Being 16 weeks pregnant indicates that you are well into the second stage of your pregnancy calendar. You are getting closer to the half way period in your pregnancy. By this time your stomach is visibly large and shopping for your maternity clothing can be made at this time. 16 weeks pregnant woman’s baby will be about the size of your palm. They will be 4.5 inches from head to bottom and weighs about3.5 ounces. The baby is about to start some major growth changes after this week.
Changes to Baby
Some of the changes in a baby during this period are By 16th week, the baby can make faces. This is due to the fact that their facial muscles are more developed. The will frown, smile, cry, and make other expressions. The baby is just into the early stages of making faces; therefore, they have little control over the expressions they make.By the 16th week, the body of the baby will be longer than its head. This allows the baby to straighten up his/her head. At 16 weeks pregnant, the circulatory system of the baby will be developing progressively. The baby’s heart is able to pump about 25 quarts of blood in a single day. Considering the small size of the baby, this is a remarkable feature to be mentioned.The hand plates in the baby’s hands are being replaced with fingers at this stage. Each finger is distinctively separate from one another.By this week the legs of the baby will be elongating more rapidly than its hands. The bent in the lower leg will begin to take shape in a baby of 16 weeks pregnant woman.The umbilical cord which provides the vital nutrients to the baby will be firmly attached to their belly.
Changes in Mom
At this time you may be completely relieved of the cramps and irritation during the initial stages of your pregnancy. A 16 weeks pregnant woman’s belly will start showing the most cherished roundness of belly. The entire waistline will be replaced with a prominent bulge which is little hard to hide in your usual clothes. Therefore it’s time to start shopping for your special maternity clothing. Women tend to start gaining weight during this week. The gain in weight will be corresponding to your pre-pregnancy size.
Another feature is that woman can feel the baby move inside their body by this week. These movements are called quickening, and they may feel like gas bubbles in the stomach. These are easily felt by mothers who have given birth before. For first time mothers, they have to wait for a couple of weeks for feeling any movement in their womb.
At 16 weeks pregnant, most women will be feeling good because the fatigue, queasiness, and frequent urination that plagued them in the first trimester are all gone. There will be a pleasant glow in your face. This is one of the pregnancy symptoms during this period. This bright and rosy appearance to their skin is due to the hormonal changes and increased blood flow to the skin.
Another pregnancy symptom at 16 weeks pregnant is the faster growing finger and toe nails. This faster growth of nails is a temporary phenomenon and will go away when the baby is due. The nose of expecting moms at 16 weeks will be running even though they do not have any allergies or cold. This rhinitis of pregnancy is caused due to the increased levels of estrogen in her body. This makes her mucous membranes to swell. There will be a noticeable increase in vaginal discharge. This is normal due to the increased blood flow to her genitals. Normal discharge will be clear and odorless or with a mild scent. Increase in libido is another feature of the 16th week. Vagina and breasts are more sensitive due to the increase in blood flow to these areas.
From this week onwards your center of gravity will start to shift and there are chances of losing balance. Weeks 16-18 is the time for first amniocentesis and ultrasound. This is a week in which many changes are starting to take place in your womb. These changes will continue through your pregnancy week by week, and therefore it is better to know what to do when you are 17 weeks pregnant.
