16th Week Of Pregnancy
Baby development: How is your baby growing when you are in 16 Week Pregnant?
This week, your baby will start to blink. She’s growing quickly at the moment and will double her weight in the next three weeks. Her bones are starting to ossify (harden), with the exception of her skull; these bones will stay softer until the birth, so they can flex as she passes down the birth canal. And she’s straightening out, too, lifting her head and neck into a more upright position.
Your baby’s heart rate has slowed down since the start of pregnancy, but still beats 110 to 160 times a minute, twice as fast as yours. From 16 weeks, you’ll be able to hear the heartbeat via your doctor’s heart monitor, although it’s sometimes possible to hear it earlier. Her heart rate will increase when you laugh and decrease when you’re blue, proving that a happy mom makes for a happy baby.
16 week Pregnant: baby and body development
Any day now, you can expect to feel your baby moving for the first time. First-time moms-to-be generally feel the first kicks from around 16 weeks, but don’t panic if you can’t feel a thing. Some have to wait as long as 22 weeks. And don’t expect big hefty kicks at this stage. Early movements are very subtle, feeling like butterflies, bubbles or your stomach turning over.
If you’ve decided to have the blood test to screen for chromosomal disorders like Down syndrome, it’ll probably be this week. This is also the prime time for amniocentesis, which may be recommended if you’re an older mom-to-be or if an earlier screening test indicated a high risk of abnormalities.
Wow! Did you know…
At 16 weeks, your baby urinates every 40 minutes! Just think of all those diapers!
Body changes and symptoms during 16th week of pregnancy
It’s common to feel dizzy or light-headed at this stage. Pregnancy changes the way your blood flows around your body, and sometimes, such as when you stand up suddenly, there’s a slight shortage of blood to the brain. Changing position slowly, keeping well hydrated and eating little and often can help prevent wobbly spells. But if you’re having fainting episodes, combined with blurred vision, palpitations or headaches, you may be suffering from severe anemia, caused by your baby’s huge demands on your iron stores. See your doctor, who’ll be able to prescribe iron supplements.
Your to-do list and care during 16th Week of pregnancy:
Find out about pregnancy exercise classes, like prenatal yoga, Pilates or water aerobics. Research shows that women who exercise throughout pregnancy tend to have quicker and easier labors, plus it’s a great way to meet other moms-to-be and bond over a post-workout yogurt parfait.
Content provided on this site is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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