Contents
Baby side
Our baby is about 25 centimeters from head to tailbone and weighs 400 grams.
Baby’s development during the 20th week of pregnancy
Girl or boy ? We must have heard everything and its opposite on the subject, especially according to the shape of our belly. No more gossip: this week, the baby’s gender is clearly visible on the ultrasound. During this session, we also see that he frequently directs his thumb towards his mouth. It is the repetition of movements that gradually allows nerve connections to be established. His brain is now fully formed. It will grow about 90 grams per month, until birth. Our baby’s muscles are also more and more vigorous and his senses continue to refine.
The 20th week on the part of the pregnant woman
Since the beginning of pregnancy, our blood volume has continued to increase, and reached at this stage 20% more. In reality, it is the plasma (the liquid) of the blood which increases, and this dilutes it. Result: the iron level, diluted, has never been so low as this week. This phenomenon is called “physiological anemia of pregnancy”. This is why an iron prescription is almost systematic during pregnancy. If you feel very tired, you don’t hesitate to consult your doctor.
We don’t worry if …
Seeing your baby on an ultrasound is most often emotional, but it can also be a little scary at times. Doctors insist that this exam is more of a medical appointment than a family one. Also, it is better to avoid going to ultrasounds with your other children. On the other hand, this is the last time that the baby is visible in its entirety, afterwards it will be too imposing. If our companion has to attend only one ultrasound, it would be this one. We can also, if we wish, learn the sex of our future baby, provided that he wants to put himself in the right position!
Our memo
This week is the ideal period to have the second so-called morphological ultrasound. After observing the fetus globally, the sonographer examines the organs one by one and checks for abnormalities. He also takes different measurements (head, abdomen, etc.) of the baby.