2nd trimester: Week 19

The limbs are now elongated.

© The Anatomical Travelogue

Your Baby

Your mini-gymnast weighs approximately seven ounces and measures approximately nine inches long. His arms and legs are now properly proportioned. The motor neurons between the muscles and the brain are connecting, giving him control over his movements, so he kicks, rolls, and stretches whenever he feels like it. His gums have tooth buds, and throughout his body, rubbery cartilage is turning into bone. Myelin, a protective substance, envelops the spinal cord.

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Your Body

Ideally, you will have gained between 8 and 14 pounds by this stage, 6 ounces of which account for the placenta, 11 ounces the amniotic fluid, and 12 ounces total for both breasts. Thanks to gravity and a rapid drop in blood pressure, you may feel dizzy when you get up too quickly from a sitting, squatting, or kneeling position. You may also get woozy when you lie down, as your expanding uterus exerts pressure on your aorta and vena cava.

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Dos and Donts

Don't indulge in very hot baths right now. Hot tubs aren't so hot for pregnant women; the intense heat can hurt your developing baby. If you long for a warm bath to ease your aches and pains, a ten-minute dip in warm water (98 degrees or lower) won't harm you. 

Health

Eat up. While it's smart to keep weight gain to no more than 35 pounds during pregnancy, dieting can hurt the baby. You may miss out on nutrients that are vital for fetal development, and if you're underweight you're at risk of having a low birth weight or preterm baby. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat dairy are healthy choices.

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