Baby at 19 Weeks Pregnant 🚼
Have you started talking to your baby yet? Because, well, he's listening! As early as 16 weeks, babies in utero can pick up sounds, and eventually, distinguish voices.
In a study by researchers at Columbia University, one-day-old newborns were given pacifiers connected to tape recorders; based on the babies’ sucking pattern, the pacis turned on either a tape of mama speaking or the voice of a stranger. Within 10 to 20 minutes, the babies began to adjust their sucking rate, indicating a clear preference for mama’s soothing tone.
I'll never forget when I first met my son Griffin and said hello, he promptly turned his head and looked at me. (As if to say, "Hey, I know you!")
Many of us imagine the womb as a quiet sanctuary where baby is isolated from the outside world. But the reality is quite different! Baby is hearing your heartbeat, your stomach growls, your digestion (oh my!)... even your lungs filling up with air.
So don’t feel weird about talking, singing, or reading directly to your stomach. In fact, I encourage you to. You can even get your partner involved and have him/her tell a sweet bedtime story to your little bambino each night.
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You at 19 Weeks Pregnant 🚺
With baby being the size of about a mango right now, you can imagine that your uterus is getting quite large! All of this growth can really S-T-R-E-T-C-H the supporting muscles, ligaments, and structures of your body... and you may be feeling it. Literally.
For some mamas, it will manifest as sciatica, or lower back pain and inflammation. For others, it may be round ligament pain, which feels like a sharp shooting pain down your groin. Or, if you feel that shooting pain vaginally, you may have lightning crotch (yes, this is a thing).
All those conditions are totally normal (and totally uncomfortable).
So what's a mama to do? Here are some ideas.
- Start with some targeted pelvic exercises
- Try taking a warm Epsom salt bath a few times a week
- Icing the lower back helps ease the pain for some mamas
- Keep your muscles warm and limber by staying active each day
If none of the that helps, it might be time to see a chiropractor. Seek out a chiro who's trained in the Webster technique. (You don't want the typical “snap, crackle, pop” adjustment when you're preggers.)
Even if you aren't having significant back pain, regular chiropractic care from a trained professional can help keep your pelvis balanced and open, not only reducing pain but perhaps helping your baby maintain a good position for birth. WOOT!
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