20 WEEKS PREGNANT

• Here, the baby-to-be is curled up with his/her leg tucked in and the arms covering the face, which is turned away.
• The baby may look scrawny now, but developmentally the baby is right on track.
• The bones, visible in this 3-D image, are continuing to harden and develop.

At this time, your uterus is three times bigger than it was in the first few weeks of your pregnancy. Naturally, your baby bump is growing and the skin around it is stretching, leading to dryness and itchiness. Daily moisturization with ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter can help relieve this dryness and itchiness. Try Mylo Stretch Marks Cream that:

• Relieves Dry, Itchy Skin.
• Prevents & Fades Stretch Marks.
• Reduces Dark Spots & Wrinkles.

• Your little one now weighs about 300 grams and is approximately 10 inches tall. Up until this week, your baby was measured from crown to rump (the hind part of the body). This week onwards your baby will be measured from head to heel.
• As your baby is growing slowly and steadily, he/she might have taken up much room in the uterus now.
• This week marks another developmental milestone as your baby is now making the first of what will eventually become the first form of excretion - poop. This comes in the form of meconium.
• Meconium is a sticky and black-coloured result of digestion. Since your baby is swallowing more these days, his digestive system is also getting a thorough workout.
• Meconium is made up of digestive secretion, dead skin cells and the amniotic fluid that he has been swallowing.
• It will be stored up in the bowels and your baby will eventually take a dump once born. Some babies are also known to poop in the womb or during delivery.
• The hair on their head continues to grow along with itsy-bitsy nails. As the nose and ears continue to form, your baby's five senses have heightened too.
• All parts of your baby's body are highly developed by now. There are separate and defined chambers of the heart, the brain's hemispheres have also formed properly and so have the kidneys.

• Protruding belly button : Your belly button and the top of the uterus are probably in the same plane by now. Well, you can relax, it is going to go back once you deliver.
• Headache : There is a progressive increase in blood volume during pregnancy, from 6-8 weeks onwards, and this continues till 32-34 weeks. Along with raging hormones, increased blood volume gives way to frequent headaches. There are other reasons for head aches, such as fatigue, mood swings, nose congestion, increased appetite, etc.
• Edema : You can place the blame for the swelling on water retention. You may notice that with every hour, the swelling probably becomes worse, and you may find evenings difficult to handle. Put your feet up and relax. Your body is just telling you to go easy.
• Hair and nail growth : You may notice that your nails are growing more than normal, and they are probably softer too. Your hair may be thicker and luscious than usual as well. The reason remains the same - high production of pregnancy hormones. You may also notice hair growth on parts where you have never had them! This goes away within a few months after giving birth though.

• You may have put on a few kilograms here and there and the top of your uterus is now at the same level as your navel.
• Your womb is three times bigger than the first time you found out that you were pregnant.
• Your lower abdomen may start hurting every now and then, but it is nothing to be alarmed about.
• While on the topic of weight gain, we hope that your diet includes a regular dose of iron and calcium-rich food such as lentils, leafy vegetables, lean meat and fortified cereals.
• Be regular with your vitamin supplements as well.