19 Weeks Pregnant

How my baby's growing:

My baby's sensory development is exploding! His brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that he may be able to hear my voice now, so we're not to be shy about reading aloud, talking to him, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes us.

Our baby weighs about 11 ounces ( a little ahead of schedule growth wise - I think he's going to be a big baby, thanks to my wonderful husband!) His arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of his body now. His kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on his scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on his skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

How my life's changing:

I feel big now! However, I'll start growing even faster in the weeks to come. As a result, I've already begun to notice some achiness in my lower abdomen or even an occasional brief, stabbing pain on one or both sides — especially when I shift position or at the end of an active day. Most likely, this is round ligament pain. The ligaments that support my uterus are stretching to accommodate its increasing weight.