In the 16th week of pregnancy, your baby is about 110-115 mm, or about 11 cm. It weighs 80 g, which is as much as a small kiwi. He can now coordinate his movements because his brain works with his muscles.

Contents:

  1. 16. week of pregnancy: how is your baby developing?
  2. 16. week of pregnancy: what's happening to you?
  3. 16. week of pregnancy: the most important recommendations

16. week of pregnancy: how is your baby developing?

The fetus already has the proportions and appearance of a newborn. In the 16th week of pregnancy, her limbs, joints and bones are shaped, which are getting harder and harder - because they retain calcium, an element necessary for building a strong skeleton.

  • the baby's nervous system is now operational: it sends stimuli to the muscles that respond to them, so the baby is now able to coordinate the movements of his body. This makes him start digging and squirming into the uterus. Since he is small, his kicks are not yet felt by the woman
  • baby's nose is now fully formed and ready to breathe
  • the eyes are covered with closed eyelids, but the eyes of the fetus will make movements like any of us during sleep. They are also sensitive to light, although they do not have many opportunities to show it - mum's belly is dark, but not quiet - the baby can feel the vibrations caused by mum's heartbeat, he can already hear the noise of blood and the sounds of digestion
  • baby's skin has no fatty tissue, it is still thin and transparent. First sweat glands appear in it
  • Fetal Development: How Your Baby's Senses Are Developed

16. week of pregnancy: what's happening to you?

The growth of the uterus causes it to rise a bit, so it does not compress the bladder so much, but moves it up the intestine. Therefore, you feel less pressure on your bladder than in the first months of pregnancy. Unfortunately, this feeling will return in the third trimester when the baby is old enough to reach the bladder again.

You are now in the 16th week, i.e. in the 4th month and 2nd trimester

Moving the bowels and, over time, the rest of the digestive system increases the risk of constipation, heartburn, and other digestive ailments. Therefore, try to eat easily digestible foods so as not to make your stomach work harder.

  • Pregnant diet: rules. How to eat properly in pregnancy?

In the 16th week of pregnancy, you may also feel that you are constantly hot. This is because more of your blood is circulating in the bloodstream reaching all tissues - just like when you are exercising, so you are warm, as if you just ran a few kilometers or exercised. Additionally, hormones can cause your body temperature to run a little higher than 36.6 degrees.

The process of ossification of the fetal skeleton causes the baby to extract calcium from you, necessary to harden the bones. Try to eat a lot of dairy and green vegetables now, such as kale, spinach, and broccoli, which are good sources of this element. Calcium is also found in sesame seeds and nuts. Your calcium requirement is 1,000 to 1,200 mg per day.

  • Calcium - important for mom and baby

Everything about the 3D ultrasound examination [TOWIDEO]

16. week of pregnancy: what to look for. Top recommendations

Between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, you should see your gynecologist again for another check-up. Take your recent blood and urine test results with you so your doctor can check if your body is coping with the pregnancy challenge.

During the visit, you will receive a referral for further tests, the gynecologist will also take a sample for vaginal cleanliness to exclude the presence of infections and intimate infections. During the 9-month waiting period for a baby, they can be dangerous for your pregnancy.

  • Visits to the gynecologist and tests during PREGNANCY

The doctor will also weigh you and measure your blood pressure - these are important tests assessing whether you are gaining weight properly and whether you are at risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension - this is quite a common disease of future mothers, which may harm the baby, so it is worth detecting it at the earliest and heal.

  • Hypertension in pregnancy

It's getting closer to giving birth, so if you haven't exercised your Kegel muscles before, start as soon as possible. These are the muscles that are important to every woman, they help maintain the proper pressure in the abdominal cavity, are responsible for urinary incontinence, and are also important during childbirth.

  • Exercise KEGEL MUSCLES - it is an investment for years!

The more flexible and efficient they are, the faster the delivery and the lower the risk of perineal tearing during pressure. Kegel exercises also allow the perineum to recover faster after childbirth, without the risk of reducing sexual satisfaction during future intercourse. To exercise your muscles, you need to contract them for a few seconds and relax a few dozentimes a day.

Also read:

  • 2nd trimester of pregnancy
  • 17. week of pregnancy
  • 18. week of pregnancy
  • 19. week of pregnancy
About the authorMałgorzata Wójcik The editor in charge of the website. Journalist with 25 years of experience. From the beginning, she was associated with the subject of children and he alth - she worked, among others. in the magazine "M jak mama". At mjakmama.pl, she specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. Privately - mother of three adolescent children. He is eager to read and walks in the woods with his dog.

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