20 Weeks Pregnant

Congratulations, you’re 20 weeks pregnant, which means you’re halfway through your pregnancy journey and will be meeting your baby in no time at all.

20 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you’re 20 weeks pregnant you’re in month 5 of pregnancy; only 4 more left!

Your baby at week 20 of your pregnancy

Your baby is becoming more and more active; you may notice this more during the evening and you may actually be able to see some of its movements when you are relaxed.

Vernix is still being produced and secreted on the skin and your baby is now busy producing meconium, the tarry black substance which will become the first bowel movement after birth.

Meconium is a harmless mixture of amniotic fluid, digestive secretions and dead skin cells, which accumulates in the baby’s bowels and is excreted in the first nappy.

Your baby is swallowing a lot now, which is good for the digestive system. Permanent second teeth are forming behind the milk teeth.

The genitals are now fully formed, so if your baby is a boy, his testicles have developed but they are still in the abdomen waiting for the scrotum to finish growing.

How big is my baby at 20 weeks pregnant?

Your baby is about the size of a banana 16.5 cm (head to bottom) 26cm (head to heel) and weighs around 300g...

Your body during week 20 of pregnancy

Pregnancy hormones

Your hair is likely to be thicker and glossier and it will grow faster than usual. But for some mums-to-be, pregnancy hormones can make their hair greasier than usual.

Your nails

You may notice that your nails are growing at a faster rate than usual – you can thank your pregnancy hormones for this one too!

A growing appetite

With the weeks of nausea and sickness hopefully behind you, you may notice that you’re feeling a lot hungrier than usual. But a handy tip is to eat little and often rather than big, bulky meals as this will help you keep indigestion and heartburn at bay. Also, keep in mind that you don’t need to eat for two while you’re pregnant so try to keep a balanced diet as much as you can.

Your 20 week pregnancy belly

Now that you are halfway through your pregnancy the top of your uterus is at the level of your navel and your abdomen is expanding outwards too. Your belly button may pop out and stay that way until after the birth.

Here are some photos of how our mums-to-be tummy looked at 20 weeks pregnant...

Katey

Michelle

Whitney

Please note that every woman's pregnancy tummy at 20 weeks will look different so you shouldn't compare yourself to others.

Week 20 pregnancy symptoms

• Increased appetite
• Heartburn
• Indigestion
• Headaches
• Tiredness
• Swollen and bleeding gums
• Nosebleeds
• Leg cramps
• Belly button changes – your innie may become an outie!

Tips to keep in mind now you’re 20 weeks pregnant

• Now is the time that you might think about childbirth classes for you and your partner. Your midwife or local maternity unit will be happy to help you with any information about the right kind of classes for you.
• Finding clothes that fit over your bump comfortably may be difficult now so, if you haven’t already bought some maternity wear, you may want to invest in a few basic items.
• Remember to do plenty of safe stretching before you exercise and only do safe exercise whilst you’re pregnant
• Think about your skincare routine and potentially move to oil-free products if your skin has changed slightly
• Oh and nuts are a GREAT pregnancy snack so if you like them, keep eating them!

Ami shares her experience and journey of pregnancy week 20

What to expect at 21 weeks pregnant...