For every woman, pregnancy is a different experience. While some women start showing greatly by now, others would still be able to hide their pregnancy using the right clothes. If you have been comparing the size of your bump to someone else’s, stop doing so immediately. A smaller bump does not necessarily means your baby is not growing properly.

How’s the Baby Doing ?

By week 19, your baby would almost be the size of a mango, measuring 6 inches in length and weighing about 8.5 ounces. Around this time, a protective white and greasy coating known as the vernix caseosa starts developing over the skin of the baby. The nerve cells of the baby would also start developing, forming the five senses of taste, hearing, sight, smell and touch.

The Symptoms

The symptoms you may experience during this week would include:

• Leg cramps (keep stretching your leg and flexing your toes)
• Hip pains (keep a pillow between your legs when sleeping to avoid them)
• Dizziness
• Pains and aches due to muscle stretches

What to Do ?

This is the ideal week to have your mid-pregnancy ultrasound. You can finally ask your ob-gyn whether it’s going to be a girl or a boy. You should also start looking for a pediatrician for your baby right about now and make an appointment with them. There are also some classes you need to sign up for – birthing classes if you have not started already, infant CPR classes and breastfeeding classes.