16 weeks pregnant: how the fetus develops and what happens in the body

Obstetric sixteenth week of pregnancy is rich in new events and sensations. The volume of circulating blood increases, which affects the appearance of the expectant mother. She continues gain weight, and the baby is developing at an accelerated pace.

16 week of pregnancy - sensations

With a favorable course of pregnancy, at the sixteenth week, a woman should not feel any unpleasant sensations, and even more so she should not have pain. Toxicosis by this time, he should have stopped bothering, urination is getting better. The chest, however, continues to increase in size, but the increased sensitivity and soreness should also let go. Against this favorable background, the expectant mother flourishes, her hormonal balance returns to normal. In this regard, the life of a pregnant woman becomes calm and measured, she is in a benevolent calm mood and full of joyful expectations.

Often, right now, pregnant women have an increased appetite. This is especially pronounced in those women who suffered from toxicosis in the first weeks. Now they seem to be catching up and prefer to eat tasty food. In this case, it is necessary to monitor the weight so as not to gain too much.

Some women this week may feel the first stirring of their baby. In most cases, at this time, women who are pregnant with their second or subsequent child feel the movement. Sometimes expectant mothers can even hardly realize that this slight flutter is the movement of her child.

But even if you did not feel any movement in the sixteenth week, do not panic. Your baby may be less active.

16 weeks pregnant - what happens to the baby

By this period, your future baby grows up to one hundred and fifteen millimeters in height, and by weight it reaches one hundred grams. But even with such a modest size, he is able to turn his head, his muscles get stronger. He often moves his arms and legs, and can roll over.

In addition, the following changes occur:

• Facial features are more and more formed, he actively grimaces, can frown his forehead and open his eyelids.
• His heart and blood vessels are actively working, the digestive system is gradually connected. After them, the bladder, as well as the kidneys, begins its work. This directly affects the volume of amniotic fluid. Their number increases due to frequent urination.
• Your baby is now extremely sensitive to temperature changes. Therefore, try not to overheat, give up for a while from going to baths, saunas and do not sunbathe.

• The hearing aid is being formed. The baby's ears move closer to the sides of the head. He has not yet fully formed his hearing, but he is already able to distinguish the voice of his mother.
• The child still has thin skin red from translucent vessels. It is protected from external influences by a thin infant fluff and a layer of special lubricant.

• If you do an ultrasound scan now, you can hear that the baby's heart beats twice as often as the mother's. If the child is located in a comfortable position, then it will be possible to examine him genitals.
• By this time, the girls have already formed the fallopian tubes, the uterus itself and a huge supply of eggs. Have boys you can see the penis. Their testicles are already formed, but they are also located in the abdominal cavity and have not moved into the scrotum.

16 weeks pregnant - what happens to mom

The body of the expectant mother is gradually changing. Don't worry about weight gain or a plump waist. This is a normal natural process. A pregnant woman feels her breasts become heavy, sees how her nipples have darkened. During this time, stretch marks can appear, so it is important to take care of your breast skin to prevent their formation. For this, use olive oil or a specially formulated anti-stretch mark cream.

The belly is already perfectly visible under the tight clothing. A woman now needs special clothing that will not squeeze her figure. You may need to purchase special tights or stockings to prevent varicose veins.

Dark spots may appear on the face and other parts of the body. Use a special sunscreen to prevent them. For some women, on the contrary, the skin becomes very soft and takes on an amazing pinkish tint.

By the sixteenth week, the woman's body adjusts to pregnancy and copes well with the increased amount of blood and stress on the spine. The uterus has increased in size and now weighs about a quarter of a kilogram. Amniotic fluid has the same weight.

At this stage of pregnancy should be normal excretions from the vagina. Perhaps their number will increase slightly. But in general, the consistency, and color, and smell should remain the same. If the discharge suddenly acquired an unpleasant odor, changed its consistency, or the color became yellow, greenish or bloody, then take such symptoms as a reason for an unscheduled visit to the doctor. You may have a thin, watery discharge. Perhaps it is amniotic fluid leaking. Or, on the contrary, there is a discharge with blood. In either case, be sure to inform your doctor about it.