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

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

20th week of pregnancy - sensations

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

Now your waist is plump, and your stomach looks more like a ball. For some women, by this time the navel protrudes and is noticeable through clothing. In addition, the hips became fat, and the pelvis diverged due to the body’s preparation for childbirth. Due to possible swelling, the feet sometimes become enlarged. Sometimes women's vision may decrease due to pregnancy. But there is no need to be upset. This phenomenon is temporary and after childbirth everything should be restored.

The uterus continues to grow along with the fetus. Now its bottom is slightly below the navel. It constantly increases in size and puts pressure on nearby organs. Therefore, you often lack air, feel short of breath, and constantly want to go to the toilet. Some women may have constipation. Rapid weight gain can cause stretch marks to appear on the abdomen, thighs and breasts. To avoid this, try not to gain weight too quickly and keep your body skin moisturized. Special anti-stretch mark creams for pregnant women or regular olive oil are perfect for this.

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 can sometimes be bleeding from the nose, fainting and dizziness.

Now your child is often in an active state. He moves a lot, but you can’t 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 experience renewed sexual desire. This is definitely a joyful moment not only for you but also for your spouse. Usually around 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 gestosis increases. The development of this disease is facilitated by a large weight gain, severe swelling of the arms and legs, high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine.

Another unpleasant moment is the detachment of the placenta or its incorrect presentation. In this case, the pregnant woman may experience pain in the form of cramps in the lower abdomen and bloody discharge. If you experience these symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately.

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 point, he is already behaving like a real child - playing with his limbs and umbilical cord, yawning, touching 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 there is no reason to worry yet. There is still half of the pregnancy ahead. During this time, the baby will have time to take the right position.
• By this period of pregnancy, the baby’s entire body is covered with a special lubricant that protects his skin from damage. The same substance will facilitate the passage of the baby through the birth canal during childbirth.
• The baby's eyelids are fully formed, eyelashes grow and his eyes open. Now he can distinguish light and reacts to his mother’s condition. He is still at rest most of the day, but he also spends some time in an active state.
• The baby's head gradually becomes covered with real hairs, and marigolds grow on the fingers.
• Almost all of the baby’s internal organs have formed. They will be improved in the future. Slowly, the child’s respiratory system begins to work.

20th week of pregnancy: photo of the fetus

At this stage, a routine ultrasound examination is usually carried out. As a result, his doctor will be able to determine which gender 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, etc.

During the study, the doctor assesses how correctly 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 in detail: the kidneys, stomach, heart, intestines and lungs are examined in detail. If the doctor notices any discrepancy, additional tests will be prescribed, for example, to rule out congenital heart disease.