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Pregnancy Week 15
Baby Growth at 15 Weeks Pregnant
Welcome to week 15! With only 5 months to go, you are rapidly approaching the half-way point of your pregnancy. You start to look pregnant as your baby starts to quickly grow in size.
Your baby grows quickly at this point, now measuring around 4 inches in length and weighing in around 2.5 ounces. For a better understanding of size, your baby would be about the size of a pear!
Now that your baby is growing and developing, you’ll notice more defined facial features on your little one. Eyes start to shape toward the nose, and ears develop their shape toward the sides of the head. You would recognize the features more in an ultrasound. At this time, they sense light and sound. Your little one can hear your voice!
You may not feel it yet, but your baby moves fairly often. As your baby’s legs get longer, they kick and move around their arms and legs. Sometimes they can be seen sucking their thumb on the ultrasound!
Your baby works through breathing and swallowing motions as well. By now, your baby starts to form taste buds.
You and Your Body at 15 Weeks Pregnant
Your baby bump should take shape. Do you feel it? It’ll be here any week now but some women carry their babies differently than others so don’t be alarmed if your bump isn’t as big as you thought it would be. Your hair and skin glisten this week, as your pregnancy glow starts to show!
You must have been waiting for this for a while! At this point, most of those pesky pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and loss of appetite start to fade and return to normalcy. If you continue to have severe symptoms, seek medical advice. You may feel the occasional movement in your stomach while your baby kicks or moves - this is totally normal at this stage.
Typical Symptoms at 15 Weeks
When one door closes, another one opens! That’s how it appears to be with pregnancy symptoms as well. Despite regaining some appetite and having more energy, more symptoms arrive.
In Week 15, you may notice something different about your smile. You may develop sore gums, redness, increased sensitivity, and a proneness to bleeding. Your pregnancy hormones make your gums react differently to bacteria, leaving you more likely to experience soreness, inflammation, and even gingivitis. The key to preventing this is maintaining a good oral hygiene routine by brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily.
You may also notice your nose is stuffy. This is due to the hormones and increased blood flow in your sinuses. To relieve your sinuses, remember to stay hydrated. If it becomes a constant bother, you try saline nasal spray for relief. Another symptom that is common because of the increased blood flow is nosebleeds. In fact, 20% of women in pregnancy experience them.
As your appetite increases again, you should gain about a pound a week. This is average and you want to keep pace by weighing yourself at the same time each week. Due to your increased appetite, you might experience heartburn and indigestion, and you may want to eat more. You want to eat several smaller meals in lieu of three larger meals. This should help reduce discomfort.
Other symptoms that you may experience include:
- Abdominal pain
- Headaches
- Memory fog; also known as “Pregnancy Brain”
- Dizziness
Pregnancy Week 15 Tips and Advice
Prioritize yourself. Practicing positive affirmations helps you better prepare and have a positive outlook for each day! It is a great way to also start talking to your baby as they begin to hear sounds and get to know their mother’s confident and nurturing voice.
Plan ahead. Keep a journal of any nagging pregnancy symptoms along with questions you have. At this time, schedule your 20 week prenatal check up with your doctor. It may also be helpful to consider family history and genetics of you and your partner, and discuss with your doctor if any additional health screenings might be necessary.
If you experience a stuffy nose or frequent nosebleeds, consider getting a humidifier. Also more importantly, make sure you drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated as your sinuses will be less likely to dry out though sinus swelling is common in pregnancy, your partner may even find you snoring while pregnant.
Maintain a great diet. Try to avoid skipping breakfast, eat something small on the go, or prepare meals in advance. You need to account for close to 300 more calories than usual. Plan out healthy pregnancy snacks packed with nutrients such as nuts/seeds, hummus and veggies, berries or a green smoothie.
Visit your dentist at least once. With symptoms such as gum soreness and bleeding, schedule a visit to make sure everything is normal with a professional. Also, maintain a good oral hygiene routine. While x-rays are considered safe, it is your right to decline any imaging and dental work during your pregnancy.
Consider the future! At this point, you should plan out financials and budget appropriately. Talk with your significant other to make sure child care is considered, accounted for, and taken care of. If you’re feeling up to it, many pregnant women consider taking a babymoon. Plan one of these getaways to give you and your partner some relaxation time.
Sources:
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001056.htm
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/how-your-fetus-grows-during-pregnancy
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/7247-fetal-development-stages-of-growth
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/13-to-27/15-weeks/
