Pregnancy Week by Week

Pregnancy at 15 Weeks

Talk to your baby because the amniotic fluid that surrounds him will conduct sound. As well as your voice, he will be able to hear your heart beating and your stomach rumbling. Research shows that a newborn baby is very attuned to his mother's voice, presumably because he has got used to hearing it, even though it is muffled, from within the uterus.

Development in 15th Week Pregnancy

Although his eyes are fused shut, he is becoming sensitive to light and will appear to squint. If he has genes for dark hair, the cells of his hair follicles will be producing a dark pigment. He is opening his mouth and regularly swallowing amniotic fluid. He will turn towards the direction of any stimulus of his mouth.

Appearance in 15th Week Pregnancy

Overall, your baby's body is generally in proportion now and his legs are longer than his arms. As well, as the soft coating of hair over his body (lanugo) he is growing fluffy hair on his head. Very faint eyebrows and eyelashes are starting to appear, although his eyes are still closed. His skin is still very thin and translucent, and the complicated network of developing blood vessels can be seen beneath it.

Movement in 15th Week Pregnancy

Your baby is moving freely in the uterus as he still has plenty of room to do so. Although he may be laying head down one minute, he can easily be bottom down (breech) the next, as he twists and turns unhampered in the amniotic fluid.

Think about your baby
It is important to make time to think about your baby and to prepare yourself emotionally. If it is your first baby, you will probably know exactly how many weeks and days pregnant you are. However, if you have already had children, the weeks seem to fly by, often without a thought for the new baby inside you. This is where it can be beneficial to make time to attend aqua-natal or parent-craft classes because you can set aside time when you can think about your baby and chat to others about the pregnancy.

Why does the size of babies vary so much?

There are many things that determine a baby's size, some of which you have influence over and some of which you do not. Your baby inherits genes from two biological parents so, if both parents are small, he will probably be small as well. Lifestyle also has an effect on your baby's size. For example, your baby is more likely to be smaller if you smoke because he is receiving less oxygen and nutrients than he should. Your diet can affect the size of the baby, and if you eat a healthy balanced diet your baby is less likely to have a low birth weight. Medical conditions, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can affect a baby's size but these are things that your midwife and doctor assess when they feel your abdomen. If they had any cause for concern they would refer you for a scan to assess the growdi. The size of your baby at birth is not necessarily related to his eventual size as an adult.