The hands can now be easily brought up to the face and the baby's neck has lengthened, which will enable him to flex it and make side-to-side movements. The baby's ear and eye are clearly visible.
Your baby will rely to a great extent on his senses inside the uterus (and once he's born) and key development is taking place now.
The ears continue to move up toward their final destination, but your baby can't hear at this stage. Hearing requires the middle and inner ear to structurally mature and the inner ear to complete nerve connections to the brain. Hearing will, however, be one of the first senses to develop and can be tested by seeing if the baby responds to the sound waves that reach him in the uterus. Judging when taste is established is harder, but taste buds have started to appear on the tongue.
Your baby's eyes have a lens and early retina but even if the eyelids were open the eyes would not yet be able to see light signals. The lens is solid and the optic nerve is not yet responding to signals from the retina.
More signs of bodily movement appear but although your baby is quite active he is too light for you to feel the kicks. But you'll be fully aware of him in about two months (see You are 19 Weeks and 3 Days).
Smoothies are a simple way to stay hydrated, and at the same time obtain some nutrients. The basic recipe for making smoothies includes frozen fruit, a banana, yogurt, and juice to help blend it. Here are a few ideas:
If you experience vaginal bleeding during exercise with or without cramping, stop immediately and seek medical advice. It's unlikely that exercise is the cause, but you should be checked before doing any more exercise.
Bleeding in the first trimester may be due to a number of issues completely unrelated to exercise, but it's important to rule out any problems at the outset. Once you have the all-clear from your doctor, you can begin exercising again.
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