Each time period of pregnancy is a unique event, and the 19th week of pregnancy is no exception. At this stage of intrauterine life, quite important transformations take place in the baby's body. Many of the internal organs have already formed, while others continue their active development.
Musculoskeletal system
The bone structure undergoes significant changes. The small bones of the fruit become less fragile. The intensive development of bones leads to the fact that the child's arms and legs continue to lengthen.
The baby's muscles also undergo a number of changes. Their elasticity and stretch ability are improved. Such changes contribute to the fact that the number of possible movements of the fetus increases. The baby's motor activity is becoming more and more intense.
Babies can move, pushing off the walls of the uterus, they are also able to turn their heads. The latter is due to an increase in physiological mobility in the cervical spine.
The child bends and unbends the arms, can touch the umbilical cord or face with his fingers. If twins develop in the uterus, then at this time they, as a rule, begin to actively "study" each other.
Heart and blood vessels
The circulatory system of the fetus at 18-19 weeks has a number of interesting features. So, the little heart of a child is capable of pumping almost 30 liters of blood. In its structure, it completely resembles an adult and consists of four chambers. Active contraction of the heart muscle contributes to the fact that the baby has a real heartbeat.
Doctors determine the frequency of the heartbeat, since this indicator is extremely important. During pregnancy, the work of the baby's heart is evaluated many times. The obtained values of the heart rate (HR) of the fetus must be recorded in the medical documentation of a pregnant woman. This allows doctors to track the dynamics and draw conclusions about the well-being of the baby's intrauterine development.
The fetal heart rate should remain within normal limits. This indicates that the child's heart is functioning normally, and his body does not experience hypoxia - oxygen starvation of tissues and internal organs.
It is possible to determine the heart rate of a baby in this segment of his intrauterine life in different ways. The most accurate, perhaps, is the calculation of the heart rate during ultrasound examination.
Also, an obstetrician-gynecologist can determine this clinical indicator by listening to how the small heart of the fetus works with the help of a special device - a stethoscope. The best point for listening to the heart rate is selected individually. It largely depends on how the fetus is located in the mother's womb.
Often, the heart rate is heard near or below the navel. If a woman is carrying twins, then the heartbeat should be heard from each baby separately. Heart rate detection is an essential skill that every experienced obstetrician-gynecologist should master.
The frequency of the baby's heartbeat helps doctors to timely identify various pathologies of intrauterine development at the earliest stages of their formation. Each gestational age is characterized by its own fetal heart rate. For the 19th week of pregnancy, 140-160 beats per minute is considered normal.
Active changes at this stage begin to occur in the blood vessels. So, their diameter gradually increases, and hence the clearance. The veins and arteries of the fetus are perfectly visible through its thin and delicate skin.
Kidneys and urinary organs
Interesting changes are beginning to occur in the urinary system as well. The baby's kidneys are already formed, as are the main urinary tract.
The child, being in the amniotic fluid, can swallow it, and later - and excrete. This feature is not only very important for the development of the entire urine excretion system, but also leads to a regular renewal of the baby's "water" environment. So, amniotic fluid can change several times during the day.
Nervous system
The number of special contacts between the cells of the brain in the baby begins to increase. This contributes to the fact that the baby has the first unconditioned reflexes, and also significantly complicates the behavior.
The first bright emotional manifestations, as a rule, come to light during the ultrasound examination. The kid can already smile at his mother and doctor, frown a little or make a grimace. As a rule, such emotions evoke in future parents a lot of bright positive feelings. It is important to remember that the baby is not doing them on purpose. Some children turn away from the ultrasound probe during the ultrasound examination, so it is impossible to notice emotional manifestations in them.
It also happens that during an ultrasound scan, it seems as if the child is asleep. At the same time, he is in a calm state and does not make active movements.
During this period of pregnancy, the development of the spinal cord continues. This development contributes to the fact that the active movements of the baby are becoming more coordinated and ordered every day.
