Pregnancy Week 16 -Time To Know Your Baby’s Sex

Week 16 is the best time to join the pregnancy clubs, meetings and chat with other women who are under similar conditions. This will greatly help you.

In these meetings, you might very commonly come across few concepts, which you have heard but you are not very clear about.

You will come across various changes during week 16 pregnancy.

What are the physical changes that occur in your body during pregnancy week 16?

Some women experience nasal congestion and nose bleeds. This is due to altered levels of hormones. This leads to the swelling of mucus membrane in the nose.

Softening of the tissues and increased blood levels can also cause this condition. Unfortunately, this condition can continue throughout the pregnancy. Increased blood volume makes your heart to work harder in order to support the pregnancy.

Deficiency of vitamin C can also lead to nose bleeds, so increase the intake of vitamin C rich foods. Avoid the usage of nose drops except saline, unless your doctor suggests.

By this week, you gain 5-10 pounds and you can feel the uterus below the belly button. It is better to sleep on the side. Lying on your back places your uterus on various major blood vessels, thus leading to decreased blood circulation to your baby. Also, don’t lie on your stomach because it puts pressure on your growing baby. So, it is better to buy a pregnancy pillow for better support.

Still your ligaments continue to stretch and there is a chance to feel pain or achiness in your abdomen. If you want to plan for amniocentesis, it is better to plan between 16-18 weeks.

Also, the period between weeks 16-18 is the best time to undergo an alpha-fetoprotein test (AFP). This is a protein produced by the fetus and the pregnancy hormone hCG and estriol in your blood. This test is useful to tell whether your baby is at risk of neural tube defects like spina bifida and chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome.

What are the changes that occur in the fetus during pregnancy week 16?

• By this week, your baby is about the size of 4.5 inches in length and weighs about 3.5 ounces.
• Your baby’s little limbs become longer and they come into the normal levels that the baby will have at the time of the birth.
• Your little one’s eyes start slight movements, but they are still closed. They come closer together so that they can face forward.
• Now your baby’s head is held high and movements of the limbs happen in a synchronized fashion.
• You will know the gender of the baby if you have an ultrasound [pregnancy ultrasound] examination.
• The facial muscles are well developed and they allow to make variety of actions like frowning and squinting.
• Your baby focuses his/her attention on complicated circulatory matters.
• Your baby’s hair start to grow and the growth continue until the end of pregnancy. You cannot know the color of hair until the birth of your baby.
• By this week, the umbilical cord is now tightly attached to your baby’s belly and provides numerous nutrients to your little one.

Fact for pregnancy week 16:

The period between 15-20 weeks is the time to get Maternal Serum Alpha-Fetoprotein Test (MSAFP). Any abnormal levels in this test indicate a greater risk of the baby to born with neural tube defects or other chromosomal abnormalities.