20 weeks pregnant: Baby’s development, symptoms and top tips

We’ve reached the point in your pregnancy when we can finally measure the baby from head to foot, instead of head to bottom. This is because the baby is not so curled up as it was. At more than 25cm long, your baby is about the size of a banana and weighs around 300g.

If you’re carrying a girl, her vaginal canal will be developing, while her uterus is already fully formed and she has millions of tiny eggs inside her ovaries. How does it feel to have a uterus inside your uterus?

If your baby is a boy, his testes and penis have developed; just waiting on that scrotum.

In either case, if your baby is in the right position and you want to know, your sonographer should be able to tell you the baby’s sex.

Your baby is busy moving around in there. Some of the movements you might feel will be their little bodies punching, kicking and wriggling around. Others will be the feeling of the amniotic fluid rippling and swirling inside you. As you get more accustomed to your baby’s movements, it is the kicks, punches and wriggles you need to take note of, as that’s the best indicator of your baby’s wellbeing.

You should be offered another ultrasound scan around this week. This is sometimes called the ‘anomaly scan’ because the sonographer will be performing a detailed check of your baby to make sure everything's developing as it should. For you, however, it's mostly a wonderful chance to see some detailed pictures of your baby! Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you can't identify what's what on the screen. You might even be able to find out your baby’s sex, if you want to - though this will depend on the position your baby is in.

The 20-week scan is carried out in the same way as the 12-week scan. It’s a 2D scan, so you’ll see a side view of your baby and as well as an overall picture, the sonographer will also be zooming in on the baby’s bones, heart, brain, spinal cord, face, kidneys and abdomen. They’re looking to see that blood is flowing as it should, everything is in the right place, and developing normally. The scan checks for 11 rare conditions. It can be worrying, but for the majority of people the scan will confirm that everything is going well.

If there is anything of concern, you will be referred to a consultant who will talk you through what’s going on, and what it means for you and the baby. Sometimes, it’s not possible to get all the information needed – perhaps because of the baby’s position, or if the doctors want to give the baby a few more weeks to develop – and you may be invited to a follow-up scan.

Have you felt your baby move yet? It should happen in the next few weeks, if it hasn’t already. Week 20 is when they begin to move around more. Whether it feels like a soap bubble bursting on your belly or a butterfly flapping its wings, these gentle “kicks” in your womb are some of the most exciting moments of your pregnancy and will stay with you forever.

Increased vaginal discharge

From time-to-time, you’ll notice increased discharge from your vagina. This is your body’s way of “cleaning” the vagina – it’s especially important during pregnancy to keep the birth canal clean and free of bacteria. It does this by producing more fluids which “pick up” any pathogens in your vagina and thus transports them out of your body.

Your baby, meanwhile, is protected by the mucus plug, which is securely lodged at the entrance to your cervix and working hard to protect them from pathogens. There is still a chance that your vagina could suffer a bacterial imbalance and develop symptoms: in particular, pregnancy increases the risk of a fungal infection known as vaginal mycosis.

Your discharge should always be milky white or white and have a neutral smell. If either the colour or smell changes, it gets lumpy or it feels itchy, visit your doctor or midwife as soon as possible.

Aches and pains

These symptoms are caused by the increased workload for your muscles, tendons and skin, though you may not experience them for very long and they can vary in severity.

Good ways to minimise symptoms are to do regular exercises, lift and carry objects properly (when you have to), adopt a good posture and make sure you get the breaks you need during the day. Developing your core strength now will protect your back as you move through pregnancy and beyond, so if you have got time to go to Pilates or pregnancy yoga, it will pay dividends in the long-run.

Weight gain

Everyone gains weight when they’re pregnant. You’ll probably find your hips and bum expanding, as well as your belly and breasts. Stretch marks across your arms, thighs, bump and breasts are all totally normal. However, gaining too much weight can put you at risk of health problems, such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

To give you an idea of the ‘ideal’ weight gain throughout pregnancy, we have a weight chart that you can use to track your weight based on your pre-pregnancy BMI.

