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According to the obstetric method, week 19 corresponds to the third week of the fifth month of pregnancy. The main achievement of this period is that almost all women feel fetal movements. If this is not the case, do not worry – everything is individual, the appearance of the first movements before 22 weeks is considered the norm. It is important to provide the baby with maximum comfort – do not be nervous, walk more often in the fresh air, relax, and not try to redo all the homework at once.
What’s going on with mom?
This week you may feel a low level of hemoglobin in the blood. If the results of the tests confirmed such a violation, it is worth starting to take iron supplements. Weight grows, articular cartilage softens, preparing the pelvic bones for the upcoming birth. Due to the divergence of the joints, a woman feels pain in the lower back. To prevent hypodynamia, you should postpone your affairs every hour and walk or do a few simple exercises for 5-10 minutes. You should not sit for a long time if the chair does not have a back, it is also undesirable to take the “foot to foot” position.
The weight of a woman is gaining at a rapid pace, because of the growing belly, her posture and gait are changing. The movement of internal organs under the pressure of an enlarging uterus, especially the diaphragm, sometimes leads to a lack of air. Breathing exercises will help relieve fatigue, restore the rhythm of breathing.
Fetal development
The fetal brain is constantly growing and improving, its nerve cells are differentiating. The child gradually moves from chaotic and spontaneous movements to purposeful activity. Frequent movements and changes in the position of the fetus inside the uterus serve as a kind of training for the musculoskeletal system. The baby’s neck is already so strong that he turns his head with a significant amplitude.
In addition to the development of movements, nerve endings are formed that are responsible for the activity of the sense organs: taste, touch, hearing and vision. After 1-2 weeks, the development of retinal receptors will end, and the child will be able to raise and lower the eyelids, reacting to changes in lighting.
On the surface of his skin, the production of a lubricant began, which until the moment of birth will cover the body of the baby. The lubricant has a pearly gray hue, it has bactericidal properties, protecting the epidermis from microbes and the soaking action of the amniotic fluid. The entire fetus under lubrication is covered with vellus hair, which will disappear during the neonatal period.
Fetal parameters at week 19:
KTP (coccygeal-parietal size) – 15 cm;
Weight – 250 g.
The respiratory system of the fetus is continuously improving, at the 19th week a bronchial tree is formed with alveoli, bronchi, lungs, bronchioles. Its development will continue until almost the moment of birth. The urinary system of the child functions well – the volume of urine excreted in 1 hour by his kidneys is 2 ml.
Video about the prejudices associated with pregnancy, about the development of the baby’s respiratory system, about the first movements:
Multiple pregnancy
At this stage of pregnancy, the belly of the expectant mother of twins or twins is noticeably larger than that of women with a singleton pregnancy. Accordingly, she experiences more health problems – constipation, heartburn, frequent urination due to the pressure of the uterus on the stomach. It is especially necessary to wear a supporting bandage, a rich diet, and timely rest.
Pain prevention
Most often, abdominal pain is associated with ongoing stretching of the round ligaments of the uterus. They constantly withstand significant stress, which is aggravated by bending and intensive movements of the body. The nature of the pain is episodic, implicitly expressed. The condition does not require treatment.
With cramping pains of low intensity, the cause may be in the increased tone of the uterus. You should immediately lie down and relax as much as possible by taking a No-shpy tablet, using candles with Papaverine. If the state of uterine hypertonicity does not pass within 1-2 hours, you should seek emergency help.
The threat of miscarriage at the 19th week of pregnancy is minimal, however, spontaneous abortion can occur due to physical overstrain, severe stress, accident, abdominal injury, and fall. At the same time, severe pains in the lower abdomen with contractions and copious bleeding are felt. In some cases, the life of the child and the health of the mother depend on the timely visit to the doctor. If placental abruption has begun, uterine bleeding with high blood loss may occur. Therefore, do not ignore the appearance of pain and atypical discharge. With timely access to medical care, pregnancy can be saved.
Allocations – the norm and pathology
Normally, vaginal discharge at week 19 should be light, homogeneous, almost transparent, not too plentiful. They have a slightly perceptible sour-milk smell. A change in these parameters – the addition of an unpleasant odor, a change in color to yellow or green, the appearance of foamy, purulent or curdled inclusions – is a sign of infection of the vagina.
