Pregnancy: May 08 Babies Community

Week 16

Feeling your baby kick? Testing your baby for diseases? These are only some of the things that might happen in your sixteenth week of pregnancy.

What Is Happening To Your Body

From this week to the 18th week of pregnancy, your doctor may offer you a maternal blood screening test. This test is also known as the “triple marker” test which measures levels of Alpha fetoprotein (AFP), a protein produced by the fetus, and pregnancy hormones hCG and estriol in the mother’s blood. The test tells the mother if their baby is at risk for neural tube defects, such as spina bifida, or chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome.

An increased blood level (mentioned last week) can also cause a stuffy nose or even nose bleeds.

You may also start to begin to feel your baby’s movements this week (This is due to hardening bones). These feelings have been said to feel like butterflies in your stomach (or popcorn popping) rather than movement and is called fluttering or quickening. Don’t worry if you still don’t feel anything this week, it’ll come soon enough as your baby moves more frequently and vigorously.

What Is Happening To Your Baby

Your baby now weighs 3.9 ounces (110 grams) and measures about 4.7 inches (12 cm) from crown to rump. Your baby is growing fast which leads to you seeing an increase in weight gain.

Your baby’s muscles are now developing to the point that it can hold its head erect, in a straight line, and its facial muscles can display a variety of expressions.

Your baby’s nails are well formed and he or she is emptying out their bladder every 40 to 45 minutes.

Your baby is also covered in lanugo and his or her ears have moved from the neck to the head.

 What Is Happening This Week?