What is Happening This week - week 21

By now you can probably feel your baby move around. Enjoy it -- those butterfly flutters are one of the true joys of pregnancy. She's also giving her new digestive system a little practice by swallowing amniotic fluid, from which she absorbs nutrients and water. The unabsorbed matter continues into her bowel where it concentrates into meconium, the greenish black or light brown substance she'll pass the first few days after she's born.


I certainly do feel the baby moving around - every day it seems to get a little stronger and more often. She was almost hyperactive after I spent a long time on my feet at a recent wedding! I think she was asleep for quite a while and when I went to bed she had her own little party! She also danced her way through top of the pops last sunday!

Dan has not felt her move her yet - we have that to come. xx.

What will be examined at the 20 week scan?

What is examined at the 20 week scan?

Your baby's internal organs are examined in cross sectional views, or "slices" of your baby, which may be difficult — if not impossible — for you to make out! Bones will look white on the scan, fluid will be black and soft tissues will look grey and speckled.

The head
The head is usually examined first. A normal head is rugby-ball shaped with a mid-line separating the two halves of the brain which are surrounded by fluid. There is a dumb-bell shaped structure called the cerebellum (hindbrain) at the back of the head.

Spine and abdominal wall
The sonographer will check your baby's spine in both the long view and in cross section, moving through the neck and shoulders to the pelvis. She is making sure that all the vertebrae are in alignment, that the skin covers the spine at the back and the baby's abdominal wall covers all the internal organs at the front.

Heart and stomach
She will look at the heart, which should occupy a third of the chest and point to the left. The top two chambers, or "atria", and the bottom two chambers, or "ventricles", should be equal in size and the valves should open and close with each heartbeat. She will then look beneath the diaphragm to see the stomach, under the heart on the left side. Your baby swallows some of the amniotic fluid that it lies in; this can be seen in the stomach as a black bubble.

Kidneys and bladder
The two kidneys are either side of the spine, below the stomach and are usually quite hard to see. If the bladder is full, it's easy to see as a black bubble in the pelvis. If it is empty it should fill up during the scan — your baby has been weeing every half an hour or so for some months now!
Hands and feet
The long bones and position of hands and feet are examined; the fingers and toes are looked at but not counted.

Placenta, umbilical cord and amniotic fluid
The placenta may be on the front or the back wall of your womb, usually near the top (or fundus) so may be described as "fundal" on your scan report. Many are described as "low" because they reach down to or cover the neck of the womb (cervix). If your placenta is low, another scan will be arranged in the third trimester, by which time most placenta will have moved away from the cervix. (Read more about having a low-lying placenta.)
It is possible to count the three vessels in the umbilical cord but this may not be done routinely. There should be enough amniotic fluid surrounding the baby to allow it to move freely at this stage.

Officially in the Fifth Month now...

How your baby's growing:

This week, you officially begin your fifth month of pregnancy. Your baby may have reached 15 cm from crown to rump by now, and he can both feel and hear. Admittedly at the moment, all he can hear is your heartbeat and the flow of your digestive system but soon he'll be able to detect noise outside the womb and identify your voice.


How your life's changing: You're just a week away from the half-way mark (horray!!).


However, in the next few weeks you'll probably have an anomaly scan, to check your baby's organs. Seeing your baby curled up inside you — or kicking or rolling — is immensely moving so take your partner with you if you can (I just cant wait!!).


Bigger, more comfortable clothes are a must now. Treat yourself to a new pair of shoes also in a bigger size, your feet will swell along with your body, (I wondered why my work boots seemed tighter!!).

What is Happening This Week - Week 19

Me:

You will notice your baby being more and more active, and may even be able to see some of its movements (I haven't even felt it yet!!!). The growing uterus is pushing up against your lungs and pushing your tummy outward. Your navel may suddenly pop out and stay that way until after delivery.


Our Baby:
Sebum from the sebaceous glands mixes with skin cells and begins to form the protective vernix which clings to the lanugo all over the skin, especially on the hairier parts and in the creases.