Your Pregnancy Week 20
Baby
Your baby is now about the length of a banana. Can you believe it? She is now around 6 ½ inches long and weighs almost 10 1/2 ounces!
Your baby can also hear sounds. At 20 weeks, she can cover her ears with her hands if the sounds are too loud and she may even "jump" inside your womb if any sounds startle her.
She is also moving around a lot inside you. Remember, if this is your first pregnancy or if you have a larger frame, you may not yet feel these movements. If you haven’t felt anything yet, you should in the coming weeks. Many times, these first movements are described as a flutter, or may feel like bubbles or gas. If you can feel your baby moving and shifting inside of you this week, you may be becoming aware of her sleep cycles.
Mom
Congratulations! At 20 weeks, you’ve made it halfway through your pregnancy! Treat yourself. Do something special to commemorate this milestone in your incredible journey!
How are you feeling? – You’ve probably gained about 10 lbs so far. From this point on, you should expect to gain about a pound a week.
Keep in mind, if you started your pregnancy underweight, you may need to gain a bit more, and if you started overweight you may have to gain a bit less.
If you find yourself gaining too much weight...
- Eat a breakfast that includes fat, protein, and complex carbs. You will feel full longer.
- Keep healthy snacks with you and “graze” throughout the day instead of binging on the unhealthy snacks you might be craving. Some great snacks are baby carrots, walnuts, fresh fruit and almonds.
- Choose tasty alternatives to junk food. For example, have a bag of popcorn instead of a bag of potato chips, or some yogurt and granola instead of a bowl of ice cream.
Is getting out of bed a challenge?
If it isn’t hard yet, it will be! Follow these simple steps to make it a bit easier!
- Roll over to your side
- Tip yourself up, feet first!
- When your feet touch the floor, use your arms to push yourself to a seated position.
- Stand up!
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