Your dream child at 20th week
www.mydreamchild.com

Congrats! You almost reached the halfway point. Making it to 20 weeks probably feels pretty darn good. Your dream child’s growth starts to slow down now and he is approximately half the length of a full term baby. His fat is not yet laid down. His nervous system is more developed so he can coordinate her movements and is very active. He can grasp firmly, and can roll and turn!!!

Development


week20
  • Abdominal organs such as the stomach, liver and intestines are now fully encased in the abdominal cavity.
  • Your little one’s tooth buds for their milk teeth are now in place.
  • By now, on your ultrasound, their spine will also appear quite straight.
  • Areas of his brain are developing that are specific to the senses of taste, smell, hearing, sight and touch.
  • Her heartbeat is stronger and can be heard using a stethoscope.
  • He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

Appearance

your baby's the size of a banana!
Baby weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches. He is still got a lot of growing to do though. Your baby is thin and looks very delicate. His eyes seem large because his face has not yet rounded out, and his eyes can move from side to side, although his eyelids are closed. He has more hair on her head, and his eyelashes and eyebrows are taking shape. His legs are almost proportion with the rest of his body.

What is an ultra sound or sonography?

Ultrasound comes from a machine that creates an image of the inside of your body. It shows what your baby looks like while still inside your womb (uterus). The moving pictures from the ultrasound machine are like a movie. The pictures appear on a computer screen.


What is an ultrasound used for?

Depending on which stage of pregnancy they are done at, ultrasound scans can:

  • Check your baby heart work
  • Say whether you are pregnant with one baby or more
  • Detect an ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants outside of the womb, usually in the Fallopian tube.
  • Find out the cause of any bleeding you may be having
  • The anticipated date of birth
  • Assess the risk of Down's syndrome by measuring fluid at the back of your baby's neck at 11-14 weeks
  • Find out why a screening test was abnormal
  • Assist in performing diagnostic tests, such as CVS or amniocentesis safely by showing the position of the baby and placenta.
  • Examine your baby to see if all the organs have developed normally
  • Diagnose certain abnormalities, such as spina bifida
  • Assess the amount of amniotic fluid you have and locate the placenta.
  • Measure your baby's rate of growth over several ultrasounds.

Is ultrasound safe?

Ultrasound has been used on pregnant women for more than 30 years. Studies continue to make sure ultrasound is safe. So far, there is no reason to think that it harms mothers or babies. As with all medical tests, the benefits must always be greater than the risks.

My Dream Child websites and publications are for informational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health or the health of your child, you should always consult a doctor. Information in this email is intended for visitors from India. My Dream Child is responsible for published content according to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

© 2013-2014 My Dream Child.