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15 Weeks Pregnant
 The Baby Your baby's skin is still very thin and his little body is now completely covered in fine downy hair called lanugo. Almost all babies will shed their lanugo near the end of the pregnancy. It will float in the amniotic fluid - he will even naturally swallow some of it!The liver, kidneys, stomach and gall bladder glands are all functioning well. The intestines are filled with meconium, a greenish-black substance that consists of intestinal mucus, intestinal cells, swallowed amniotic fluid and skin oils. The dark colour arises from the release of gall dyes during this period. The fat and sweat glands begin to function.Downy hairs will grow on his head during these weeks. His head is approximately 1/3 of his total body length, measured from the crown of the head to the tail bone. He can bend his spine, neck and head, so that he can lie comfortably or stand straight up if he wants to. Your baby is now approximately as big as a teaspoon, about 4 ¼ inches (11 centimeters) and he weighs 3 ounces (90 grams). He's continuously practicing all of his movements and his muscles are becoming stronger and stronger. His vocal chords are also ready now, but he can't make a sound yet, because he needs oxygen for that. Have patience, little one, pretty soon you can cry and use your vocal chords as much as you want.
 MotherWhat do you feel in the 15th week? Not much in your stomach in fact. However, if you press on your lower abdomen while you're lying down you can feel the uterus. But if you stand up, you still can't see much of anything, especially if it's your first child and your abdominal muscles are still nice and tight. Second time moms may have already outgrown their regular jeans - during subsequent pregnancies, many moms find their uterus remembers exactly what to do and grows faster, earlier. You go to work as usual, you can play sports, ride a bike, go horseback riding, and in fact you only need to pay attention to what you can't do during your pregnancy. These are still: smoking, using certain medication and/or drugs and drinking alcohol. You can go still to a far away country on vacation and what is important: try to enjoy your changing body now that you are still nicely mobile.The quantity of blood in your body is increasing considerably. You don't notice it, maybe you have a bloody nose sometimes, but you gain about one and a half quarts of blood. This is partly caused by the placenta, which must work hard to get rid of all of your baby's waste products and feed him with food and oxygen. Because you have more blood, you heart must work harder to pump it around. Thus, your heart beats an extra fifteen to twenty times per minute. Some women experience a weird sensation with their heart from time to time, it seem as if it skips. This is not dangerous, it's called extrasystoli, but if you are worried, tell your healt care provider (HCP). This applies to all strange things that you encounter regarding your body during your pregnancy. Try not to worry to much about your body and your growing baby. Pregnancy is normal - it's not a disease!
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Get sufficient rest during your pregnancy. Exhaustion triggers strong emotions, so listen to your body. |
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Keep talking to your partner about how you both feel. |
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Stay positive towards your unborn baby. Let him know that he's welcome, even though you sometimes feel ambivalent. |
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Some very strong emotions are brought to the surface because of unresolved grief or issues from the past. If you have experienced trauma, for example from earlier miscarriage, sexual assault or abuse, talk about it and seek help if you can.These types of emotional burdens can sometimes come up during birth and breastfeeding, presenting unique challenges. |
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If you are experiencing really volatile mood swings, discuss taking extra vitamin B6 with your HCP. This vitamin can help with mood swings. |
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Don't hesitate to take the help that you are offered. Women are used to taking care of everything - pregnancy is a great time to get used to being on the receiving end.After the baby is born, your friends and family are likely to offer all sorts of assistance. Start practicing saying yes! |
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Feel free to take your complaints to your HCP. She is used to listening to pregnant women and can understand where you're coming from. (But if your HCP seems impatient with your questions, shop around for a new one!)Hanging out with a friend or sister who is also pregnant helps as well. |
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 FatherIf you look at your pregnant partner from the side, you can see that she already has a gentle roundness in her lower abdomen. A weekend away has done you and her some good. You went for nice walks and bike rides together, the food tasted to her like it did in the old days and in bed it was just like before. You don't have to worry that you will hurt the baby when you have sex. He is lying happily locked up and safely protected in his warm little nest. Perhaps instead of intercourse, you two get more pleasure out of lying next to each other, caressing, kissing and touching and giving each other a delicious massage. And: you don't have to worry about contraceptives because the baby is already on the way. You notice that making love goes even better for your wife than before her pregnancy because increased circulation has made all of her sensitive spots even more sensitive. |
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