The first movements
The vigorous activity of the baby in the mother's belly and its already rather large size contribute to the fact that the expectant mother has the first sensations in her belly. This event for a woman is very touching and, as a rule, will be remembered for the rest of her life.
It is important to note that not all expectant mothers can feel their babies at this stage of pregnancy. It depends on many factors. Usually, quite active and mobile babies are pushed, while calm children may not cause any concern to their mother.
Each pregnancy is a unique experience. In this case, there is never an absolute similarity of symptoms. So, for example, during the first pregnancy, the baby begins to push at 18-19 weeks of pregnancy, and during the second - after 22. It is important to remember that this is a very individual feature that cannot be predicted in advance.
Body parameters
The size of the baby is a very important clinical sign; doctors who follow the development of a particular pregnancy must be guided by it. Growth and weight indicators of the baby allow specialists to track the intensity of his intrauterine development in the mother's womb.
Each period of pregnancy is characterized by certain norms. These clinical parameters are usually determined by ultrasound. The obtained values are reflected in the medical opinion of a specialist, which is issued to a pregnant woman after the test is completed. The main investigated parameters and their norms are reflected in the table below.
It often happens that after an ultrasound scan, a pregnant woman panics or begins to worry strongly about the fact that her baby weighs slightly less than it should be by this time. It should be noted right away that this is not worth doing. Baby's weight, like his height, is an individual parameter.... Not all children develop within the established age limits.
If the weight or height of the child is less than the values set for a given period, the doctor will definitely pay attention to this. After that, the intrauterine development of the fetus requires more careful observation. As a rule, the baby's weight returns to normal after a few weeks of pregnancy.
Location
The position of the child in the mother's belly can be very different. You can determine how the baby is located in the uterus using an ultrasound scan or a clinical obstetric examination.
It is important to remember that the position of the fetus during this period of its intrauterine life is usually unstable.
It often happens that an active and rather mobile fetus changes its position in the uterus. The child can be located in different ways. Doctors consider cephalic presentation one of the most functionally advantageous locations of the fetus in the uterus. In this case, the baby's head is located towards the inner os of the uterus.
The head presentation allows the fetus to move correctly along the birth canal during childbirth. In this case, the baby's head, which has the largest size for delivery, moves first, which is more correct, according to experts. After the head passes through the birth canal, the rest of the child's body is "born" much easier.
In addition to the normal head presentation, there are other, less advantageous fetal locations. So, the baby can have a transverse position in the uterus. In this case, his head is no longer located towards the internal uterine pharynx. In this case, the independent birth of a baby without any consequences is difficult.
Child's appearance
The configuration of the baby's body during this period of his intrauterine life changes somewhat. The child's torso becomes longer, and the arms and legs are also extended. The proportions of the head change somewhat. The kid already looks like a person, but only in miniature.
On the baby's face, the eyes are clearly distinguished, they look quite large. Outside, the eyes cover the eyelids. The crumbs already have short eyelashes and even eyebrows.
Almost the entire body of the fetus is covered with vernix. The secretion of sweat and sebaceous glands is directly involved in its formation. On the surface of the skin, it mixes with exfoliated skin cells, resulting in the formation of a special lubricant. This lubricant is very important for the baby, as it is necessary to protect him from the effects of multiple negative factors and microbes.
The child's nose and even chin contours are already clearly visible. The auricles are formed. The kid can already open and close his mouth. Also, the fetus has swallowing movements, due to which it swallows small portions of amniotic fluid.
A child already has his own unique pattern on his little fingers - experts call such a pattern fingerprints. There are small nails on each arm and leg.
Is it possible to find out the gender?
It is already possible to determine whether a boy or a girl will be born at this stage of pregnancy. This is because the main external genital organs of the fetus have already formed by the 19th week of pregnancy.
Future parents are often interested in the question of whether mistakes are possible in determining sex at this time. Errors and inaccuracies in establishing the floor are indeed still possible. - in many respects it depends on the experience and qualifications of the specialist who conducts the ultrasound.
About what happens to the fetus and the expectant mother at the 19th week of pregnancy, see the next video.
