Fourteen Weeks, One Day - The Fifteenth Week

My Symptoms
Not much has changed this week, except maybe the size of my abdomen. I took some measurements, I'll post them in a separate post. I still feel pretty good. I don't know if I've really got my energy back, but I don't seem quite as useless. I'm also really hungry. I've decided my craving is for french fries. Especially if they have cheese on them. I'm crazy about Steak and Shake lately too. I'm still looking forward to movement, but satisfy myself by listening. It's so easy to find the heartbeat now. I'm curious to see what the doctor will say about it next week.

The Baby
Crown-to-rump length by this week of pregnancy is 4.1 to 4.5 inches. The fetus weighs about 1.75 ounces. It's close to the size of a softball. Your baby's rapid growth continues. Its skin is thin. At this point in its development, you can see blood vessels through the skin. Fine hair called lanugo hair covers the baby's body. By this time, your baby may be sucking its thumb. Eyes continue to move to the front of the face but are still widely separated. Ears continue to develop externally.

Lanugo, a very fine hair, covers the fetus. It will keep growing until around the 26th gestational week of pregnancy (that’s week 28 of your pregnancy to you, sister!).

At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 ounces. He's busy inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid, which will help develop the air sacs in his lungs. His legs are growing longer than his arms now, and he can move all his joints and limbs. That means his hands are more functional, too. Sweat glands are appearing, and although his eyelids are fused shut, he can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, he's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but he now has taste buds. And if you have an ultrasound, you may be able to find out whether your baby's a boy or girl! (Don't be disappointed if it remains a mystery, though. Nailing down the gender depends somewhat on how clear the picture is and the position of your baby during the ultrasound.

Your baby may have developed the habit of sucking his or her thumb! The skin is very thin and you can see the blood vessels clearly underneath. Your baby is about 70 grams. The scalp hair pattern is developing. And the heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day. This will increase to about 300 at term.

The Mom
You can easily tell you're pregnant by the changes in your lower abdomen, which alter the way your clothes fit. You may be able to feel your uterus about 3 or 4 inches below your bellybutton. Your pregnancy may not be obvious to other people when you wear regular street clothes. But it may become obvious if you start wearing maternity clothes or put on a swimming suit. It's still a little early to feel movement, although you shoudl feel your baby move in the next few weeks!

The belt is getting tighter, your partner’s big clothes may fit in the waist, but what about those hips and that belly? Some women make it most of the way through with stretch pants and big shirts, but others need a more "professional" maternity wardrobe. Don’t worry, the days are gone when pregnancy meant fashion went out the window. Today’s styles are almost as cute as your baby is going to be. Your uterus is halfway between pubic bone and belly button. You may feel Braxton Hicks contractions. These painless and random contractions can be thought of as your body warming up for the big event of birth. If you have more than five per hour, if they come at a steady pace, or if they’re accompanied by intense cramps or backaches, call the doctor. Let’s talk about constipation. Or not. But it’s a fact of life for many pregnant women. Pump those fluids (at least 8 glasses of water a day) and keep doing mild exercise -- walking and swimming are terrific ways to get or stay in shape! If constipation becomes chronic, ask your healthcare provider to recommend an all-natural laxative.

You've probably gained about 5 pounds by now. If it's a little more or less, don't worry too much. Every woman gains weight at a different rate. While you're well into the swing of being pregnant, you may still be surprised by an unexpected symptom now and then. If your nose is stuffed up, for example, you can probably chalk it up to your pregnancy. That's because increased estrogen can cause swelling in the mucous membranes and possibly the production of more mucus. Your blood volume is increasing, too, which causes your blood vessels to expand, including those in your nose. (You may get occasional nosebleeds as a result.) And because pregnancy alters your immune system and makes you more susceptible to certain infections, it might just be that you have a cold or allergies. In any case, make sure you stay away from irritants, like cigarette smoke, aerosols, and alcohol. Don't worry if you and your partner are feeling a little stressed out these days. Many pregnant couples worry about the baby's health and how they'll cope as new parents. But with minimal physical discomfort and renewed energy, this is also a wonderful trimester for most women, so try to enjoy it!

Your heart is increasing its output to supply the baby with oxygen. Your enlarged heart is pumping about 20% more blood than prepregnancy. This volume will actually increase throughout your pregnancy for an ending increased heart output of 30-50%. If your clothes are getting tight, do not try to cram yourself into clothes. Either invest in some maternity clothes, borrow them, wear your partner's clothing or unzip your pants! The maternal blood screening for neural tube defects, often called the Alpha-fetoprotein Test (AFP) may be offered at this point. It is a screening that is most accurate during the 15 - 17th weeks of gestation, although this screening has a high false positive rate.