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Week by Week

Week 20

Your baby is about 5 - 6 inches in length (crown-to-rump) and weighs close to 10 ounces. At this stage your baby will be sleeping and waking much as a new born would, about 6 hours awake and about 18 hours asleep. Your baby/s nervous system is still developing and his or her movements are still jerky and erratic.

This is a crucial time for your baby's sensory development because his or her sense of smell, taste, hearing, sight and touch are now undergoing specialized development in the brain. Your baby/s heartbeat is stronger and easier to detect, beating at a rate of 120- 160 beats per minute. More below:

You've made it halfway through your pregnancy (that is, if you go to full-term). Your abdomen is now quite distended due to your uterus having grown to become about even with your belly button. Your belly button may "pop out" as your uterus expands.

Your doctor or midwife has probably been measuring the level of your fundus (top of your uterus) with a tape measure. After this week, your belly should grow about 1cm each week. Your abdomen may start to itch a bit as stretching occurs. Try to avoid scratching your belly and apply lotion to help relieve the dryness that may be contributing to the itchiness.

You can feel your baby kicking more often and with greater intensity now. Your partner may be able to feel these movements around this time, although they will be very soft. You will notice more consistent movements after about the 28th week. You may begin to feel your baby get the hiccups around this time or in the near future. They feel like gentle rhythmic movements in your abdomen.

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