Pregnancy – Week 15

This week your heart has enlarged to cope with the increased amount of blood circulating in your body and bub’s need for oxygen. You should be feeling more energetic than before.

Mum

Because of the extra demands placed on your heart by pregnancy, it has now enlarged and its output has increased by 50% in order to supply oxygen to your baby.

Because your immune system is slightly impaired while pregnant, you may be having more coughs and colds than usual but this won’t harm baby.

Bub

Baby now weighs around 60 grams (2.1 ounces) and is about 11cm (4.3 inches) long. He is still small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. He is now able to hiccup and could even be sucking his thumb.

Arms and legs have grown longer. Millions of eggs will form in the ovaries if baby is a girl, during the next few weeks, which will reduce to about 1 million by the time of birth.

An ultrasound may tell the gender of bub by now. Between 16 and 20 weeks you will feel your baby move for the first time. This is called quickening and could be mistaken for a rumbling stomach.

Tips

Circulation is best when you sleep on your left side as lying on your back or stomach after the fourth month puts extra pressure on your uterus and decreases circulation to your baby.
If you are over 35, your medical practitioner may recommend an amniocentesis between 15 and 18 weeks.