Week 19
Mum:
To your dismay, you may find that heartburn is more likely to occur as weeks pass by and your uterus pushes up against your stomach. This is due to the slowing down of movement of food through the digestive tract. When the baby ‘drops’, towards the final month of the pregnancy, there will be less pressure on your stomach and as a result less heartburn. Eating several smaller meals through the day can help ease the heartburn. Do not eat right before you sleep and avoid foods which are high in acid contents.
Baby:
As in every week, this week too will record massive growth for your baby. S/he will weigh approximately 230 grams. If you are having a girl, her ovaries now contain primitive egg cells. For the male foetus the testes are apparent too. Lanugo, which is very fine hair, appears all over the baby’s body. In many cases, this will remain even after the baby is born, primarily on the baby’s face and ears. This will fall off within a couple of months. Permanent teeth buds are also forming behind the already formed milk teeth buds.
Dad:
The mother may start asking you to feel the baby moving. You may be hesitant at first, but it is a very nice experience to feel and imagine your baby moving inside your partner’s womb. It might be the case where the baby quits moving as soon as you put your hand over it. This will change the more you touch and speak to the baby.
