At the age of 15 weeks, the tummy is already enlarged so that normal clothes become tight for mom, so she should buy special clothes for pregnant women. The tummy of primiparous women, as a rule, grows less than those of those who give birth again. Now, when early toxicosis is already behind, the future mother is in some euphoria from her position, completely surrendering to her motherhood. However, experienced mothers know how important it is to not forget about preparing for childbirth and continuing strict observance of all the recommendations of doctors.
Changes in the body at 15 weeks of gestation
At this time, gently probing the stomach, a woman may feel that the bottom of the uterus is approximately 7.5 cm lower than the navel. Her chest continues to grow, the tummy is already clearly visible. Due to changes in the hormonal background of a woman, her skin pigmentation intensifies, darkening of freckles and moles, midline of the abdomen, nipples and areoles is observed. All these changes should not scare her, they will disappear without a trace after childbirth.
The condition of the fetus at 15 weeks of gestation
By week 15, the baby’s height is from 12 cm to 14 cm, weight - about 50 grams. It is believed that by this time the baby is already able to feel and hear everything that is happening around him, he knows how to express his emotions with gestures and facial expressions. At this time, his heart pumps up to 23 liters of blood per day to ensure blood supply to all internal organs of the developing organism, while it beats twice as fast as the mother. From the 15th week, it becomes possible to determine the blood type of the child and its Rh factor, which can be significant in a situation where his mother has a negative Rh factor and his father is positive.
At week 15, the baby’s skeleton is formed, his brain continues to grow. The gall bladder begins to secrete bile. The boys' body begins to synthesize the hormone testosterone. There is a complication of the biochemical composition of the blood, metabolism is activated. During this period, the baby especially needs nutrients, vitamins and oxygen, so mom should be very careful about drawing up her diet. She should remember that for a pregnant woman, food is primarily nutrition, and give preference to vitamin and nutritious foods.
Possible sensations at 15 weeks of gestation
A future mother may have unusual taste preferences. However, following them, a pregnant woman must remember that during this period, more than ever, her body needs calcium. The fact is that during this period there is a rapid development of the child’s bones, and if he lacks calcium, he will take it from the mother’s body. This can cause fragility of her nails and hair, damage to teeth, night cramps.
Necessary medical supervision
At the 15th week of pregnancy, a number of important examinations are performed. A triple blood test will be added to the traditional general blood and urine tests, which is necessary to detect the content of three hormones, the amount of which can tell about the state of health of the future mother and the development of the baby in her womb. These hormones include:
- pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG); its level rises to the twelfth week, then its gradual decline begins. If the level of hCG is increased at week 15, then this is an occasion to suspect diabetes in the mother, impaired fetal development, and it can also indicate a multiple pregnancy. A reduced level of hCG is evidence of abnormalities in the placenta or the delayed development of the baby.
- protein alpha-fetoprotein (AFP); its number is growing until the day of birth. If the AFP norm is exceeded at week 15, this indicates the presence of violations in the development of the fetus and the course of pregnancy.
- free estriol; the amount of this main hormone of the estrogen group also increases throughout pregnancy. A decrease in its level indicates the presence of a threat of miscarriage and impaired fetal development.
General recommendations
It is believed that while carrying a child, mother is better to sleep on his side, to ensure freedom of the inferior vena cava. Starting in the region of the fifth lumbar vertebra, it goes down along the spinal column, passes under all internal organs and supplies blood to all blood vessels located in the hip, abdominal and inguinal region, and vessels of the lower extremities.
To facilitate the course of pregnancy and childbirth, expectant mother should not neglect contrasting water procedures (shower, douche), walks in the fresh air and simple physical exercises that will help strengthen the muscles and joints of the pelvis and lower limbs.
If there is a predisposition to stretch marks, a woman should use special creams and moisturize her skin well.
Weekly Pregnancy Calendar:
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