20th week of pregnancy: how the fetus develops and what happens in the body

Your pregnancy has reached its midpoint. Congratulations! Of course, as your belly grows, you experience more and more discomfort. But you can survive them, especially if you remember that a new long-awaited life is developing under your heart.

20 week of pregnancy - sensations

The twentieth week has come since the moment of conception. The body has fully adapted to pregnancy. It is no longer possible to hide a growing belly from strangers. Your state of mind has returned to normal, and your appearance has improved.

Now your waist is plump, and your belly looks more like a ball. In some women, the navel protrudes by this time and is noticeable through the clothes. In addition, the hips were plump, and the pelvis opened up due to the preparation of the body for childbirth. Due to possible edema, the feet are sometimes enlarged. Sometimes in women due to pregnancy, vision may decrease. But you shouldn't be upset. This phenomenon is temporary and after childbirth everything should be restored.

The uterus continues to grow with the fetus. Now its bottom is just below the navel. It constantly increases in size and puts pressure on the nearby organs. Therefore, you often do not have enough air, shortness of breath appears, you constantly want to go to the toilet. Some women may have constipation. Rapid weight gain can cause stretch marks on the abdomen, hips and breasts. To avoid this, try not to gain weight too quickly and keep your skin hydrated. For this, special creams against stretch marks for pregnant women or ordinary olive oil are perfect.

The increased volume of blood in the body can cause a slight decrease in working blood pressure, so now you may feel a little weak and fatigued. Because of this, there may sometimes be nosebleeds, fainting and dizziness.

Your child is often active now. He moves a lot, but you can not feel all of his movements. This is due to the fact that there is still a lot of space in the uterus. During this period, you experience an emotional upsurge. The reason for this lies in the successful completion of the first half of pregnancy. Many women have a renewed sex drive. This is definitely a joyous moment, not only for you, but also for your spouse. Usually, in the twentieth week sex safe. But it is better to play it safe and consult a doctor on this issue.

By the twentieth week, the risk of developing preeclampsia increases. The development of this disease is facilitated by a large weight gain, severe swelling of the hands and feet, high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.

Another unpleasant moment is the detachment of the placenta or its abnormal presentation. In this case, the pregnant woman may have pain in the form of cramps in the lower abdomen and bloody excretions... If you feel such symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor.

20th week of pregnancy - what happens to the baby

Your future baby is becoming more and more like a newborn baby every week. By this time, he already behaves like a real child - he plays with his limbs and umbilical cord, yawns, touches his face.

What else happens to the fetus:

• Now he has gained about 250 grams of weight and has grown to 16 centimeters.
• In most cases, by this time the child chooses a more comfortable position for himself and turns upside down. But if the ultrasound shows a different location of the fetus, then so far there is no reason for worry. There is still half of pregnancy ahead. During this time, the kid will have time to take the right position.
• By this period of pregnancy, the entire body of the baby is covered with a special lubricant that protects his skin from damage. The same substance during childbirth will facilitate the passage of the child through the birth canal.
• The crumbs completely form eyelids, cilia grow and he opens his eyes. Now he can distinguish light and reacts to the state of his mother. He is still at rest most of the day, but he also spends some time in an active state.
• The head of the child is gradually covered with real hairs, and marigolds grow on the fingers.
• Almost all of the baby's internal organs have formed. In the future, they will be improved. Slowly, the child's respiratory system begins to work.

20th week of pregnancy: photo of the fetus

At this stage, a routine examination is usually performed using ultrasound. As a result, his doctor will be able to determine which sex will be your child. Moreover, you can even look at your child yourself. To see it better, you can do a special three-dimensional ultrasound. Such a study will allow you to see the baby's face, his head, genitals and more.

In the course of the study, the doctor assesses how well the child is developing, whether he has deviations or any defects in development. The development of the internal organs of the fetus will be assessed without fail: the kidneys, stomach, heart, intestines and lungs are examined in detail. If the doctor notices any discrepancy, then additional research will be prescribed, for example, to exclude congenital heart disease.