At week 16 of pregnancy, you are now officially four months pregnant! Congratulations on nurturing your perfect little human being so far, mum-to-be. What developments in your little one can you expect at 16 weeks pregnant and in the second trimester? Let’s find out.
16 Weeks Pregnant is How Many Months
At 16 weeks pregnant, you’re entering the fourth month of pregnancy. Generally, pregnancy months are counted as 40 weeks, divided into 9 months, but since months aren’t perfectly aligned with weeks, it can be a bit tricky to calculate.
However, at 16 weeks, you’re about 4 months into your pregnancy journey. This period marks a stage of exciting developments as your baby continues to grow and your body experiences various changes to accommodate their growth.
Pregnancy Week 16: Baby
You’re in your second trimester now, and you know that the baby has been growing like crazy. The baby’s heart is beating around 110 to 120 times per minute, and his or her eyes can open, although they won’t be sensitive to light for a while yet.
The baby is also getting ready to start moving around—you may notice twitches or fluttering movements inside your belly, which is completely normal!
Baby’s Growth
Your little one, at the start of the week, is 11.2cm long and weighs around 80g. To give you an idea of just how big that is, they are approximately the size of an avocado! How cute is that? Towards the end of the week, your baby will grow, even more, reaching 11.4cm in length, and 97g in weight.
Your baby’s eyes are almost fully developed and their brain is also developing at an alarming rate. They have a fully-formed nose and mouth, but only a tiny bit of hair on their head.
And by now, they’ll have started to form a lot more of the important structures in their body.
The structure of their eyes is beginning to develop and the optic nerve has formed. Their ears are also becoming more pronounced and their mouth is starting to take shape. Their arms and legs are also starting to develop—you’ll probably notice them kicking around even more than usual!
And if you’ve been feeling any movement from your little one, that just means that they’re getting bigger every day and getting stronger every second.
Image Source: Thought Catalog
Baby’s Development
In this week-by-week pregnancy guide, you’ll learn that:
- Your little one’s heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and it will continue to increase as he grows
- Your baby already has skin covering his body, but it’s still translucent. Don’t worry as it will thicken as your pregnancy progresses. Hair follicles are also developing a pattern on your baby’s scalp.
- Your baby is busy strengthening his muscles, especially the ones in his back and face.
- Your baby is able to frown or squint.
- His eyelids are able to detect light now.
- His eyebrows and eyelashes are fully developed at this stage.
- With tiny bones growing in your baby’s ears, his hearing is beginning to develop.
Baby’s Hearing
You’ve probably noticed that your baby is getting bigger, but have you noticed how much more active they are? They’re not just growing—they’re also starting to move around, and their ears are developing.
That means your baby can hear the sounds around them! If you’re playing music or talking in a loud voice, they can hear it. But if you whisper or turn on quiet music, they can’t hear it as well. That’s because their little ears are still working out how to focus on different sounds around them.
It’s still too early for your baby to recognise any sound specifically, but this week will be an important one for their development of language skills in general.
Baby’s Teeth
At week 16 of pregnancy, the baby’s teeth are still forming. They’re not actually “teeth” yet—they’re just little buds that will one day become teeth.
We know that when you’re pregnant, it can be hard to imagine what your baby looks like right now. We don’t blame you! But just remember: all those tiny little bumps on your belly are actually tiny little baby parts that will one day become a whole person.
Baby’s Movement
Can I feel my baby at 16 weeks? How often should you feel baby move at 16 weeks?
You may be feeling excited about this week, as you’ll soon be able to feel your baby move around inside of you! This is called “quickening,” and will happen around week 16.
Now that you’re at this point in your pregnancy, it’s time to start feeling your baby move. Your baby’s movements are called fetal kicks and they can be felt at any time, but most often at night or when you’re resting.
But it’s not the time to start counting kicks yet, as they are far too irregular at this point. These delicate sensations can vary from person to person and even from pregnancy to pregnancy.
If you haven’t felt any movement by now, don’t worry: it’s normal for babies to be still for some time during their growth. However, if you do feel any unusual sensations or discomfort, contact your doctor right away.
16 Weeks Pregnant: Your Body
At this stage of your pregnancy, you’re likely feeling pretty much the same as you did at week 15. The only real difference is that you may be experiencing more fatigue and nausea. That’s okay! You’re going to need some time for your body to get used to the changes it’s going through.
You may also experience a lot of mood swings as your body changes and hormones begin to fluctuate. You might be feeling more emotional than usual, which can result in crying over things that would normally not bother you or laughing at something that wouldn’t be funny to anyone else.
You’re also prone to feeling very happy, anxious, or even angry. Some women even feel like they have no energy whatsoever! This is normal—just try your best not to let it get you down too much!
It’s also important for you to remember that if you do feel like something isn’t right with the baby during this time frame (or any other), don’t hesitate to call your gynae immediately.
