- Preparing for Pregnancy
- Diet and Exercise
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Health
- Antenatal Care
- Preganancy at 1-3 Weeks
- Preganancy at 4 Weeks
- Preganancy at 5 Weeks
- Preganancy at 6 Weeks
- Preganancy at 7 Weeks
- Preganancy at 8 Weeks
- Preganancy at 9 Weeks
- Preganancy at 10 Weeks
- Preganancy at 11 Weeks
- Preganancy at 12 Weeks
- Preganancy at 13 Weeks
- Preganancy at 14 Weeks
- Preganancy at 15 Weeks
- Preganancy at 16 Weeks
- Preganancy at 17 Weeks
- Preganancy at 18 Weeks
- Preganancy at 19 Weeks
- Preganancy at 20 Weeks
- Preganancy at 21 Weeks
- Preganancy at 22 Weeks
- Preganancy at 23 Weeks
- Preganancy at 24 Weeks
- Preganancy at 25 Weeks
- Preganancy at 26 Weeks
- Preganancy at 27 Weeks
- Preganancy at 28 Weeks
- Preganancy at 29 Weeks
- Preganancy at 30 Weeks
- Preganancy at 31 Weeks
- Preganancy at 32 Weeks
- Preganancy at 33 Weeks
- Preganancy at 34 Weeks
- Preganancy at 35 Weeks
- Preganancy at 36 Weeks
- Preganancy at 37 Weeks
- Preganancy at 38 Weeks
- Preganancy at 39 Weeks
- Preganancy at 40 Weeks
- Labour and Birth
- The First Few Days
Pregnancy at 16 Weeks
Your baby is fully formed and is continuing to grow rapidly. When you see an ultrasound image of her you might even feel that you can discern familiar facial features, such has her father's chin, or your mother's nose! You may also be surprised by her athletic prowess as you see her turns and squirms in the uterus, playing and exploring her environment.
Development
If your baby is a girl, more than 4 million eggs will have formed in her ovaries, although this number will reduce by the time she is born.
Nails are appearing on her fingers and toes, and her skeleton has developed to such an extent that it would be visible on an X-ray. Although she is receiving oxygen from blood, via the umbilical cord, she is practising breathing movements, encouraging her lungs to develop.
Appearance
Your baby's face looks human in appearance, particularly now she can produce different expressions. She can hold her head up straighter, yawn and may even suck her thumb.
Movement
This is the earliest stage at which you can feel your baby move, especially if this is not your first child. She is making a lot of movements, but they will be very subtle. At first, you may not be sure whether she is moving at all. Imagine the fluttering of a miniature butterfly or the popping of bubbles in a fizzy drink - a tiny movement - that is barely discernable and can sometimes be mistaken for wind! If you have any anxiety about not being able to tell if she is moving or not, do not worry. Her movements will get stronger each week, until you are in absolutely no doubt at all when she moves.
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