Your baby is now the size of a large tomato. She is 6 inches long and weighs almost 8 1/2 ounces now!
This is a very important time in terms of sensory development.
Inside your baby’s brain, certain areas are being specialized for
smell, touch, taste, hearing and vision.
Another big development in the last week, hair may finally be sprouting from his scalp.
By 19 weeks, the uterus is developed in the female and the testes
and penis are easily identifiable in males. It may also be time for
your ultrasound, so if you don't wish to know the sex of your baby, be
sure to make it clear to the ultrasound technician, to avoid any
unwanted information!
Mom
At this point, people can
probably tell that you are pregnant. It's important to remember that as
your body grows and makes room for your little one, you are also
producing much more blood for the both of you to use. This lowers your
blood pressure and standing up quickly may cause some dizziness or make
you feel lightheaded. This is called postural hypotension, yet another way your body reminds you to take it slower!
Your uterus can also
place pressure on two large vessels that supply blood to your body; the
aorta and the vena cava. When these vessels are compressed under the
pressure of your growing uterus, it slows the circulation of blood
throughout your body and can cause hypotension.
Feeling Dizzy? Lay on your side! Typically, you can relieve these symptoms by lying on your side and it doesn’t matter which side. Either side that you lay on will
relieve the pressure on those large vessels and increase the blood flow
back to your heart. You should be feeling better soon.