19 Weeks Pregnant

19 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby's Development

At this point, your baby’s reproductive system is developing quickly. If you're carrying a girl, the vagina, uterus, and fallopian tubes are all forming, and the ovaries contain more than 6 million primitive egg cells. When she is born, that number will have dropped to about 1 million.

If you're having a boy, his testicles have formed and have been secreting testosterone since about week 10 of your pregnancy. The external genitals are continuing to grow.

You may not know yet if you’re having a boy or a girl, but you can get prepared by checking out our Baby Name Generator for name ideas.

Around this time, your baby’s 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 preterm babies are often born still covered with a lot of vernix.

Your baby is also getting into a rhythm that includes more regular periods of sleep and being awake. Around the time you’re 19 weeks pregnant, your little one begins to sleep and wake in more regular patterns and may also wake up to movement and noises.

Another new development? Your baby is also growing little nails on those recently formed fingertips and toes!

The Size of the Fetus at 19 Weeks Pregnant

At 19 weeks, your fetus is about the size of a mango. If you have a checkup this week (or sometime soon), your healthcare provider will measure the height of your uterus to check on your baby’s growth. This is called the fundal height measurement. How your baby looks this week can be easier to image with the help of a visual, so check out the illustration below:

Mom's Body at 19 Weeks

When you’re 19 weeks pregnant, how many months along are you? You’re now well into being five months pregnant.

At this point in your pregnancy, you may feel more aches and pains as your bump grows, and your feet might swell up a little. Or you may experience dizziness, nasal congestion, and backaches.

Still, you’ll be thrilled when you start to feel a flutter or a kick as your little one grows and starts getting active.

If you’re lucky enough to have periods of increased energy, then you might like to use those bursts to do things like putting together your baby shower registry or thinking about what essential baby gear you need to get and where you will get it from.

Even if you do have some extra energy, try not to overdo it. Make time to rest and relax whenever you can.

19 Weeks Pregnant: Your Symptoms

At 19 weeks pregnant, here are some of the symptoms you may be experiencing:

• Skin changes. The dark patches you may have on your nose, cheeks, and forehead are a common condition of pregnancy called chloasma, or the "mask of pregnancy." Hormones are to blame for this blotchiness, which affects some pregnant women. Pregnancy hormones are also responsible for the linea nigra, the dark line running down your belly to your pubic bone at around 19 weeks pregnant. Both chloasma and the linea nigra will gradually fade after you give birth. Exposure to the sun can darken the pigments in your skin even more, so be sure to use sunscreen or stay in the shade.

• 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. Rest usually offers the best relief. Call your doctor if the pain comes with a fever, chills, painful urination, or bleeding, or if the pain is severe.

• Lower back pain. Backaches are among the most common pregnancy complaints, especially from the halfway point of your pregnancy onward. This is due to your growing uterus and the hormonal changes going on in your body. As your centre of gravity shifts, your expanding uterus strains your back muscles. You can take some measures to ease back pain, such as doing exercises that stretch and strengthen back muscles, wearing abdominal support garments, and using heating pads to soothe sore muscles.

• Congestion and nosebleeds. Around 19 weeks of pregnancy, you may find yourself reaching for the tissues with a stuffy or runny nose. Your hormone levels have increased, and your body is making extra blood, which can cause the mucous membranes in your nose to swell up, causing congestion and maybe even nosebleeds. Try using saline nasal drops or a humidifier in your home for some relief.

• Dizziness. You may feel faint, dizzy, or lightheaded at this stage of your pregnancy. Lie down if you’re feeling faint, and stay hydrated.

19 Weeks Pregnant: Things to Consider

• Get moving. Exercise is beneficial for you and your baby; however, it's important not to overdo it. Walking, swimming, and even yoga or Pilates are great choices during pregnancy. When you’re 19 weeks pregnant, it’s a good time to work on strengthening those back muscles, and exercise in general can help reduce your stress levels, too. Talk to your healthcare provider about finding the right form of exercise during your pregnancy.

• As your bump gets bigger, you may find it’s getting in the way of a good night’s rest. Sleeping on your back from the second trimester onward puts weight on your spine and back muscles, and it can also compress major blood vessels, which can leave you feeling dizzy. Try to sleep on your side with both legs bent, and place a pillow between your knees. You can also put a pillow under your belly. If you wake up in the middle of the night on your back, just go back to sleeping on your side. Learn more about sleeping while pregnant throughout the trimesters.

• Connecting with other moms-to-be or parents of young children in your local area or online may help you feel more prepared for what’s to come. You may be able to find relevant groups on social media, or ask your healthcare provider or midwife for pointers on where parental support groups might meet.

• If you’ll be having a baby shower in the third trimester, it’s time to get your shower registry organized! This is because the host of your shower will need the details to include in the invitations, and the invitations will need to be sent out well in advance to give guests enough time to set aside the date and buy a gift.

• Use this time to think about what baby gear you’ll need and to shop around so that you know which specific products you’d like (whether it’s to register for, or to buy yourself). Ask other parents for advice and look at product reviews. Keep in mind, you may not really need everything that is advertised as being helpful during the newborn phase. Now is a good time to ask other parents for their tips on things you can easily go without.

19 Weeks Pregnant: Ask Your Doctor

• What is your baby’s approximate size and position now that you are 19 weeks pregnant?

• What precautions do you need to take when exercising at this point in your pregnancy?

• Will you have an ultrasound scheduled at 19 weeks pregnant?

• Is amniocentesis recommended for you?

• What could be the cause of uncomfortable symptoms like severe back pain, abdominal pain, painful urination, or fever?

• Is your weight gain on track for 19 weeks pregnant?

19 Weeks Pregnant: Your Checklist

• Download our pregnancy guide to learn more about what’s to come in your second trimester and beyond.

• Start your search for a pediatrician.

• Read some tips on getting better sleep while pregnant.

• See how much you’ve already done to prepare for your baby’s arrival with our preparedness quiz.

• Sign up for even more weekly pregnancy tips: