16 Weeks Pregnant

Four months down and this is where everything starts to speed up! In the next few weeks your baby is going to double his or her weight and go through a seriously super growth phase!

Baby’s Development

• At week 16 of your pregnancy, your baby is looking extremely cute, all in proportion as all of his / her limbs and joints are now fully formed, and the eyes have moved to the front of the face! Your baby has probably found his or her thumb now and has worked out how to suck it.
• Your baby’s backbone has become stronger, the nervous system is making connections to all their muscles and baby’s sweet little face muscles can start making facial expressions although these are not done deliberately yet.
• At this stage baby can begin to grab / play with the umbilical cord as they develop the ability to grip further with their hands. Their skin is currently quite translucent, so blood vessels are still visible under their skin.
• Tiny bones forming in his or her ears, so your baby is starting to hear your voice, and soon he / she will recognise it as yours, so remember to keep up daily talking and connection with your little one.

What’s Happening For You

• There are lots of positive benefits for your body this week. Some pregnant mums find their hair and nails grow faster and thicker. This means you can begin to look even more lustrous and radiant, as your hair and skin shine with health! Glowing mama!
• On the down side some women experience constipation – as your uterus starts pressing on your intestines – so keep up your water intake and lots of fresh fruit and vegetables to assist your body in this area.
• Other interesting things you may notice include forgetfulness (pregnancy brain), and some women get dry, itchy, sensitive eyes!
• You may begin to have antenatal appointments sometime soon, with your midwife checking your blood pressure, she may do the odd urine / blood test, and you can begin to discuss the upcoming ultrasound scan which is usually offered between 18 and 20 weeks.
• Ultrasounds around 20 weeks are done primarily to check that the baby is growing and developing in all the usual ways. This generally includes listening to baby’s heartbeat, looking at organ structure, confirming any suspicions of twins or other multiples, measuring the amount of amniotic fluid, checking the location of the placenta, and taking lots of measurements to gauge if baby is an average size for their gestational age.
• Women who have a higher risk of Down’s Syndrome at their earlier screening tests may also make an appointment for amniocentesis at 16 weeks.
• Some pregnant women find their libido increases at this stage of their pregnancy (while others don’t) but rest assured it is totally safe to make love if you want to.

Things To Consider

• Ultrasounds and testings / do we want testing done?
• Gender of baby – do we want to know?
• Fill yourself up with empowering information about pregnancy, birth and motherhood. What you focus on, you will move toward, so focusing on a positive pregnancy, birth and journey to motherhood is vital. This website has lots of valuable positive information for you.
• Grab a pack of our new ‘Pregnancy Affirmation Cards’ and start filling your mind with goodness.

Read more about what to expect next week.