20 weeks pregnant – Doubts? All you need to know!

We have reached a key week: the 20th week of pregnancy . It’s a very important week because it marks exactly halfway through your pregnancy, the equator of your baby’s pregnancy. The pregnancy is halfway through, and the expectant mother is starting to get to know the child through fetal movements, which are becoming more and more recognizable.

Changes in Baby at 20 Weeks of Pregnancy:

At 20 weeks of gestation (18 since fertilization) the baby measures 16 centimeters and about 350 grams. Your lungs begin to practice breathing exercises and your digestive system does the same by swallowing amniotic fluid. Your brain quickly develops areas for the senses and already has 30 billion neurons.

Fat begins to accumulate under the skin, which helps regulate body temperature, while the surface of the skin becomes covered in hair, which sheds after birth.

Until now, the size of the baby was measured from the head to the croup, as the legs were very close to the body, but from now on, measurements are taken from the crown to the feet. So, at 20 weeks, the baby measures between 22 and 25 centimeters.

It already has all its organs formed, but still immature, and the proportion between its limbs, head and body is similar to what it will have at birth.

He just has to keep enjoying the nicest, safest place you can have, Mommy’s belly, and keep growing. From now on, during the second half of the pregnancy, the baby will increase 10 times its weight and double in size.

Changes in the Mother at 20 Weeks of Pregnancy:

For the mother it is also an important week. The typical fears and discomforts of the first half of pregnancy are over and now she feels full of energy and desire to prepare for the baby’s arrival.

Don’t be surprised if you turn the house upside down. This is called nest syndrome or nest instinct and it is totally normal for this to happen to you. It’s an instinctive need to get everything in order before your baby is born.

You will certainly be looking forward to the week 20 ultrasound that will be done this week. If you still don’t know the sex of your baby, the ultrasound will almost certainly confirm it.

Sensations and External Factors at 20 Weeks of Pregnancy:

If people could not realize that you are pregnant, you can be sure that now this situation will change, because your belly is more evident. Enjoy, because the weight is not so uncomfortable and you can walk or do gentle and light exercise, which in addition to controlling weight gain very quickly at this stage will reduce pain. Enjoy every second of pregnancy, take lots of pictures, it’s a unique and inexplicable moment for women!

Congratulations! During the 20th week of pregnancy , you are at the midpoint. If you’ve recently found out the sex of the baby, your thoughts are full of expectations, are we right? Now, those baby names you have on a list are likely to end up as the baby’s real name and when you’re at a baby store, those little blue or pink outfits aren’t just adorable, they’re imperative.

And since you can now add clothes and other baby-related stuff to your wish list, 20 weeks pregnant is the time when your baby registration is likely to end as well. Happy shopping!

Symptoms at 20 Weeks of Pregnancy:

At 20 weeks pregnant, you probably feel pretty good. After all, you’re more energetic, your sex drive is high (as long as your partner is ready for that too, things are probably happening between the sheets). Of course, it wouldn’t be a pregnancy if you didn’t experience some annoying symptoms. Right now, bloating, heartburn , leg cramps and more are likely not to give you funny moments:

Vaginal discharge:

You can expect vaginal discharge to continue to increase until the end of your pregnancy. It just means your body tries to keep the area bacteria-free. But let your doctor know if the discharge is yellow, green, or smelly.

Cramps Again in the Legs:

Stretch regularly and drink plenty of water to prevent your legs from getting cramped.

Heartburn and/or Indigestion:

As the baby starts to fill up its digestive system, it may not function exactly like it did before pregnancy. Watch what you’re eating: acidic and spicy foods can cause stomach problems.

You Regain Energy:

Enjoy this energy (and libido) surging while it lasts, because you may feel more fatigued in the third trimester.

Swelling:

Don’t worry unless the swelling is sudden or severe. Mild swelling is normal and should go down after delivery. In the meantime, elevate your feet whenever you can.

Difficulty Breathing:

As your uterus expands, it pushes against your lungs, making you feel short of breath. This symptom may be more noticeable if you are 20 weeks pregnant with twins. Don’t try too hard, just stay seated and try to rest if you have trouble breathing.

20 Weeks of Pregnancy: Exams to be Performed:

The most important test they perform is second trimester ultrasound or morphological ultrasound . One of the most important.

Unlike week 12, which is usually pretty quick, this week 20 is a pretty long test.

The specialist will not only measure all parts of the baby, but will also look for abnormalities as he will look for every organ in the baby, measure and assess that his appearance is normal and that no malformations are appreciated.

It will also assess the placenta, its appearance and location are normal. If the placenta is placed too close to the cervix, it can become an anterior one, plugging the uterus outflow tract and preventing vaginal delivery.

Another important measurement in this ultrasound is the size of the cervix. This measure allows us to predict the possibility of having a risk of preterm birth.

The external genitalia are already fully formed and visualized, so it’s time to know with some confidence if we are expecting a boy or a girl. If you prefer to remain incognito let the doctor know before starting the test, but often asking if you want to know the sex before informing him is not about the notice.

Advice and Well-Being in the 20 Weeks of Pregnancy:

Have you already performed the gynecological control visit? At approximately 20 weeks gestation , the most important ultrasound of pregnancy is performed, the morphological ultrasound . In this ultrasound, the most important parameters that assess the morphology of the fetus, its good health and its normal development are analyzed. Also, if you can see it, morphological ultrasound can tell the sex of your future baby!

The anatomical anomaly or scanner, which looks in detail at how the baby’s main organs and body systems were developed – brain, spine, upper lip, heart, stomach and diaphragm; kidneys and bladder; abdominal wall; Baby limbs and umbilical cord, as well as analyzing the placenta and amniotic fluid volume. The placenta will be examined to make sure it is normal and not blocking the baby’s delivery, while the amniotic fluid is checked to make sure there is not too much or too little.

The analysis of the fifth month of pregnancy, in addition to the corresponding gynecological control and the aforementioned ultrasound provide blood tests, to look for anti-toxoplasmosis antibodies and doppler fluximetry, an ultrasound of the uterine arteries. At this 20th week of pregnancy , your baby has already started to have a visible size and you should not forget to fasten your seat belt correctly during your travels, as you already know that it is also mandatory during pregnancy.