This week your baby weighs a little less than 100 grams. It's
still very small, but is moving around a lot when it's not
snoozing. Those eyes which have been positioned to the side of its
face are now better placed and where they should be. Small
breathing movements are clear on ultrasound at this stage; so are
sucking and swallowing actions. Practicing these complex skills
early on means that by the time your baby is born it will be more
adept at them and better able to support itself.
By the time you are 15 weeks pregnant, that new burst of energy
you've been looking forward to has probably kicked in. You could
find you are able to enjoy food as you normally do and look forward
to meal times instead of dreading them. Try to have a wide variety
of foods which will help your body stay healthy and support your
baby's growth as well. There is evidence to prove the
recommendations that during pregnancy, women should not restrict
their diets and eat foods with varying tastes and flavours. Doing
this has a positive effect on a baby's willingness to accept
different foods once they are introduced to solids. If their taste
buds are already "primed" to a wide variety of flavours via the
amniotic fluid, they tend to be more adventurous with their
eating.
nothing fits me!
You may be developing a bit of a tummy by now, or perhaps not.
You'll definitely be feeling pregnant and you could find your legs
and back are aching if you've been standing for a while. You're not
quite at the stage of walking with a waddle, but there may be a
small change to the way you normally walk.
Your sleeping habits could be changing too, as you need to
rearrange yourself in bed to find a more comfortable position to
lie in. If you've always been a tummy sleeper, you may be
discovering this is getting to be more difficult because your belly
gets in the way. Think about investing in a long pillow which you
can mould around your body and legs. These can be a great aid to
sleeping and you'll find you'll get your money's worth by the end
of your pregnancy.
your physical changes this week
- Don't be surprised if your shoes are feeling a little tight.
It's not your imagination. Progesterone, that all important
pregnancy hormone, is great for relaxing the ligaments in your
pelvis but that's not where its effects will end. You may find your
shoe size increases by at least a size by the end of your
pregnancy, perhaps even more.
- Pass the tissues. If you've never had a nose bleed, don't be
alarmed if you start having them now. All that venous engorgement
will make you more prone to the sniffles, nasal congestion and nose
bleeds. Nose bleeds usually stop on their own but it's important to
not panic and just sit quietly until they do.
- Notice your skin clearing up? Those pimples which took up
residence on your face are probably clearing and your skin isn't so
spotty. Keep up your usual cleansing and moisturising regime. You
may find your skin is more oily around now and you need to change
your moisturiser to suit.
- Your breasts may still be the biggest part of you currently.
It's as if a switch has been turned on making them more heavy,
sensitive and sore. If you're finding your usual bra size just
isn't big enough, get properly fitted for new maternity bras. They
are an essential wardrobe item during pregnancy.
your emotional changes this week
- Feeling all Mother Earth? That's not surprising. There's
something very grounding about the second trimester of pregnancy,
when you're awash with hormones and a sense of all being good with
the world. Enjoy this special time when it seems that not much can
phase you. Think about doing some yoga, massage, aqua aerobics or
Tai Chi. Connecting with your inner Chakra is a heap of fun, even
if you don't know what it looks like.
- You could find yourself preoccupied with peering at your tummy
at all times of the day and night, looking for any increase in
size. Sometimes you may be sure you're looking bigger, though other
times you might not. It really depends on what's happening behind
your uterus, not so much what's inside it. If your bowel is
distended with poo or gas, it will make your tummy stick out
more.
- The thought of your due date being so far away can make this
seem an endless time. Although you know there's all this activity
going on in your tummy, there's still not much to see and no end in
sight. Try to do something everyday which gives you pleasure and
isn't work or baby related. You still have your personality and
interests which need stimulation and can't be put on hold just
because you are pregnant.
your baby's changes this week
- Lots of arm and leg waving going on this week - your baby
really is doing the Australian Crawl! There's not much coordination
to it all though lots of splashing about and then long sleeps just
to recover. Wait a week or two and you'll be feeling the effects of
all that movement too.
- The three small bones in your baby's inner ear start forming
this week, so it will be able to hear you. Practice singing to it,
saying hello and generally building an emotional connection which
will last between you for life.
- Your baby's legs are now longer than its arms and its little
head isn't their biggest body part. Their body is becoming longer
and is not as flexed and curled up on itself.
hints for the week
- Drink lots of clean, fresh tap water every day. The fluoride in
it will help your baby's tooth formation and to build protective
enamel. It also helps to liquefy your saliva and keep you mentally
alert.
- Avoid getting a urinary tract infection if you can. This is a
common condition during pregnancy and though not a major problem,
can be more than a little irritating. Drink lots of water, after
weeing - wipe from the front to the back, not the reverse. Before
and after having sex, go to the toilet and empty your bladder. If
you have any problems with burning or scalding when you wee or it
just smells odd, check with your doctor.
- Cranberry juice has good protective qualities and is high in
Vitamin C as well. This is an important nutrient right now as it
helps your body absorb iron from food and supports the formation of
connective tissue in your baby.
- It's not too early to be thinking about baby names. You may
have some favourites which you've always loved, or this may be
something which has never occurred to you. Try the Huggies Baby Name
Tool, there are over 17,000 names to choose from.
Week 16 comes next.