You have made it half way into the pregnancy since you are 20 weeks pregnant. When you measure the baby at 20 weeks pregnant you measure from the head to the feet and not the rump like before. The baby is six and a half inches from the head to the feet and weighs about ten and a half ounces at 20 weeks pregnant. The baby’s skin has made some huge developments at this stage and it begins to become less transparent with the depositing of fats beneath it.
The epidermis is also beginning to form along with the other layers of the skin. The baby is beginning to learn to breath and swallows the amniotic fluid very often. At 20 weeks pregnant the spinal cord of the baby is becoming straight and by the end of the week it will be straightened. When you have an ultra sound at this time you will be able to recognize all the vertebrae.
Another major development at 20 weeks pregnant for the baby is that all the baby’s internal organs are now encased in the abdominal cavity. The intestines, liver and stomach were left exposed outside the abdominal cavity where the umbilical cord is located. In the womb the baby requires an extra source of warmth which it gets through lanugos, which is the hair that forms on the baby’s skin.
This hair begins to develop at 20 weeks pregnant. This hair is usually shed when the baby is born but babies that are born prematurely are still covered with it. The baby’s activity in the uterus at 20 weeks pregnant is increasing and it is able to stretch its tiny little arms and legs, though these movements are usually reflex responses.
The baby’s tooth buds at 20 weeks pregnant are done forming below the gums. However they are not going to see any developed teeth until about eight months after it is born. As the mother to be, 20 weeks pregnant is a great accomplishment because you have made it through half the pregnancy and are only left with twenty more weeks to go. You should have gained about ten to fifteen pounds by this time.
Your uterus is almost reaching your belly button and it will pop out anytime, if it has not already popped out. You will be growing bigger each week that passes and you will start feeling heavier. You will also notice that you are getting tired quickly and cannot stand for long periods of time.
The main reason for feeling tired is usually due to the change in your center of gravity which rises as the baby moves above the pelvic region. You will also notice that when you stand for a long time you begin to feel faint due to blood flowing below to your feet. Ensure that you get breaks as often as possible and avoid putting on high heeled shoes.
