Your Body

In week 20 of your pregnancy, you have reached the half-way mark! Your energy levels are more or less back to normal, which gives you a feeling of well-being.

Your uterus is at the level of your belly button and pushes outwards. People begin to notice you are indeed pregnant, finally! The uterus reaches the level of the umbilicus and should now be approximately 180 to 220 mm. Your abdomen also expands and may start to itch a bit as stretching occurs. This is perfectly normal.

Your Baby

Your baby is now about 160 mm long from head to toe and weighs about 260 grams. If your baby was a fruit, it would be the size of a mango!

A greasy white substance called vernix caseosa coats the body to protect the skin during its long submersion in amniotic fluid. Your baby is producing meconium - a black, sticky substance that is the result of cell loss, digestive secretion and swallowed amniotic fluid. If you have a girl, the uterus is formed even as the vagina develops.

Your baby's heart has begun to beat, which you might be able to hear from your doctor's stethoscope. Though your baby shifts around often, you won't feel all the movements.

Common Complications

• If you are short or overweight, you may have some trouble taking deep breaths. Call your doctor if you exhibit signs of asthma or difficulty breathing at any time, especially during, or following, a cold or respiratory tract infection.

It is okay if…

• You start snoring for the first time in your life, thanks to hormones that cause your nasal passages to swell and partially block your airways.
  
  
• Your legs cramp enough to wake you out of a deep sleep. Ease the cramp by straightening your leg, heel first, and gently flexing your toes back toward your shins.
  
  
• You become hot and sweaty in the middle of the night. Strip down to your bare essentials!

Stay Fit

• Though you may never have to use what you have learnt, sign up for a first aid and infant CPR class. At least you will know what to do if an emergency arises!

Special Care Tips

• Sleep in clothes made from natural, breathable fibre such as cotton. Avoid synthetics, which trap moisture next to your skin and can leave you damp and chilled.