15 Weeks TODAY!

From verybestbaby.com:

Your Baby’s Development

Now about the size of a softball, baby is developing a complete skeletal system and muscles, too.

Also this week, you can expect the following:

• On Baby’s head, hair will start to take on color as it continues growing.

• Bone marrow is developing. Marrow is the source of stem cells, which are special blood-forming cells in the body.

• Ears are almost in their final position now, although they are still a bit low on the head.

• Baby may begin to suck her thumb, so during an ultrasound, watch closely for this!

• Baby’s eyes are still wide apart, but as her head continues to take shape, her eyes will continue to move closer together and into their final position.

Your Development

At this time, your hard-at-work heart is pumping about 20 percent more blood than it was before you were pregnant, in order to supply Baby with more oxygen. This will continue until your blood volume has increased by 30-35 percent.

Also this week, your doctor may begin to measure your “fundal height”—the distance from the top of the uterus to the pubic bone. By measuring your fundal height, your doctor can determine if Baby is growing as expected. In addition to Baby’s growth progress, you may be wondering about gender. If you have an ultrasound during the next few weeks, the technician may be able to pinpoint your baby’s gender.

From pregnancyguideonline.com:

Fetal Development: If you have an ultrasound now, you may notice your baby sucking his/her thumb. The bones are getting harder each day. The baby’s skin is very thin and transparent; you can see blood vessels through the skin. Lanugo, a very fine hair, covers the body and will continue growing on the baby until around the 26th gestational week of pregnancy.

Maternal Changes:

Your uterus will begin rising past your hipbones any time now. You can feel it about three to four inches below your navel. During your appointments, your care provider will be measuring “fundal height” to make sure your baby is growing consistently and adequately. Fundal height is the distance from the top of the uterus (fundus) to the pubic bone.

Boy or Girl? Should We Find Out?

If you have an ultrasound in the next few weeks, the technician may be able to make an “educated guess” at the gender of your baby. (Keep in mind, gender determination via ultrasound is not 100% reliable and is only as good as the person doing the scan.) If you have an amniocentesis, gender can be reliably determined via the chromosomes. Neither of these tests are performed (or should be performed) just to find out the baby’s sex.

If your care provider recommends these tests for various reasons, ask yourself if you really want to know your baby’s gender. The majority of parents nowadays do want to know, but if you love a special surprise, it’s perfectly okay to tell the tech/care provider that you do NOT want to know the gender. Read what other StorkNet readers said about this

Ideas for Dad: Make sure you hug mom often. Research tells us that the more hugs mom gets, the more she’ll hug the baby (and you too)!

Inspirational Thoughts: A baby is someone just the size of a hug. ~Anonymous

From Babycenter.com:

How your baby’s growing: At around 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighing in at 2 1/2 ounces, your baby’s still small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. What’s new this week? Light sensitivity, taste buds, and a bad case of the hiccups, which is a precursor to breathing. You can’t feel or hear them, though, in part because the baby’s trachea is filled with amniotic fluid rather than air.

How your life is changing: You’ve probably gained at least 5 pounds by now, maybe as many as 10. Your uterus is growing, and you might feel pangs of pain caused by the ligaments stretching in your abdomen. You and your partner may be feeling a little stressed out now, too. Many pregnant couples worry about the baby’s health, what labor will be like, how they’ll cope as new parents. It’s perfectly normal.