Pregnancy Week By Week

What to Expect in Week 15 of Your Pregnancy

Fifthteenth Week of Pregnancy: Week by Week

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The tiny little thing growing inside you cannot be termed better than a most favorite and lovable tenant of yours in your entire lifetime. Of the three trimesters, the second trimester is the most cherished period of every pregnant woman.

IN THIS ARTICLE

This is the period when you actually feel pregnant for real. Every week promises a certain development in your baby combined with a change in the functioning of your own organs. The 15th week of pregnancy belly is a bit larger than the earlier trimester too.

This is the third week of your second trimester. You will experience some of the signs of the first trimester like morning sickness, food aversions, insomnia, and metallic taste more so when you are carrying twins. Pregnancy hormones responsible for the symptoms work differently in every pregnancy hence the uniqueness of the signs.

This week, your heart will start to pump more blood in order to supply the required oxygen to your baby. It is important to wear as much loose clothes as you can and not trying to cram yourself in your normal clothes. This would result creating a problem to both you and your unborn. There will be seen a notable expansion in your heart which will pump about 20% of more blood than it would before pregnancy.

The 15th Week Ultrasound

One of the essential pre-labor undertakings of most pregnant women is the ultrasound. During this test, your attending physician will examine your belly by transmitting high frequency waves through your uterus, and then the waves will send signals from the uterus to the ultrasound machine.

The 15 weeks pregnant ultrasound image shows the baby swallowing, moving legs and arms, grimacing and sucking the tiny thumb. Also, you can see the growing blood vessels through their thin skin. The doctor can perform a fetal Doppler to know the heartbeat. Gender detection is possible. However, it is advisable to wait some weeks to get an accurate result. Screening tests are routine to ascertain fetal health.

Baby developments at 15 Weeks of Pregnancy

Sensory Development: The baby is well developed, and care hears your heartbeat, speaking and breathing because of the hardening of the ear bones. However, the eyelids remain shut, but the eyes can sense light in unison. Taste buds start to form at the same time.
Limb Development: The legs grow longer gradually than the arms in proportion with the rest of the body. Nails grow fast, and the joints are already developed and can move.

External Appearance: The ears are in the final position, and the eyes are in front of the face. The baby continues to practice facial expressions as the muscles get a proper workout. The final layer of downy hair is covering the back, forehead, ears and shoulders. This helps the baby retain body heat until there is enough fat to maintain the warmth.

Fetal Movements: Movement is gradually becoming complex as the baby curls, punch and kicks the arms and legs. The baby also practices swallowing, sucking and grasping for survival after birth. In addition, there are frequent hiccups coming before the fetus starts practicing breathing. The hiccups do not make a sound because the trachea still has amniotic fluid instead of air.

15 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

The mothers will upgrade to a next level of craving this week and this is one of the most common of 15th week of pregnancy symptoms. You may sometimes want to have spicy food, sometimes salty food and sometimes neither of two, making you crave for a chocolate or fluids like a smoothie. But, you must make sure you don’t intake anything that may cause harm to you or the baby inside.

What is the Size of the Baby During 15th Weeks of Pregnancy?

  • The baby is 4 inches and weighs 70.0gm.
  • Body changes during 15 weeks sonogram
  • The mother gains weight with most gaining 5 pounds. This is normal, and you can lose balance at times because of the changing center of gravity due to the growth in the womb.
  • The pregnancy hormone (relaxin) continues to loosen your muscles and joints making you clumsy.

Like the past week was just the beginning, in the 15th week of pregnancy the baby will proceed to get quite acquainted with the habit of sucking his thumb out of hunger. The skin will still remain as thin as it was earlier making you see his blood vessels clearly. The weight of the fetus at 15 weeks will increase up to 70 grams for good. With a continuation to the past week, the hair on his scalp will now begin to have a pattern of its own. Another notable change seen in the pregnancy week 15 is that the child will begin to pump about 25 quarts of blood every day.

You can now purchase a pocket Doppler which will make it possible for you to hear the heartbeat of your little one whenever and wherever you wish to. The heartbeat of the 15 week fetus is clearer and you can hear it with ease with a pocket Doppler. You can have a talk with your personal doctor to know more on it. But the equipment will for sure keep you happy and excited by making you believe that there’s a tiny little being living inside you.

Must Read: 14 Weeks Pregnant, Fetus and Ultrasound: What To Expect

Avoid alcohol come what may! The intake of alcohol is a big no-no for a pregnant woman. If you are in case addicted to it, then consult your doctor to know on the ways to get over it. It may seem to you that a glass of wine or a small can of beer will not cause much any change. But this will prove you wrong when the situation inside you worsens up with the intake of alcohol.

Another such food item that must be avoided is caffeine. Too much of caffeine going inside of you may result in miscarriage. Here, even a couple of cups is considered as a ‘too much’. Unpasteurized milk, unpasteurized cheese, raw eggs, raw fish and particularly raw meat, all must be avoided in order to keep away from the pregnancy risks.

Make it a habit to exercise more often. It so happens that the constant increase in the weight of your baby may make you suffer from lower back pain every now and then. In order to lessen the pain, you need to actively participate in various other activities and exercising helps you in fulfilling that required space. But avoid exercises that may stress your lower back like lying down flat on the floor. A brisk walk is the best for the stage you are in now. The partner of a pregnant woman must always keep an eye on her health and the baby’s progress. This will definitely lessen your burden and the nervousness making you relaxed and free of worries.

Disclaimer

This article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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Stephanie McClane About Author

Stephanie McClane is a mother of three and enjoys sharing the knowledge she gathered throughout her pregnancies. After approaching her last two pregnancies from a more holistic prespective and having two natural births, she was inspired to share her experiences with other moms-to-be.

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