like cream cheese, is forming on baby’s body to protect the skin from the amniotic fluid.
19 Weeks Pregnant: Your Checklist
Use sunscreen or stay in the shade if going outside
Rest frequently, especially if you’re experiencing round ligament pain
Start your search for a pediatrician
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