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Fetal development: The 2nd trimester

Week 19: Baby develops protective coating

Nineteen weeks into your pregnancy, or 17 weeks after conception, growth slows.

A greasy, cheeselike coating called vernix caseosa begins to cover your baby. The vernix caseosa helps protect your baby's delicate skin from abrasions, chapping and hardening that can result from exposure to amniotic fluid.

For girls, the uterus and vaginal canal are forming.