Trimester 2 · week 20 of 40

20 weeks pregnant

Roughly halfway there. The baby is growing in length, movements are getting stronger and the anatomy scan is usually one of the big milestones of this stage.

Translated from the original Brazilian Portuguese content with the help of artificial intelligence. Read the original in Portuguese

Read about your current week or get ready for what comes next.

Visual reference: a banana. Not an individual clinical measurement.

Quick read

In 1 minute

Fetal anatomy is assessed in detail at the anatomy scan.
Movements usually become easier to recognize.
In Brazil, the Tdap vaccine (dTpa) is recommended from the 20th week of each pregnancy.

Fetal development

How your baby is doing this week

The baby already has well-defined arms, legs and facial features. The nervous system and the senses keep maturing. From this stage on, length measurements are usually taken from head to toe, and growth will be monitored with ultrasound curves and estimates.

3D artistic representation of fetal development at week 20 — Artistic 3D representation. This is not an ultrasound and does not represent your baby's individual development.

Body and routine

What may change in your body

The bump is more noticeable and the uterus rises in the abdomen. Heartburn, constipation, ligament pain, mild swelling and sleep changes may appear. Movements start to become part of the emotional routine of pregnancy.

Possible steps

Care for this week

Talk with your team about the Tdap vaccine and bringing your other vaccines up to date.
Use the anatomy scan to ask questions about the placenta, growth and anatomy, without trying to interpret the report on your own.
Keep up activity and a diet suited to your care plan.

Prenatal care focus

Brazil's 2026 vaccination schedule recommends one dose of Tdap from the 20th week of each pregnancy.
The second-trimester anatomy scan is an important assessment when indicated and available.

Twin pregnancy

If you're expecting twins

With twins, the growth and anatomy of each baby are assessed separately. The ultrasound plan varies according to chorionicity.

Support network

For those by your side

Help organize vaccinations, appointments and paperwork; these are small tasks that greatly ease the mental load.

Common questions

Questions for this week

Does the anatomy scan guarantee everything is fine?

It assesses many aspects of anatomy, but no test can rule out every possible condition.

If I feel little movement, is that a problem?

At this stage, perception still varies. Talk to your team if there's a significant change in the pattern you had already started to recognize.

When to seek care

Once movements have become familiar, a significant decrease in the pattern you notice should be evaluated without waiting until the next day.
After 20 weeks, a severe/persistent headache, vision changes, severe pain in the upper abdomen or sudden swelling deserve evaluation for a possible hypertensive condition.
Before term, regular contractions, increasing pelvic pressure or signs of labor need prompt advice.

In an emergency, go to the urgent care service in your area. This content does not replace a professional assessment.

Next · week 21

The next chapter

In week 21, movements get stronger and the baby starts to build up more fat.

See week 21

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Sources and transparency

Nilu editorial content, written from the official sources above. Individual clinical review of each week is in progress — this text is for information and does not replace your prenatal care.