If sexually transmitted diseases have become the cause of pathological leucorrhoea, they should be immediately treated under the guidance of a dermatovenereologist.
The appearance of yellow-green plentiful whites in the form of pieces of cottage cheese with symptoms of itching and burning is a sign of candidiasis, or thrush. This fungal disease often appears in pregnant women due to a temporary decrease in immunity. Candidiasis is provoked by the frequent use of sweets, rich pastries made from wheat flour. Thrush is treated in both spouses at the same time in order to avoid relapses.
Mandatory tests at 19 weeks
Before visiting the gynecologist, which is carried out at this time on a monthly basis, a pregnant woman takes a mandatory urinalysis and a blood test for hemoglobin. At the doctor’s appointment, the midwife measures her blood pressure, weight, and the height of the uterus. The doctor listens to the fetal heartbeat, gives recommendations on nutrition.
US
A second routine ultrasound is usually done between 20 and 24 weeks, but may be scheduled 1 to 2 weeks earlier for medical reasons. The main purpose of the study is to assess the development of the fetus, the condition of the placenta and uterus. If genetic and chromosomal abnormalities are suspected, the doctor conducting the study evaluates the size of the nasal cartilage and the parameters of the collar zone of the fetus.
What can be determined during an ultrasound:
The state of the myometrium (the muscular layer of the uterus);
The location of the placenta, the danger of presentation;
Condition and volume of amniotic fluid;
The ratio of the size of the uterus and the fetus;
Assessment of the state of the internal organs and heartbeat of the child;
The gender of the baby.
Since the future baby already has a peculiar mode of sleep and wakefulness, during the study it is possible to catch him sleeping, or, conversely, actively frolicking in the amniotic fluid.
Weight dynamics
Weighing is recommended to be carried out weekly, at the same time of day, in the same clothes. Weight dynamics is an important parameter that allows you to assess the course of pregnancy. In the second trimester, weight gain averages 250-300 g per week. If you count from the first days of pregnancy, by the nineteenth week, the expectant mother should not gain more than 6,3 kg. Here, the individual characteristics of a woman are of great importance – the initial weight, the features of the constitution, the course of pregnancy.
Intimacy
While there is an opportunity for relaxation, it is worth allowing yourself a short romantic trip in the same climatic zone. Sexual relations at this stage of pregnancy are quite acceptable if there is no placenta previa and multiple pregnancy. Usually the doctor discusses the topic of sex individually with each patient, focusing on her condition.
Signs of a frozen pregnancy
If at this time no fetal movements are felt, the woman has suspicions that her pregnancy has stopped, froze. At week 19, a frozen pregnancy is extremely rare, but this possibility cannot be completely ruled out.
The main symptoms of pathology:
Stopping the movements that have begun;
Absence of signs of pregnancy – tension of the mammary glands, nausea, if the toxicosis dragged on);
Lack of fetal heartbeat (determined by the doctor during the examination);
The appearance of pain in the abdomen by the type of contractions;
Bloody, bloody, brown discharge;
Signs of infection are headache, fever.
At the first suspicion of pregnancy fading, you should consult a doctor to confirm the diagnosis. If the child dies, the fetal egg is immediately removed to avoid poisoning the woman’s body with decay products. She is undergoing anti-inflammatory therapy to prevent sepsis and pathologies of the reproductive organs.
The causes of pregnancy fading can be Rh-conflict, hormonal imbalance, the consequences of alcohol and drug use, congenital pathologies of fetal development.
Diet and vitamins
The filling of the menu during this period is carried out with one goal – to provide a pregnant woman with a complete set of proteins, trace elements, vitamins, and healthy fats. An excellent source of protein is lean beef and veal, nuts, rabbit meat, dairy products.
For calcium and iron to enter the body, it is recommended to include buckwheat and oatmeal, figs, dried apricots, persimmons, blueberries, tomato juice, eggs, greens, apples in the diet. Do not eat foods with food additives, with dyes and flavor substitutes. Spicy spices, smoked meats, pickles and marinades should be temporarily set aside. Sweets are also unhealthy, as they stimulate weight gain and provoke exacerbations of thrush.
To control body weight and at the same time not starve, it is better to eat often, in small portions. The best cooking methods are boiling and baking.