5 Months Pregnant: Symptoms, Baby’s Growth, and Nutritional Tips
Congratulations! You are halfway through your journey at 5 months pregnant. There are a lot of physical and emotional changes happening at this time. 5-months pregnant belly size is also well-developed. Most mothers feel happier as they grow closer to their babies.
All of this is very exciting, but it also comes with a lot of queries. Mothers are worried whether their pregnancy is going as it should. Worry not! This blog will tell you what you should expect, what the 5th-month pregnancy symptoms are, the growth of your baby, and more.
What Happens in 5th-Month Pregnancy?
The 5th month of pregnancy is between 18 to 22 weeks. During this time, your uterus is expanding to accommodate the growing baby. 5-months pregnant belly size is almost half of what it’s going to be at the end of the 9th month.
So, your organs are pushed upward in a cramped space. This can cause heartburn. Also, your bladder experiences some pressure and you might want to go pee pee more often.
This is a crucial time in terms of the development of the baby. Your doctor will probably suggest an anomaly scan. It is a sonography done to determine your baby’s growth and check for potential abnormalities.
Now, let’s look at the 5th-month pregnancy symptoms.
5th-Month Pregnancy Symptoms
Here are some of the common 5th-month pregnancy symptoms:
- Increased Appetite: As the baby grows, its nutritional demand increases. So, you will find yourself hungrier than ever. You might even feel like eating a variety of foods, especially sour and sweet.
- Increased Energy: You will find yourself more active than before. You will also experience strong, positive emotions.
- Growing Belly: As your baby’s size is growing, your belly size also increases. The exact size is difficult to say because it is different in different women.
- Backache: The growing baby bump creates extra pressure on the back muscles. Thus, you could experience back pain.
- Heartburn and Indigestion: Because the organs are pushed upwards by the growing uterus, you might experience heartburn, indigestion, and acidity.
- Frequent Urination: Your bladder experiences constant pressure as the size of your uterus increases. So, you might feel the need to pee more frequently.
5-Month Pregnancy Baby Development
You will notice some important developments in a 5-month pregnancy baby. These include:
- Growth Spurt: At 5-months pregnant, a baby is 14.6 to 29 cm in size and about 146 to 478 grams in weight.
- Hair Growth: Small, fine hair starts growing on the entire body of the baby. Hair also starts to grow on their head.
- Sensory Development: Your baby’s sensory development is fast progressing. They can hear sounds and sense light through the amniotic fluid.
- Movement: Many mothers start experiencing the movement of the baby around this time. They learn to move their limbs and suck on their fingers.
- Brain Development: New neural connections are constantly developing at this time in pregnancy. So, your baby becomes more active.
- Bone Strengthening: Bones that were still soft cartilage begin to harden. Their body starts developing a structure. That’s why this is the best time to do an anomaly scan.
This could be a right time to start short listing clothes and products for your baby. You should highly consider buying cotton clothes and high-quality diapers like Teddyy Premium Diaper Pants for your baby.
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5th-Month Pregnancy Diet Chart
Are you wondering – Is there a diet plan that could improve my health and my child’s development? Here is a detailed 5th-month pregnancy diet chart.
| Breakfast | Lunch | Evening Snacks | Dinner |
| Monday | |||
| Vegetable poha with almonds | Roti, dal, mixed vegetable curry | Fruit salad with curd | Spinach-paneer curry with rice |
| Tuesday | |||
| Oats porridge with nuts and seeds | Methi paratha with curd | Coconut water with dry fruits | Palak dal with roti and salad |
| Wednesday | |||
| Idli with sambar and coconut chutney | Brown rice with rajma curry | Vegetable soup with roasted chickpeas | Grilled fish with quinoa and vegetables |
| Thursday | |||
| Vegetable upma with coconut chutney | Vegetable pulao with raita | Roasted makhana with herbal tea | Baingan bharta with roti |
| Friday | |||
| Besan chilla with mint chutney | Moong dal khichdi with cucumber raita | Mixed nuts with dried fruits | Tofu stir-fry with brown rice |
| Saturday | |||
| Whole wheat toast with peanut butter | Spinach and paneer paratha with curd | Buttermilk with fruit salad | Dal tadka with jeera rice |
| Sunday | |||
| Ragi dosa with coconut chutney | Vegetable biryani with raita | Veggie sticks with hummus | Palak paneer with roti |
This 5th-month pregnancy diet chart is just a sample. You can adjust it to your likes and dietary preferences. It’s best to consult a nutritionist to better understand your dietary preferences.
Conclusion
5 months of pregnancy is a huge milestone. Your baby is gearing up to move around in the womb. You might even feel them responding to inputs like your movement and sounds around you. This is the time to take utmost care of yourself. Follow a proper diet and eat healthy nutrients. Buy loose-fitting clothes to accommodate your 5-months pregnant belly size. Most importantly, focus on preparing for the baby’s arrival.
5-month pregnancy baby starts to make minor movements. It will start sucking the fingers and toes at this stage. Some babies even respond to external stimuli, like noise.
Some women start to feel their baby’s movement at 5 months. With others, it could take some time, especially if this is your first pregnancy. Several women report a tingling feeling as one of their 5th-month pregnancy symptoms.
The 5th month of pregnancy usually starts at week 18 and ends at week 22.
It is possible to determine the gender of your baby with a sonography scan in the 5th month of pregnancy. However, it is illegal in India to determine the sex of your baby before it is born. So, even though the ultrasound shows the sex of your baby, the doctors won’t reveal it to you.
