Thursday, May 13, 2010

15 Weeks- Development

Your Baby This Coming Week

Fine hair called lanugo covers your baby, who now measures about 4.3 to 4.6 inches (10.8 to 11.6cm) from crown to rump and weighs about 2.8 ounces (80g).

Fingernails are well formed and the arms and legs may be seen moving on an ultrasound. Your baby already has his own unique fingerprint pattern!

Your baby can hold his head erect and he can also make faces with his slightly developed facial muscles. Your baby may practice squinting, frowning and opening and closing his mouth.

Your baby's bones have enough calcium deposits to show on an X-ray. If your baby is female, her ovaries will be in place in her pelvis and more than five million ova (some of which may be fertilized to become your own grandchildren in another generation!) have formed.

Your Body This Coming Week

Your uterus is increasing in size and so is the amount of amniotic fluid it contains- about seven and a half ounces right now. You should be able to feel your uterus in the lower part of your abdomen.

A small portion of pregnant women are able to feel the baby move this early. When your baby moves, you may feel it like a slight fluttering in your stomach. Don't worry though if you haven't felt this yet as it is still very early.

Your breasts are changing. The milk glands in your breasts may start production, which can cause swelling or tenderness in early pregnancy. The blood flow to your breasts also increases, making the veins more visible and the Montgomery's tubercles more pronounced. Montgomery tubercles are the tiny oil producing glands which appear as bumps scattered around the areolae. They are said to both lubricate the breast to keep the skin healthy and elastic and to prevent the growth of bacteria. They will remain enlarged throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.

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