Second trimester
19 weeks pregnant
The fetus is around the size of a mango. A waxy coating called vernix caseosa forms this week to protect the skin from months of amniotic fluid exposure.
Size of
mango
Length
15 cm
Weight
240 g
Your baby at 19 weeks
Vernix caseosa, a white waxy substance, coats the skin. Without it, prolonged immersion in amniotic fluid would damage the developing skin.
The brain is developing the regions responsible for the senses — smell, taste, hearing, vision and touch — in specialised areas.
Movements are becoming more coordinated, and the fetus has enough space to turn and stretch freely.
How you may be feeling
Many people start noticing a pattern to movement, often more in the evening or when resting. The uterus is around the level of the navel.
Hip and pelvic discomfort becomes more common as ligaments loosen under the influence of pregnancy hormones. Some people experience a sharp pain at the pubic joint.
Common symptoms around week 19
- A recognisable pattern of movement developing
- Hip and pelvic discomfort
- Round ligament pain
- Heartburn
- Dizziness on standing
Appointments and tests around now
If you have not had the anomaly scan, it is usually offered this week or next. This is also around when some systems offer a repeat check of haemoglobin.
What is normal, and what varies
Pelvic girdle pain is common and treatable. It is not something to simply endure — physiotherapy referral is routine and support belts help many people.
Worth doing this week
Ask about pelvic pain rather than enduring it
Pelvic girdle pain responds well to physiotherapy and support. Mentioning it early usually means a shorter wait for help.
Keep your knees together
Getting in and out of a car or bed with knees together puts far less strain on a loosened pelvis.
Eat smaller, more often, for heartburn
Large meals and lying down soon after eating both make reflux worse. Smaller meals and staying upright afterwards help.
Looking ahead
Next week is the halfway point, and the anomaly scan reveals a great deal.
Nearby weeks
Not sure which week you are in? The week tracker works it out from the first day of your last period, and the due date calculator gives you an estimated due date.