Your Pregnancy: Week 19

Those nasty leg cramps are probably making it tough to get comfortable. One way to ease the pain: Extend your leg and flex your ankle and toes toward your knees. Or enlist your partner for a calf (and back!) massage. Good news: Your now-bulging belly should get you a little more compassion from everyone around you.

> Found a good pediatrician yet?
> Can cleaning products harm baby?
> Working mom or SAHM?
> See all second trimester Q&As

Baby's now the size of a mango!
Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil, and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature.

To-do:
> Research cord blood banking
> Reminder: Sign up for childbirth class
> Go to your checklist

[ tip ] Exercise is a must, but your lung capacity ain't what it used to be. Since you've got less oxygen available during pregnancy, take your workouts down a notch or two.

> Chat with other moms-to-be who share your due date

> Read more about being 19 weeks pregnant

All medical information reviewed by Dr. Geeta K. Swamy, Duke University Medical Center OB/GYN Department

Apr 24, 2009