At the beginning of pregnancy week 15, your baby is already 4", or slightly more, and weighs around 1.75 ounces, which may increase to about two to 2.4 ounces by the end of this week. As the skin is extremely translucent, the veins which lie nearer the skin looks as though it's a map with highways and byways crossing.
Lanugo, the fine baby hair will be growing on the face and torso. It is a defensive mechanism against a cold environment and also a result of the thin skin. Lanugo will be shed by the 8th month of pregnancy. Pre-mature babies are likely to have the fine hair on delivery, as it will soon be shed.
This pregnancy week 15, bones are getting harder, and this bone hardening process continues throughout pregnancy. The lungs are developing and are aided by your baby breathing amniotic fluid in and out. The taste buds are also fast developing. Eyelids are still tightly shut and will not open until the third trimester. Finally during this period, the placenta takes over production of the hormone that will support the pregnancy, which all this while was produced by the ovaries.
In pregnancy week 15, your tummy protrudes and you would have increased in weight by about eight lbs. Your uterus is beginning to come out of the pelvis. The doctor will get the fundal height measurement that is the measurement from the apex of the uterus to the pubic bone, carried out from your next visit.
Some women will experience excess salivation which is not serious, but could be a nuisance. You may get a stuffy nose due the raging hormones in week 15. You can get easily infected, so take care of your hygiene, and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly after using public places.
In pregnancy week 15, you may also become more prone to urinary tract infection, as the expanding uterus constricts the flow of urine from the kidneys to the bladder through the ureters. To prevent urinary tract infection, drink at least ten glasses of water. Take cranberry juice that deters the bacteria from growing, or barley water, which is generally good for your kidneys.
You may have to buy some maternity clothes if you have not done so. This is the ideal time to shop for yourself, and to look-out for some baby's clothes too. While you are at it, also look at some breastfeeding bras so that you know where to get them when you need them.
Learn to bond with your little one in the uterus. Start talking to your baby, and in two weeks or so, your baby may answer with kicking movements. Listen to music that enlivens you. Read books or watch movies that are positive, as soon your little one will be able to hear what is happening on the outside.
Continue eating food that makes your young one grow fast and big enough. You do not want to create a huge baby, because then, you may have to go for a Caesar, instead of going for a natural delivery. Eat all the different categories of food. Get a lot of calcium, which is found in dairy products of which yoghurt is best. And of course do not forget to relax.