16 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms
What are the signs of a healthy pregnancy at 16 weeks?
At 16 weeks into a pregnancy, several positive signs often indicate a healthy pregnancy. These signs can include a decrease in early pregnancy symptoms like nausea and fatigue, as well as an increase in energy levels.
By this stage, many women might notice their abdomen beginning to show a baby bump as the uterus expands. Feeling occasional flutters or quickening, which are the first movements of the baby, can also be a positive sign.
Here are good and not-so-good symptoms that you may start to feel at week 16 of your pregnancy:
- You might begin to feel your baby move–but just barely when you’re sitting or lying down, as these movements will still be very gentle. If you’ve been pregnant before, you may already recognise those tiny flutters, also known as quickening.
- Your lungs are beginning to get crowded leaving you breathless at times.
- With your uterus pressing on your intestines you may feel constipated.
- The good news in this week-by-week pregnancy guide is that your hair and nails will start to grow faster. Your hair will probably look and feel more lustrous than before, and you may exhibit that much-awaited “pregnancy glow” everyone is talking about.
- You may feel a stabbing pain on one or both sides of your abdomen. This is because of the stretching of your round ligaments as your uterus grows. Learn more about round ligament pain here.
- If you aren’t feeling it yet, you may start to experience gas and bloating after a full meal. It’s because the hormone progesterone relaxes your digestive tract, leading to these unwanted pregnancy symptoms. You may also start to feel back pain which can get worse as your baby bump grows.
- Some mums report becoming more forgetful and absent-minded during pregnancy. It’s unknown how or why it happens exactly, but it’s likely that it’s a combination of stress and anxiety, fatigue, and hormones that is causing this.
Image Source: iStock
Maternal Weight Gain
If you haven’t already, it’s time to start thinking about how much weight you want to gain during your pregnancy.
Women should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy, depending on their pre-pregnancy weight. For example, if you were underweight before getting pregnant, you will likely need to gain more weight than someone who was already a healthy weight before becoming pregnant.
The good news is that women who gain too much weight during pregnancy often have difficulty losing it after their babies are born (and vice versa). So don’t worry too much about gaining an exact number of pounds during this time—just focus on eating healthy food and getting enough rest each day.
16 Weeks Pregnant Bump
At 16 weeks pregnant, some women might start to notice a baby bump, while others might not have a very noticeable one yet. The timing and size of the baby bump can vary significantly depending on factors such as body type, muscle tone, the position of the uterus, and whether this is a first pregnancy or not.
It’s perfectly normal for some women to have a more pronounced bump at this stage, while others might still have a relatively flat abdomen. There’s a wide range of what’s considered normal, and each pregnancy is unique.
Can I Sleep on My Back at 16 Weeks Pregnant?
Sleeping on your back at 16 weeks of pregnancy is generally considered safe, although it’s recommended to start transitioning to sleeping on your side, particularly your left side, as the pregnancy progresses.
Sleeping on your back could potentially lead to some discomfort due to the pressure of the growing uterus on the major blood vessels, possibly reducing blood flow to the baby and causing discomfort for you.
The left side sleeping position is often recommended because it enhances blood circulation, allowing nutrients and oxygen to reach the fetus more efficiently.
Nutrition
Pregnancy is a time of change. Your body is going through some pretty dramatic changes, so it only makes sense that you should be eating differently, too.
What does your body need?
During pregnancy, your body needs extra nutrients and calories to support the baby’s growth and development. You might be surprised to find out that this doesn’t mean that you can eat whatever you want! You still have to be careful about what you eat because some foods can cause harm to your baby if they’re not nutritious enough.
The next few weeks are a critical time in your pregnancy.
You’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough nutrients for yourself and your baby, so that he or she can grow up strong. Here’s how to do it:
- Make sure you’re eating plenty of protein, iron and calcium (which is found in dairy products like milk and cheese).
- If you have any questions about what foods are safe for pregnant women, talk with your doctor or midwife before eating anything new or different than usual.
- Don’t forget to drink plenty of water!
Image Source: iStock
Pregnancy Care: Your Checklist at 16 Weeks Pregnant
- With extra stress on your back and pelvic muscles, you may want to perform exercises to strengthen them.
- You should continue to eat well and not give in to all the unhealthy pregnancy cravings.
- You may experience dry and itchy skin, so use a good moisturiser to keep the scratching at bay.
- With the baby’s hearing in place, it is time to get your husband to start talking so the baby begins to recognise his father’s voice.
- Time to sign up for prenatal classes if you haven’t already. KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital runs an ongoing programme for mums-to-be.
- This is also the time the “pregnancy brain” sets in, making you more forgetful. To combat this, create lists of what needs to be done!
Your next week: 17 weeks pregnant
Your previous week: 15 weeks pregnant
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