The fifth month of pregnancy

When does the fifth month start?

The fifth month of pregnancy begins in the 18th week of pregnancy and ends at the end of the 22nd week. Either at the 20th week of amenorrhea and until the end of the 24th week of amenorrhea (SA). Because, remember, we must add two weeks to the calculation of the stage of pregnancy in weeks of pregnancy (SG) to obtain the stage in weeks of amenorrhea (absence of periods).

18th week of pregnancy: when the belly is deformed according to the movements of the fetus

Today is sure: these little bubbles that seemed to burst in our abdomen are indeed the effect of our baby who moves! To us the impromptu kicks and the belly deformed according to its movements! The multiplication of nerve cells ends: Baby already has 12 to 14 billion connections! His muscles are getting stronger every day. His fingerprints are now visible, and his fingernails are starting to form. Our baby is now 20 inches from head to heels, and weighs 240 grams. On our side, the temperature of our body rises because of our thyroid gland which is more active. We sweat more with feelings of heat.

5 months pregnant: the 19th week

Most of the time, apart from any glare, you feel really good. We are only more quickly out of breath. Idea: practice breathing exercises regularly and now that will be very useful for childbirth. Our baby, who suddenly gained nearly 100 grams in a week, spends 16 to 20 p.m. a day sleeping. He is already going through phases of deep sleep and light sleep. During his waking phases, he fidgets and practices opening and closing his fist: he is able to join his hands or catch his feet! The sucking reflex is already present, and his mouth comes alive as an exercise.

5th month of pregnancy: the 20th week (22 weeks)

From now on, our baby’s fully formed brain will grow 90 grams per month until birth. Our child now measures 22,5 cm from head to heels, and weighs 385 grams. It swims in more than 500 cm3 of amniotic fluid. If our baby is a little girl, her vagina is forming and her ovaries have already produced 6 million primitive sex cells! On our side, we pay attention to do not overeat! We remember: you have to eat twice as much, not twice as much! Due to the increase in our blood mass, our heavy legs may cause us pain, and we feel in the limbs “impatience”: we think of sleeping with the legs slightly raised, and we avoid hot showers.

5 months pregnant: the 21th week

On the ultrasound, we might be lucky enough to see Baby suck his thumb! His breathing movements are more and more frequent, and can also be seen clearly on ultrasound. Down, hair and nails continue to grow. The placenta is completely made up. Our baby now weighs 440 grams for 24 cm from head to heels. On our side, we can be embarrassed by bleeding from the nose or gums, also a consequence of the increase in our blood mass. We are wary of varicose veins, and if we are constipated, we drink a lot to avoid any additional risk of hemorrhoids. Our uterus continues to grow: uterine height (Hu) is 20 cm.

5 months of pregnancy: the 22nd week (24 weeks)

This week, we will sometimes have the impression to feel weaker, to feel dizziness or faintness. The reason for this is our increased blood flow and our decreasing blood pressure. Our kidneys are also heavily strained and have increased in size to cope with the extra work. If we have not yet started exercises to prepare our perineum, it is time to do it!

Boy or girl, the verdict (if you want!)

Our baby is 26 cm from head to heels, and now weighs 500 grams. His skin thickens, but still remains wrinkled because he has no fat yet. Her eyes, still closed, now have lashes, and her eyebrows are clearly defined. If we asked the question on the day of the second ultrasound, we know if it’s a boy or a girl!

5 months pregnant: dizziness, back pain and other symptoms

It is not uncommon, during the fifth month of pregnancy, to suffer from positional dizziness when getting up a little too quickly or when moving from a sitting to standing position. Don’t worry, they usually come from increased blood volume (hypervolemia) and lower blood pressure.

On the other hand, if the dizziness occurs before meals, it may be hypoglycemia or gestational diabetes. If they are associated with great fatigue, pallor or shortness of breath at the slightest effort, it may also be anemia due to lack of iron (iron deficiency anemia). In any case, it is better to talk to your gynecologist or midwife if this dizziness is recurrent.

Likewise, back pain can appear, especially because the center of gravity has changed, and hormones tend to relax the ligaments. We immediately adopt the right gestures and the right postures to limit the pain: bend the knees to bend down, swap the heels for a pair of flat shoes that are easy to put on, etc.