15 Weeks Pregnant

Read about...

• Your Baby
• You
• 4th Month of Pregnancy Video
• Diary of a Daughter

Your Baby

The little one growing inside you can be compared to an apple at approximately 4 inches long and weighing 2½ ounces.

This baby is busy inside of you growing each day and making sure that everything will be ready for the big day that they meet you on the outside.

Although everything has been in place for some time, there are still many changes that go on behind the scenes.

If you were to peek inside, the blood vessels are now visible through the transparent skin.

The baby continues to grow lanugo, and continues to grow until around week 26. Even eyebrows and scalp hair is starting to become visible and the hair follicles start to produce pigmentation. That does not necessarily mean that a baby born with dark hair will remain dark or light hair will stay that way. For many babies, the hair color changes during the first year and can be entirely different from those first few months.

Bones continue to harden and the marrow of the skeletal system develops more each day that goes by. Now the baby�s legs have caught up to the rest of the body and are now longer than the arms. Swallowing amniotic fluid helps prepare the nose and upper respiratory tract as the primitive air sacs in the lungs still develop.

Your baby-to-be can now sense light even though the eyes are still fused shut. If you were to shine a flashlight on your belly, they are likely to move or turn away from it.

Thumb sucking may be noticed if you were to have an ultrasound now and if you are lucky, the gender of your new baby may be visible. With our third child I actually got a UL picture to take home of my son's gender already when 15 weeks pregnant ;-)

You

During this second trimester, your uterus is continuing to enlarge as it begins to move above your hipbones now. You may be able to feel it yourself about 3 or 4 inches below your navel.

Your medical practitioner will continuously measure this "fundal height", which is the distance from the top of your uterus to your pubic bone, to ensure that your baby is growing at a normal rate.

You may notice that you are about 5 pounds heavier now than before, and well on your way to gaining the weight you need to help your baby grow and thrive.

You probably need at least a new pair of trousers now or very soon.

A good place to find maternity clothes online is actually Amazon, which has a huge collection and good prices.

Other changes in your body can occur periodically or well throughout the pregnancy depending on your own body and hormones. Stuffed up noses or even nosebleeds can be just some of those irritating side effects of the increased blood flow to your mucus membranes.

Another could be headaches, but be sure to discuss any persistent symptoms with your medical caregiver as they may be a sign of something else that needs to be addressed.

Changes in your own hair and skin are common during pregnancy, especially the 2nd trimester. Some women find that their hair grows remarkably faster, and even thicker than ever before, while others find that their hair is more limp, thinner or can be dry or oily depending on your skin. Do not be alarmed. Your body is just dealing with all the necessary preparations for your new baby and you have the side effects to prove it.

4th Month of Pregnancy Video

If seeing is believing for you; watch this video explaining the fourth month of pregnancy in pictures and words.

Instructions: When watching the video clips, start the videos by clicking the small arrow down to the left, not the large one in the middle of the screen. If you're using Internet Explorer as your browser and the video doesn't start, try clicking twice on the small arrow.

Diary of a Daughter