Day 137 of 280, second trimester
You are 19 weeks and 4 days
The foundations for your baby's teeth, both milk teeth and the permanent ones that follow, are already laid.
143 days until your due date
It's very rare for a baby to be born with teeth (a 1 in 3,000 chance), but the tooth buds are already in place in the jawbone.
All your baby's teeth, milk and permanent, start developing under the gums in the uterus. The milk tooth buds began forming at eight weeks, and by this week they've all formed.
The first milk teeth to harden as calcium builds up are the central incisors, and the last are the back molars, at around 19 weeks. The crown of each milk tooth isn't complete until after birth, and the roots aren't finished until your child is over three.
The buds for the permanent teeth form between 14 and 20 weeks. They lie deeper than the milk teeth, closer to the inner edge of the jaw, and stay dormant until the milk teeth fall out.
Your baby's milk teeth will start coming through at around six to eight months, with a full set by age 2½.
Good to know
Feeling flexible
Stretching should always be part of your fitness routine, and especially in pregnancy. Flexibility helps your muscles work efficiently, eases tightness, helps prevent cramps, and improves balance and posture. Combined with deep breathing, stretching can also help you feel confident and calm.
You can maintain or improve flexibility in pregnancy with safe stretches:
- Don't stretch further than feels comfortable, or you risk injuring ligaments and stressing joints.
- Stretch when your muscles are warm, at the end of a workout or after a warm bath.
- In the second and third trimesters, avoid any exercise, stretching or otherwise, that involves lying on your back for long periods.
Explainer
Calf stretch
To stretch your calf, lean against a solid support, keep your front leg bent, and straighten the other leg behind you for 20 seconds. Repeat with the other leg.
As a matter of fact
Alcohol and teeth
Fetal alcohol syndrome causes serious mouth and dental problems in the baby.
Smaller teeth with weak enamel are just one of its many unfortunate effects.
Appointments and key dates around now
- 20-week screening scanBetween 18 and 21 weeks
Read the full 19 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.