Week 19 of your Pregnancy

If your baby is a girl, then by nineteen weeks she will already have eggs in her ovaries - the start of your grandchildren! Whether it's a boy or a girl, a baby at nineteen weeks is undergoing much brain development, with the areas of the brain that govern the senses becoming defined. Weighing a half pound or more, baby is probably about 6 inches long now from noggin to bottom. And there is hair beginning to grow on that little noggin, too.

If you have not felt movements yet, do not be alarmed. It will happen soon. If the baby is positioned so that he is facing your back, you may not feel the kicks as easily as if he is facing out toward the skin of your belly. If you feel any little flutters that you think are gas bubbles, those might be the baby making himself known.

Now is a good time to take stock of your prenatal diet. Are you eating plenty of high quality protein? How about veggies? It is a great idea simply to try to eat a fresh salad every day. It doesn't have to be huge or filled with exotic greens, just fresh and raw. If you don't like salads because they are cold, it is OK to slip them in the microwave for 20 or 30 seconds to take the chill off. Some women find that it makes a salad much gentler on sensitive pregnant teeth to warm it just a little.

Overall, you should not be "eating for two" but merely eating about 300 more calories per day than you did before. The important thing is that those foods be nutritious and not just empty calories. A healthy weight gain for the entire nine months can very widely from one woman to another, but in general it should be about 25-35 pounds if you are of average weight to begin with. That may sound like a lot for an 8 pound baby, but you will also be gaining 6 or 7 pounds of extra blood and fluid, 4 or 5 pounds of increased breast and uterine tissue, and the placenta will eventually weigh a pound and a half. It is normal to put on 8 pounds or so of fat stores, but remember that if you nurse your baby, you will be burning many extra calories during the baby's first months.

Some women get leg cramps during the middle and late part of pregnancy. Doctors are undecided about what causes them, but some people feel it could be a shortage of calcium. Gentle exercise during the day can help legs cramp less at night, and can help you sleep, as well as keeping the entire system fit and toned.