20-weeks pregnant with twins?

If you’re pregnant with twins, you’ll be given the same opportunity for a 20-week scan this week. Expect your scan to take longer, as your sonographer has two babies to scan.

Your pregnancy symptoms are likely to be a bit more intense than in a single-baby pregnancy, as your uterus is taking up more room and will already be at belly button height this week. That means less room for your bowel, bladder and stomach, so if you’re getting terrible indigestion, heartburn or constipation, that’s why. Try to stick to a healthy diet, drink plenty of fluids (and put up with the many, many trips to the loo) and eat little and often, rather than trying to digest large meals.

Things to ask the doctor

If you haven’t already had your whooping cough vaccine, now is a good time. The whooping cough vaccine is recommended between weeks 16 to 32. If you’re going in for a vaccine and you haven’t yet had a flu vaccine, you can have them both at the same time. Check with your GP surgery and get them booked in.

Sign up for perks and discounts

There are many companies out there offering discounts and freebies to pregnant women and new mums. Have a look around at the companies you’re interested in and see what’s on offer. For example, our HiPP Baby Club offers exclusive competitions and giveaways, discounts on HiPP products and partner brands, as well as advice from a team of experts that includes a midwife, nutritionist, pelvic health specialist, relationship counsellor and more.

Maternity leave and pay

In order to qualify for statutory maternity leave, you'll need to apply at least 15 weeks before your due date, so you might want to start thinking about it now. Ask your doctor or midwife for the certificate (MAT B1) that certifies you are pregnant - you'll need this for claiming benefits and maternity pay.

For more information about the maternity leave benefits you're entitled to, you can visit Direct Gov or Work Smart.

Stretch

Keeping active is so important, but so is stretching out those tired muscles and aching joints. Whether you work on your feet all day or have a desk job, you’ll need to release the kinks. Stretching can also be a really good mindful practice to relax you at the end of the day. Just 10 minutes a day will make a difference, though there are some stretches you might want to do at various points in the day when your back begins to ache.

If you go to YouTube and type in ’10-minute stretch second trimester’ you will get a whole host of options. You can choose the one that suits you best, or else cobble together your own routine based on what feels best to you.

Nutrition

If you’re feeling especially tired, or you’re experiencing heart palpitations, talk to your midwife – it could be a sign of anemia, which can be tested for with a simple blood test. Anemia is when your body isn’t producing enough red blood cells and could be a sign that you haven’t got enough iron in your diet. Iron supplements are available, but should only be taken on the advice of a health professional. 

Vitamin C makes iron easier to absorb, so some people take their iron supplements with a glass of orange juice to try and alleviate some of the side effects, which can include stomach pain and constipation.

You can also help your body produce more red blood cells by eating iron-rich foods, such as leafy greens like spinach and kale, seeds and nuts, red meat, pulses and others. See our guide to what to eat during pregnancy for more ideas.

What is the position of the baby in the womb at 20 weeks?

You can see for yourself at your 20-week scan! The baby won’t have settled into a single position at 20 weeks, as they’re not yet preparing for the birth. Your baby will swoop and turn, wriggle and somersault for the next few months.

How many months is 20 weeks pregnant?

At 20 weeks pregnant you are almost 5 months into your pregnancy.

How often should I feel baby move at 20 weeks?

At 20 weeks it’s still early days in terms of feeling movements and you might not have noticed a pattern yet. In fact, you might not have felt any movement at all yet. Counting kicks does become more important as you progress in your pregnancy, but you won’t realistically be able to do that for another few weeks yet.

Is a foetus fully developed at 20 weeks?

Not yet – though your baby is making great strides each week, they won’t be fully physically developed until it’s almost time to come out.

What does a 20-week pregnant belly feel like?

Your pregnant belly can feel surprisingly hard. You’ll notice sometimes it is harder than others, or harder in some places than others, in which case you might be feeling the baby in there! 

Got questions? At the HiPPBabyClub, we bring you real-world advice and support from HiPP parents, midwives, nutritionists and more. Join our Baby Club to find out more.