15 Weeks Pregnant

At pregnancy week 15, it is likely that your baby weighs about 2.2 ounces and measures four inches in length. Your little one will start to do a lot of growing in the next few months and gain a lot of weight to be ready to survive the outside world.

Your Baby at 15 Weeks Pregnant

During this week, lanugo hair will start to form on your bundle of joy. This hair is fine and covers the whole of your baby’s skin as a way to help regulate your body’s temperature. This hair will stay there until a few weeks before your baby is born, when there is enough fat for your baby to regulate his or her own body temperature. If your baby is pre-term, it is likely that your baby will still be covered in this hair.

The bone will also start to get harder. All the bones in the body will harden by the end of the pregnancy, except for the skull so your baby’s skull can contract to get out of the birth canal.

You may think that your baby will get bored inside you for nine months but there is a lot going on. Your baby has a lot to learn before he or she arrives into the world and the most important one of those is how to breath. From 15 weeks pregnant onwards, your baby is breathing the amniotic fluid in and out so the air sacs develop. The taste buds are also forming so it is likely that your baby will suck his or her thumb or fist.

You may start to feel movement at this time, especially if this is not your first baby. Many women experience flutters around this time but often without realising that this is the baby moving. Between pregnancy weeks 18 and 20 are the common times to feel the baby moving.

Changes in You

By 15 weeks pregnant, it is likely that you will have gained about five to 10 pounds. The good news is that due to where this weight is you will start to look pregnant by this stage. However, it is important to remember that each pregnancy is different and each woman is different. This is just an average.

Don’t feel silly if you start talking to your baby. This is actually the perfect time to do that due to the ears developing. Sing, read aloud and just generally talk about your day. This will help your little one recognise your voice when he or she is first brought into the world.

Symptoms at Pregnancy Week 15

Feeling heartburn on a regular basis? Unfortunately, this is a common symptom that you will need to deal with for the next 25 weeks or so. Heartburn and indigestion are extremely common at 15 weeks pregnant and onwards due to the body having to make room for the growing baby; the intestines and stomach cramp together making it difficult to digest all the food that it is used to.

Some women complain of being congested but not actually having a cold. This is a pregnancy symptom linked with the amount of blood in your system. The extra blood causes parts of your body to expand and swell and your mucous membranes are victims to this. There is very little you can do about this but you will find that it comes and goes throughout the pregnancy. It should go away completely after you have had your baby.

Saliva (and a lot of it) is also common at 15 weeks pregnant. This may seem strange but it nothing to worry about. Saliva is actually good as it helps to neutralise the acid produced in the stomach and may help to ease your heartburn.