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Pregnancy Week 15

Pregnancy Week 15

Your Baby's Development This Week

Baby’s appearance continues to refine and is looking more and more like the adorable baby we imagine. For one thing, the legs are now longer than the arms, and the body is longer than the head. The eyes and ears are getting close to their final position at this point in the pregnancy. The eyebrows are becoming visible, and hair is sprouting atop the head. The ears are also developing inside, with the three tiny bones of the inner ear functional, however, the auditory sections of the brain are not yet prepared to process sounds, so baby cannot determine or understand sounds that are audible yet. The bones are hardening still, but have progressed to the point that they are visible now on x-rays. The baby is the size of an orange, being close to 4 inches long and weighing around 2 ½ ounces.

Pregnancy Symptoms You May Feel During Week 15

As you enter the second trimester, your total weight gain is most likely around the five pound mark. Don’t worry if it’s less, there aren’t hard rules about it, and every pregnancy is different. Your uterus has probably reached 4-5 inches below your navel. When at doctor’s visit, you will have your uterus’ level checked. If it measures higher than expected, it could indicate a breech presentation. Measuring smaller could indicate a transverse position.

An annoying symptom you might be dealing with is nasal congestion. Try saline nasal spray or applying petroleum jelly beneath the nostrils. Running a humidifier may be helpful, or you can try nasal strips. If you continue to have trouble with it, talk to your doctor about whether there are over the counter medications that are safe to take while pregnant.

Visit With the Obstetrician

One topic every pregnant woman needs to know about is preterm labor. Talk to your doctor about the risk factors for preterm labor, and the symptoms. Some of the risk factors include being pregnant with multiples, giving birth prematurely in previous pregnancies, abnormalities of the uterus or cervix, infections, unexplained vaginal bleeding after week 20, chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, kidney disease or diabetes. Other risks include no prenatal care, lower income, long working hours with lots of standing, closely timed pregnancies between less than 6-9 months apart, being over or underweight, and pregnant as a result of IVF. Other factors would include alcohol, smoking or illegal drugs.

The symptoms of preterm labor include a watery fluid leaking from your vagina, menstrual like cramps, low dull backache, pelvic pressure, significant change in or increase in vaginal discharge.

When speaking to the doctor, find out what symptoms warrant an immediate call to the office, when you should go directly to hospital, and when you need to wait.

Preparing for Baby

Do you have another baby in the house to prepare for the new baby? A cat or dog is often considered one of the family, but the transitions involved in bringing home a baby can become more difficult with pets in the home. First of all, make certain the pet will not be able to get to baby’s room, and never allow pet access the child without your constant presence and supervision. Gates used in baby proofing often work for pets too. Some people opt for a screendoor at the nursery entrance to allow viewing without access to the pet. Let the pet get used to the sounds of a baby in the house, the smells, and let them warm up slowly. Be consistent with the rules you’ll need in place once baby arrives. Don’t allow the pets to jump up on the lap now, if you’ll correct them later for it. Make sure your pets have been examined by vet and up to date with all shots.

Pregnancy Lifestyle

Now is a good time to start streamlining your beauty routine. First step, choosing a good hairstyle that is both flattering on you, and easy to maintain. Go to the beauty salon and check out the books, looking for styles you think might work and talk to the stylist about suggestions for a simple easy look that lets you avoid feeling frumpy. It won’t be good in the long run to have an easy style if you feel unattractive wearing your hair that way. Just keep in mind your hair texture may change through pregnancy somewhat, and again post-baby.

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