Pregnancy calendar - week #15

Pregnant mothers - week #15

Bump in the night.

Starting at around 15 weeks, you may start to feel baby's movements. These movements, called quickening, are felt as a fluttering deep down in your tummy. This marks a very exciting time, as pregnancy suddenly becomes much more real.

That being said, if you haven't felt baby move by now, don't worry. Every pregnancy is different, and for some women, these movements aren't felt until several weeks later.

As you continue your pregnancy journey, you will notice more and more changes. Around this time, your body becomes more susceptible to infection. You're also more likely to get coughs and colds, as well as UTIs (urinary tract infections.) It's a good idea to be a little more careful than usual--wash your hands often, and stay away from germy areas.

Another bodily change: Your heart is working harder than it does when you're not pregnant. Because your body supplies the baby with oxygen, your heart has to increase it's output. It is pumping about 20% more blood than before you were pregnant. This sounds like a lot, but by the end of your pregnancy, it'll be pumping 30-50% more. No wonder you get extra tired while walking those stairs!

Baby and fetal development - week #15

Having a party down there?

When you think of every little cell, organ, and system that is being developed inside of your body, maybe pregnancy doesn't seem like such a long ordeal after all!

In week 15, your baby's skin is ultra thin and translucent. At this point, you can even see blood vessles through it. Baby's hair continues to grow, now showing up on both the eyebrows and head. Do you expect a head of black, blonde, brown, or red hair?

So we already know that your heart is pumping away like mad, but this week, your baby's starts to as well. Baby's little heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day. Considering her tiny size, that's a lot! This will continue up until term, when the heart will pump about 300 quarts a day.

Baby is also having a grand old time in your womb, making all sorts of movements. This is happening because of increased muscle development. Whether it's the arms, legs, head, hands, or mouth, your baby is a-movin!

Also in week 15:

• Skeletal system continues to develop
• Ears very close to their final position on the head, but still a little low

Your baby is about the size of an orange now.

Speaking of orange, go get yourself an orange smoothie--yum!

Pregnant dads - week #15

Fill 'er up!

Wondering what you can do to make mom's pregnancy healthier? One small, but very important thing you can do is pump her gas. Inhaling gas fumes during pregnancy might make mom queasy, and additionaly, those fumes aren't healthy for her or the baby.