Pregnancy Week 16

Your 16th Week of Pregnancy
The Second Trimester

Your Baby - 16 Weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy Week 16 Your baby's nails are well formed and some babies are even in need of having their nails trimmed at birth. Your baby is emptying his or her bladder every 40-45 minutes. The limb movements are becoming more coordinated and vigorous. The head is erect and the legs are developed. Both the gender and muscle movements are easily detectable with ultrasound. Your baby is approximately 4 inches long and weighs about 80-85 grams (3 ounces).

Your Body - 16 Weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy Week 16 You may begin to feel your baby's movements as his bones begin to harden. These first feelings have been said to feel more like butterflies in the stomach, rather than actual fetal movement - and is called fluttering. Another common name for these movements is quickening. However, if you have a thick or anterior uterus, are overweight, or this is your first pregnancy, you may not feel these first movements yet. Don't worry. As your baby moves his muscles more frequently you will be more aware of your baby's presence.

Your heart continues to increase the blood volume output to supply the baby with oxygen. Your enlarged heart is pumping about 20 percent more blood than it did before you were pregnant. This volume will actually continue to increase throughout your pregnancy and will result in an increased heart output of 30-50 percent by the time of delivery. However, this increase in blood volume may lead to a stuffy nose or even nose bleeds on occasion. As your blood volume increases it affects your estrogen level, and that leads to swelling of the nasal membranes, resulting in the stuffy nose or nosebleeds.

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Common Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 16

Breast Changes: tenderness, fullness, darkening of the areola
Frequent Urination
Constipation
Heartburn or Indigestion
Headaches
Stretch Marks
Itching

Early Pregnancy Questions

Babies Online Members in their 16th week of pregnancy have commonly asked the following questions:

Of Special Interest

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Your pregnancy is determined from the date of last menstral period, not date of conception. Each pregnancy, expectant mother, and unborn child is different. Your pregnancy may not progress the same as the information found here. The information here is based on the average pregnancy. It is not meant to be a replacement for any advice your may recieve from your doctor. If you have any concerns about your pregnancy, we advise you to contact your doctor.

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