Your Baby Development: 19 Weeks Old

How big is your baby?
This week your baby will be weighing around 14 1/4 pounds and measuring 25 inches if he/she was of average size at birth.

Your baby will be a lot more active now, and he/she will reach out to grab anything. Because baby is now so active it may be a good time to put away the infant carrier away, as he/she is just to mobile to be left in the carrier on his/her own. The seat can still be used for feedings.

Just about everything baby gets hold of will go straight into his/her mouth, this is purely in order to try and learn more about the object. He/She will explore the texture and shape with his/her lips and tongue. So keep a close eyes as to what he/she puts in his/her mouth.

Your baby will also start to put more 'words' together, and he/she may put some consonants together, such as "da" into "da-da". Responding positively to his/her efforts and he/she may repeat them more often.

When you interact with baby, label or name various objects by pointing to them, Point out eyes, nose, ears etc.

You be alarmed to she that baby has found his/her genitals. Don't be alarmed. This is a natural way of exploring his/her own body, just as he/she explores his/her hands and feet.

Because the area is usually covered with a diaper, this makes the area all the more new and interesting. Don't convey this as unacceptable, and use the correct names for the body parts.

Baby Development Milestones This Week

Baby Care

Impetigo
Impetigo is an inflammatory bacterial infection that affects the skin, most often around the mouth and nose. It is highly contagious, and some symptoms include:

• A red rash with lots of small blisters
• Some blisters and pus
• Yellow crusts when blisters have popped
• A low grade fever

If you think that your baby may have impetigo, call your pediatrician, as it is highly contagious.

Coughing
Coughing can occur at any time, and can either by a dry hacking cough or a wet cough which produces mucus. A cough often implies that there may be a viral infection or a cold.

If your baby coughs more than occasionally, use a cool mist humidifier, this will help relieve the dryness often associated with coughing. Be sure to direct the humidifiers so that the mist does not dampen the bedding, or blow directly onto baby.

You should call your pediatrician if any of the following are evident:

• Difficulty in breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Irritability
• Decreased appetite
• Difficulty eating
• Wheezing
• Coughing persists.

Toys and Play

. To encourage baby's efforts at talking, imitate sounds he/she makes when she babbles. Hold baby facing you in your lap, let him/her babble. When he/she stops for a break, repeat one group of syllables, such as "da-da-da". He/She will probably listen closely, and then try and repeat the sound.