Updated November 27, 2014.

Mother:

If you have not looked into childbirth classes, now is the time to do so. Childbirth education is a great way of informing yourself about pregnancy, labor and birth. There are many different types of classes available and many different types of teachers. Enroll now before the spaces are all gone! Today's classes generally offer topics to fit everyone's birth wishes.

Find a childbirth class that best fits your schedule.

Some classes meet for a few hours every week for several weeks, while other meet for an intense period of time over one or two days.

• 19 Week Belly Photos
• Talk to Other Moms
• Add Your Belly Photo

Baby:

This is an impressive week for growth! The baby will increase in weight to 8 ounces (227 grams)! If you are having a girl, her ovaries now contain primitive egg cells. Lanugo appears all over the baby's body. This fine hair will remain until birth draws nearer. Sometimes you can still see some on the baby's face and ears after birth.

Permanent teeth buds are forming behind the already formed milk teeth buds.

• 19 Week Ultrasounds
• See more about your baby in week 19.
• Add Your Ultrasound Photo

Dad/Partner:

Mom may start asking you if you feel the baby move. Invariably you either can't feel the baby yet or the baby quits moving as soon as you put your hand over it. This is very normal. Most people can't feel the baby move from the outside until around week 28.

Readers Share:

Now that you are nearing the end of your pregnancy, have you thought about what you are going to call the grandparents?

While grandma and grandpa are fairly common, there are plenty of others names to use for grandparents. There is mawmaw and pawpaw, nana and granddad, bubbye and zaidye. Some of these names herald from family tradition or personal preference. Some grandparent names come from whatever the new baby learns to say first. Are you having any conflicts? What names are you choosing to use?

Share Your Thoughts and Grandparent Names

Twin Tips:

Baby Nursery shopping is fun, and with twins it probably needs to be done a bit earlier. You will need about 1.5 times the clothing you'd need for one baby. Some mothers try to color code their children to help tell them apart.

Suggested Reading:

The Birth Book by Dr. William Sears
A superior reference book by a pediatrician and his wife. They have 8 children and lots of information with up-to-date medical references, in an unbiased manner.
Click Here to Order

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(Weights vary widely, talk to your practitioner if you have questions.)

_{Photo © C. Baker}

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