What to Expect When You're Expecting What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Very often this is a different pattern from yours, so when you go to bed at night, the baby may wake up and start kicking. More than half have foods they really don’t like. 1.

Don't stop drinking fluids -- your body needs them -- but do cut down on caffeine (which stimulates your bladder), especially before bedtime. At this point, you’re eagerly anticipating having your baby in your arms. A tongue and tooth buds grow. Red blood cells are forming.

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By this time you’re most likely gaining a pound a week.

For most women, these weeks are enjoyable, with only small discomforts. As your baby grows bigger inside your womb, there are still lots of changes going on in your body. Lee, J. You can wear a panty liner if it makes you feel more comfortable, but don't use a tampon because it could put germs into your vagina. The hormones your body is making at this stage cause your joints to loosen. Inside the womb, your 20-week baby’s limbs have grown longer.

The first trimester is the earliest phase of pregnancy. Early in the pregnancy, light spotting may be a sign that the fertilized embryo has implanted in your uterus. All rights reserved.

For some pregnant women, nausea is mild. Listed below are some of the 20-week pregnant symptoms that you can expect: If you haven’t had it yet, you could be scheduled for your second-trimester ultrasound during this week. Welcome to your third trimester!

You probably won’t go back to your regular bra size until after your baby is finished nursing. Make your intimacy a priority, since late pregnancy and the postpartum period can be stressful for any couple. Nausea is usually worse in the morning (hence the name, "morning sickness"). If they’re not, different growth abnormalities will have to be ruled out.

The doctor will take a full medical history and talk to you about your lifestyle and health habits.

This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice. At 20 weeks pregnant, you’re near the end of your 5th month of pregnancy.

By now the face is slowly forming, and the eyes are more obvious and have some colour in them. Healthline Media does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Appetite, February 2002; vol 38:pp. You may also want to take folic acid supplements — they are important for fetal brain development. Congratulations, and welcome to your pregnancy!

Chest pain in pregnancy is quite common and not usually reason for concern. Decide when and how you’ll share your news. After you enter into your third trimester, your doctor will want to see you every 2 weeks until you’re 36 weeks pregnant . Schedule your 24-week appointment.

By now, those uncomfortable first trimester symptoms are long gone.

Some offices will even schedule your first appointment at 4 weeks pregnant. Your baby starts to look like a baby, with arms, legs, fingers, and toes.

Start taking a prenatal vitamin with at least 400 micrograms of folic acid to help your baby’s brain and spinal cord grow properly. What to expect at 20 weeks pregnant – checklist. Before you get pregnant. Your baby may begin to follow a pattern for waking and sleeping.

The latent phase of labor comes before the active labor stage.

At the first visit, your doctor will do several tests, like examining blood and urine.

This week, he/she is about 6.3 in (16 cm) from the top of the head to the coccyx and about 9.8 in (25 cm) from head to toe. Genitals start to grow, but it’s too early to tell by ultrasound whether you’re having a girl or a boy. If you’re carrying twins or more babies, their heads will be measured to make sure their heads are all a similar size. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. But you're probably also wondering what might be different this time around. That means that your baby’s skin will become more pigmented and less translucent in the coming weeks. Avoid any foods that make you sick to your stomach.

If you hadn’t been able to feel your baby’s movements before, week 20 of your pregnancy could change things. Do you want an obstetrician or a midwife? Your pregnancy (expected day of delivery) is calculated by adding 280 days (40 weeks) to the first day of your last menstrual period.

Here's how it may happen and how to keep them strong.

Nerves and muscles start working together. Here are just eight things to expect when you are 8 months pregnant. And the fetus begins developing at the time of conception. Use of this site is subject to our terms of use and privacy policy. Read on to learn more about what you can expect to happen with you and your baby-to-be every week of your pregnancy; each one brings new developments and milestones when you're expecting. Physical activity can also help. Your baby’s nervous system changes from an open neural tube to a brain and spinal cord. Too little can lead to anemia, which can make you even more tired. Deutchman, M. American Family Physician, June 1, 2009; vol 79: pp 985-992, pp 993-994. You may also want to know…, If you're wondering how to become a surrogate, we applaud you for your desire to help others.

Your 20-week baby has grown a lot, so their movements will become more obvious during this week. That causes your pregnant body to work harder at rest than your non-pregnant body did on the run.

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This educational content is not medical or diagnostic advice.

Figure out your finances.

Your doctor will see you once every four weeks to measure the baby’s growth, check the heartbeat, and perform blood or urine tests to make sure you and the baby are healthy.

Your Guide to the First Trimester of Pregnancy, Your Guide to the Second Trimester of Pregnancy, Your Guide to the Third Trimester of Pregnancy, reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts. What to expect at 20 weeks pregnant – checklist. Will you cut back on work?

© 2005-2020 Healthline Media a Red Ventures Company. Here are some of the common things that you can expect to be taking place when you are 5 months pregnant: You may develop nightmares. American Pregnancy Association: "Bleeding During Pregnancy.". More than 60% of pregnant women have food cravings. Baby's legs have almost straightened, so from now on, he/she will be measured from head to toe. Your Guide to a Pregnancy-Safe Skin Care Routine, Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT, Your Poop May Change During Pregnancy — Here’s How, Pregnancy Snacks for Your Cravings and Challenges. https://www.thebump.com/pregnancy-week-by-week/20-weeks-pregnant, 20 Weeks Pregnant: Symptoms, Tips, Baby Development. Now is a good time to begin birthing classes, if you’re planning on taking them. During pregnancy, your body produces more of the hormone progesterone. This is the final week of your first trimester!

Most babies born before this time can't live because their lungs and other vital organs aren't developed enough. It’s also a time when your body goes through lots of changes. It relaxes smooth muscles, like the ring of muscle in your lower esophagus, the tube that connects your mouth and stomach.

If you or the baby are at risk, labor may be induced using medication, or in an emergency situation doctors may perform a cesarean delivery.

Although you may not want a bowl of mint chip ice cream topped with dill pickles, as the old stereotype goes, your tastes can change while you're pregnant. Your 20-week ultrasound or “anomaly scan” will allow your doctor to look at the baby’s size, shape, heartbeat, and organs more clearly.

Nausea itself isn't anything to worry about, but if it’s severe or just won’t go away, it can affect the amount of nutrition your baby gets. To avoid the burn: Eat a few small meals throughout the day. You made it!

So, you're pregnant with your second child! You can expect one checkup every month up until you’re in your third trimester, then doctors usually want to start seeing you more frequently. You may need to change what kind of exercise you do, or ease up a little.

The size of your 20-week baby is comparable to a large banana or a grapefruit. By about 32 weeks the baby is usually lying with its head pointing downwards, ready for birth. If you haven’t already had your first doctor visit, you may be getting the first ultrasound and blood tests done during this week. Menu Bleeding.