Congratulations for the arrival of week 16. You must be very excited and a bit nervous about your prenatal visit for this month. This time your baby starts kicking and during visit to your doctor you will hear the heartbeat of the baby.
Development of Your Baby
Your baby is now about the size of a lemon. Your baby is now on a surge towards growth in the next few days. Its head became erect, eyes & ears are grown and the body had got a proper shape. It had already started functioning its systems such as urinary and circulatory. American pregnancy association stated that towards the end of this week the length of the baby from head to toe is 13.5 cm in length and weight 0.7 kg.
Your baby’s nervous system continues to develop, and the muscles in their tiny limbs can flex. They can make a fist and might even grab and pull their umbilical cord. If you could see their face, you might be able to see them making facial expressions, like a frown or squint. They can’t control these facial muscles yet though.
Your Body’s Development
- At this time, your belly starts to grow with the growing baby and this is the time when your baby bump starts showing up.
- The womb will grow and move upwards to the torso that reduces frequent urination.
- At this week, you will start to show the pregnancy glow, causes due to the increase in the blood flow and high secretion of oil from the skin glands.
- Due the increase in the hormones it may cause lead to varicose veins in which the veins become visible beneath the skin.
- The pressure in the uterus causes slow movement in the digestive tract. Also, the growth of the uterus exerts pressure which leads to the constipation.
- The vaginal discharge increases and it is beneficial for you as it reduces the chances of infection. So, despite of feeling uncomfortable do not douche or use feminine wipes as it may worsen the infection.
- Due to the increase in blood flow your gums become inflamed and when your brush your gums starts bleeding. This is normal and you must keep your teeth and gums clean.
Plan For This Week
During your visit to the doctor you will be recommended to do some tests such as Ultrasonography, Amniocentesis, etc. Your doctor will discuss about prenatal classes, premature labour pain, round ligament symptoms and things.
During this time, you will feel the baby’s movement for the first time. It becomes very important that you must avoid sleeping on your back. Sleep on your side with pillows to support your belly.
You must make sure that your doctor knows all about your medications so that if any of the medications cause any interference then the doctor will change the medicine or the dose.