Development of the Baby
Your baby continues to complete its miraculous development within you.
At 15 weeks pregnant, your baby’s eyes are still tightly closed and won’t open until about 23 weeks. But now he can notice the bright lights coming from his mother’s belly and hear the sounds.
Thyroid hormones have been working for a few weeks.
Last week, a fatty layer called myelin began to form in the nerves that connect the muscles to the brain. This layer develops further during the 15th week of pregnancy. Thus, there is an increase in the number of movements that the fetus can perform.
He/she can move his/her arms and legs much faster than his/her joints. He/she can turn his/her head left and right. Your baby, who is mobile enough to do flips, punches and kicks inside, performs almost acrobatics on your stomach. The umbilical cord, which consists of 3 vascular systems, provides the baby with the flexibility to perform these movements. It can make finger sucking movements.
At 15 weeks, the baby still continues to make involuntary facial expressions. He/she works on stretching the facial muscles by making gestures such as surprise, sadness, anger, and smile.
At the 15th week of pregnancy, her skin is still thin. The amount of fat under the skin is still small. The baby has grown fine hairs called Lanugo. It is estimated that these hairs, most of which are shed before birth and some of which are shed after birth, keep the baby warm until the formation of fat on the skin of the baby is completed. In babies born before 36 weeks, these hairs have still not shed.
The baby’s bones continue to harden until birth. However, it does not harden completely and maintains its flexible structure for a comfortable birth.
Ultrasound Image
How is the 15-week-old baby in the womb?
The baby is in the curved position. His hand is sometimes on his chest and sometimes on his face. As the skull bones harden, they appear whiter and brighter on ultrasound.
Is Gender Determined in 15 Weeks?
The development of the genitals in the baby is about to be completed within these few weeks. Well, is the gender clear at 15 weeks of pregnancy? Yes, your doctor can tell you the gender if your baby’s position is available.
Changes in the Mother's Body
At 15 weeks pregnant, you may feel like you are fully pregnant. Your clothes won’t be on you anymore, which can lead to disappointment.
So, how many months is 15 weeks? We can say that your pregnancy is 4 months and 1 week.
Your doctor may recommend amniocentesis for you at the 15th gestational week. When the baby is in the amniotic fluid, it pours some of the skin cells into this fluid. Chromosome structure can be determined by looking at these cells with amniocentesis. Since reliable information can be obtained from the skin rashes that have been shed so far, doctors recommend amniocentesis at 15-16 weeks. However, it can be done up to 18-26 weeks.
Amniocentesis is recommended when:
– If the age is over 35,
– If there is a risk of abnormality due to Down Syndrome and other chromosomes,
– If there is a high risk in the Dual Test and blood tests.
Amniocentesis is performed by inserting a thin long needle from the mother’s womb into the uterine cavity and taking a sample from the amniotic fluid. This fluid is sent to a laboratory for analysis. The results obtained from amniocentesis have an accuracy of 99.4 percent.
Amniocentesis is a risky procedure for the baby. Today, a blood test application has been developed that can be an alternative to this procedure. The test decision belongs to the parents.
Changes in the mother at 15 weeks of pregnancy are as follows:
– Difficulty in digestion, heartburn, feeling exhausted, constipation, increased appetite, swelling in the nasal tissue, nosebleeds, gingival bleeding, headaches, swelling in the feet and wrists and varicose problems,
– Similar to the symptoms you experienced before your period, there may be emotional ups and downs, crying easily, sudden anger and irrational thoughts and evaluations.
– You may have difficulty focusing and forgetfulness,
– You may experience groin pain at 15 weeks of pregnancy. This is due to the stretching of the ligaments and muscles that connect the uterus to the abdomen.
Points need to be considered
If you’re 15 weeks pregnant and have trouble sleeping, here are our recommendations:
– If you are having a normal pregnancy, spend your day active. If your body works during the day, you will sleep much more comfortably. Do not sleep too long during your breaks during the day,
– Always take care to go to bed at the same time,
– If your blood sugar is low, you may not be able to sleep. It’s good to have a light snack, like yogurt, before bed. Do not eat heavy foods before going to sleep, such foods can make you sleepy,
– Do not skip your dinner and do not overeat,
– Set your sleeping environment. It should not be too hot or too cold,
– If your sleep is interrupted because you need to go to the toilet frequently at night, be careful not to drink fluids in the evening. On the other hand, do not forget to meet your fluid needs abundantly during the day,
– Don’t think about things that worry you before you go to sleep. Share the issues that bother you a lot with your wife in the evening and relax,
– You can lie on your back until your stomach is heavy, that is, until your baby is about 4- 5 months old. However, it is still useful to get yourself used to lying on your left side from these weeks. Lying on your back can increase your low back and back pain due to your increasingly heavy stomach. This lying position can also bring stomach problems. Lying on your back also puts pressure on the bottom of your uterus. This causes pressure on the vessels that allow blood to reach the heart. Not getting enough blood to the heart is risky for the mother and the baby. For this reason, it is more ideal to lie on your side,
– Many babies lie in the womb, turning their bodies to the left. This prevents pressure on the vein on the right side of your body. If you lie on your left side, you will ensure that your blood circulation is healthy. Lying to the left also positively affects your baby’s blood circulation. At the same time, you sleep more comfortably.
15 Weeks Pregnancy Nutrition
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