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Week 15

What's Happening To Your Body

Has it sunk in that you’re pregnant yet? Many women claim that it doesn’t really hit until they trade in their jeans for maternity clothes, which usually happens sometime around this week.

This week, you should schedule your amniocentesis, if you plan on having one. This test is usually done after 15 weeks of pregnancy. (Learn more about prenatal tests.)

Your heart is working overtime to supply your baby with oxygen. It's pumping about 20% more blood than it was before pregnancy. Your heart will continue increasing the amount of blood that it pumps, reaching around a 30 to 50% increase in blood volume over your pre-pregnancy amount.

As your abdomen increases in size, you may find that it grows harder to find a comfortable sleeping position. For many women, the most comfortable sleeping position is on the left side with a pillow wedged below their legs.

What's Happening To Your Baby

Your baby is the size of an apple. Your baby measures about 4 inches (10.2 cm) long from crown to rump. At this point, your baby weighs about 1.75 ounces (50 grams). The speed of your baby’s growth is picking up over the next few months.

Your baby’s skin has developed but is so thin and translucent that you can see through to its blood vessels. The skeletal and muscular systems continue to develop as your baby slowly becomes more active. His or her bones harden and retain calcium.

Some fine hairs, or lanugo, are also developing all over your baby’s face. This hair will eventually cover your entire baby and will be shed before birth.

If you’ve been pregnant before, you may feel your baby start moving at this time. If this is your first pregnancy, it will probably be another few weeks before you feel any movement.

Read This Next: Week 16

In Case You Missed It: Week 14