Pregnancy Week 16
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Your Baby's Growth and Development
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By pregnancy week 16 your baby may weigh as much as 3 ounces and is rapidly approaching 4 ¾ inches. Most babies are developing quickly this week, with their eyes moving to the final position on their head and their ears following suit. Your baby's heart by now is pumping a full 25 quarts of blood each and every day! That is no small potatoes for a baby that is roughly the size of a potato!
Your baby will start growing hair around pregnancy week 16. Did you know that many baby's hair falls out in the weeks following birth, and grows back in a completely different shade? While this doesn't always happen it is not uncommon. Still other baby's are born with blue eyes that turn brown within the first couple of weeks of their life!
By pregnancy week 16 your baby is receiving most of his nutrients through the umbilical cord. So remember, eat healthy and avoid any potential toxins in your diet!
Changes In Your Body
By pregnancy week 16 your waist has probably all but vanished. It will come back again so don't be too sad. Even though most women's abdomens stay a bit stretched out after delivery, over time you will notice a marked improvement in your appearance if eating a healthy diet and exercising when you can.
You are probably actually enjoying the roundness of your shape at this point in time. Many women look and feel their best during pregnancy. There is a reason for the term pregnancy glow after all. It isn't all about your face. Your growing, round and voluptuous body is a symbol of your fertility and inner beauty. So don't fret about your missing waist. Show it off!
Maternity fashions are changing. Women aren't expected to hind behind large flowing gowns these days. In fact, short and fitted maternity wear is all the rage for pregnant women young and old today. I actually found throughout my pregnancy that fitted maternity clothing was much more flattering and comfortable than loose and ill fitting wear. So keep this in mind if shopping for pregnancy clothes around this time.
Your Baby's First Movements
If this is your first pregnancy, some time in the next few weeks you may feel your baby move for the first time. What does this feel like? A tiny miracle. Your baby's first movements feel a lot like gas. While this may seem weird, it is true. You might feel some small fluttering movements in your lower abdomen. You may just assume this is gas.
Watch out however... soon you'll start noticing those movements become more and more regular! That's when one day the light bulb will go off and you will discover your baby is inside, swimming happily about. I found during all my pregnancies feeling my baby move the first few times was the most pleasant and welcome side effect of pregnancy.
There is nothing more enjoyable knowing that your little baby is swimming warmly, happily and safely inside your belly. If this isn't your first pregnancy, don't be surprised if you start recognizing your baby's first movements much sooner. The earliest I felt movements in subsequent pregnancies was between 12 and 13 weeks pregnant. After having one baby, you simply figure out what to look for!
Later in your pregnancy as your baby becomes stronger, you’ll notice he or she kicks more often while you are at rest. Some babies are natural night owls while others kick more often during the day. If you find you have trouble sleeping because your baby is a powerful kicker, the best step you can take is to relax. Nothing helps more with relaxation than a pregnancy pillow. Our personal favorite at The Maternity and Baby Shopping Mart is the Snoozer Full Body Pregnancy Pillow. This amazing pillow is an ideal tool for comfort during your second trimester. You can use it to sleep semi-reclined, with the pillow lifting you slightly so you do not lie flat on your back. You can easily curl up into a ball and squeeze your pillow for support, placing a small part of your pregnancy pillow between your knees. Some women find they can also create a U shaped pocket using the Snoozer pregnancy pillow so they can lie almost on their bellies, without worrying about crushing baby.
These pregnancy pillows are a godsend, and will help you and your baby rest more easily and more often during the long hours of the night.
Those tiny flutterings may feel pleasant now but watch out! Later in pregnancy, especially as you enter your third trimester your baby will start kicking harder and harder. This is also fun, but admittedly a bit uncomfortable at times as your pregnancy progresses. Many people have fun trying to identify various moving body parts as your pregnancy progresses. You may find at times you become so accustomed to your baby moving, you don't notice it.
Rest assured however, other people will notice the sudden flips and flops your belly makes as your baby tries to swim about her increasingly cluttered space! At times it may even seem like the baby is trying to hop there way right out of your belly! I often used to joke my babies did "karate" in my belly throughout my pregnancies.
Read next about your baby's growth and development, as well as the changes in your body during pregnancy week 17.
