Pregnancy Facts - Week 20
What's happening in week 20 of pregnancy
Hurray! You've reached the midpoint of your pregnancy! 20 weeks down, 20 more to go.
Now that you're well into your second trimester, you're probably as energetic as your old pre-pregnancy self, just plus some pounds.
Your baby's development in week 20 of pregnancy
Your baby is feeling pretty good too. The womb is pretty spacious and the perfect place to do summersaults and turns. If you haven't felt your baby move yet, pay attention, this week may be it.
An important skill your baby is learning right now is how to swallow. This skill, along with thumb sucking, will be important when your baby first drinks from a breast or a bottle. Yes, your baby is actually learning things while in the womb.
Your baby is starting to produce something called meconium as part of a primitive digestive process. Meconium is a blackish, dark greenish sticky tar-like goop that is literally crap. If you didn't think sebum was delightful last week, you're not going to like this any better.
Meconium is made up waste floating in the amnionic fluid — dead skin cells, lanugo, mucus, poop, water, and amniotic fluid itself. It's stuff your baby ingests in the time spent in the womb. Luckily, it is normally held in the intestines of your baby until after birth, and not circulating in the fluid for your baby to snack on. There's already enough of that.
Those tastebuds that began forming in week 9, are connecting to the brain this week. All five senses, six if your baby's last name will be of the parents last name is Shyamalan, are now linked to the brain for sensory processing.
How big is your baby in week 20 of pregnancy
Your baby measures 6.5 inches (16.4 cm) and weighs 10.6 oz (300 g).
Music for your baby
Amazon Studies have shown that sounds played for babies in utero can be recognized by them after birth. While you take a pair of headphones and duct tape them to your belly and turn the volume up to 11, there are better ways. One is to use Belly Buds, which are specially designed belly speakers that stick to your belly and plays classical music, a loved one's voice, nursery rhymes, wahtever you want, at a safe volume.
The Belly Buds plug into anything with a headphone jack. There's even a second jack to allow you to listen along with your baby.
