BABYCENTRE UPDATES...19 WEEKS

Hello deqno!
19 weeks pregnant

Congratulations! You've hit the halfway mark in your pregnancy. You'll start growing even more rapidly in the weeks to come, so don't be surprised if you find yourself slowing down. If you feel the urge to indulge in an afternoon nap, go for it, if you can - you and your baby deserve it. Her hearing is developing, and she'll be getting used to the sound of your voice. Tiny teeth are also forming in her gums.

How your baby's growing

This is a crucial time for your baby's sensory development which takes place in specialised areas of the brain. The fetus measures around 6 inches / 15 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighs about 9 ounces / 240 grams. She has started to swallow amniotic fluid and her kidneys continue to make urine. Hair on the scalp is sprouting. If your baby is a girl, she has six million eggs in her ovaries... they'll dwindle to one million by the time she's born.

How your life's changing

Your uterus has grown well into your abdomen - the top of it probably reaches your belly button. From now on it will grow at about a centimetre per week. You may also notice some aching in your lower abdomen. It's nothing to be alarmed about - it's just the stretching of your muscles and ligaments supporting your bump. You may have felt the kicking and somersaulting of your growing baby. At times, you might find that she is so mobile that you can't sleep. The next 10 weeks or so will be your baby's busiest and most active time, until the womb gets too crowded.

Many pregnant women worry that they won't be able to cope with the pain of labour and childbirth. Some women consider an elective caesarean to avoid the problem completely, but this isn't necessarily a good idea as the risks with a caesarean delivery are much higher than with a normal delivery and there will still be pain involved, albeit after the birth. There are many effective forms of pain relief available. You could try some natural methods of pain relief first, which can help women cope with the pain of labour without any drugs at all. The more you find out about what is available or what you can try, the more in control you will feel and the less worried you will be.

Getting a good night's sleep when you're pregnant can be difficult, particularly if you have heartburn or indigestion. If that's the case then food will be the last thing on your mind, but some pregnant women wake up in the night with hunger pangs and have to have a midnight feast before they can get back to sleep. Another cause of disrupted nights may be your husband's elbow in your side because pregnancy can cause nasal congestion resulting in - yes, you guessed it - snoring.