Week 19

You are nearing the halfway point of your pregnancy. You should start thinking about the name of your child. Keep in mind that whatever the ultrasound showed, it is better to be prepared with both a boy’s and a girl’s name.

The expectant mother

There are no two pregnancies that are the same, so you do not have to worry even if you do not feel the baby moving all the time. During these weeks he sleeps through the majority of the day. Try to move as much as you can to avoid your feet becoming numb and to prevent varicose veins and backaches.

The baby

This week is about growing: the fetus now weighs 220 grams. A substance called vernix starts to develop on his skin to protect it. Temporary hair appears on his scalp which will fall out after being born to give way to his real hair. In case of baby girls, their womb and ovaries develop. The tooth buds of permanent teeth appear behind the primary ones.

Examinations

You have to go through with the well-known routine tests: urinalysis, blood pressure and weight measurements, supplemented by the second genetic ultrasound examination. During the latter, the development of the baby’s internal organs is checked by abdominal ultrasound: the doctor examines the structure of the skull and the brain, the integrity of the spine and vertebrae, the heart chambers, the closure of the abdominal wall, the condition of the diaphragm, arms and legs, placental adhesion and the amount of amniotic fluid.

Doctor’s advice

Many women contemplate whether they should take any vitamins during pregnancy. Our recommendation is to try to supply your body with the necessary vitamins and minerals mostly through food. Taking supplements is a priority only for those who have food allergies, are on a special diet or have been pregnant before. The most important vitamins are A, B, C, D, E and K, and you should mind your folic acid, iron and calcium intake.

Lifestyle

Your heightened emotional state can manifest itself in your dreams. Although scientific research could not confirm the existence of a correlation between elevated hormonal levels and strongly emotional, active dreams, many psychologists and specialists claim that there is a connection. During pregnancy estrogen and progesterone levels rise and they affect emotions and dreams. Besides hormones, brain activity also has an impact on dreaming: many women worry during the initial stages of their pregnancy about the health of the fetus, which takes its toll on their thoughts and thus their cerebration. If you can remember your dreams, focus on the underlying emotions. If you feel positive, everything is all right. If you feel sad or stressed when thinking about your dreams, you must do something to change it. Try to identify the dream situations with your real emotions and discuss them with your partner and friends. However, in case you keep on having nightmares for weeks, you should consult a psychologist to help you sort through your problems.