At
16 weeks pregnant you are already well on your way to becoming a mother and you will have already grown a lot closer to your as yet unborn baby. At this stage it would only be natural for you to ask ‘
how big is my baby when I am 16 weeks pregnant?’ Week 16 is in the fourth month, which would be early in the second trimester. The second trimester is considered the golden trimester where the niggling first month trimester is behind you while you have not yet gained all that pregnancy weight.
At
16 weeks pregnant, the baby weighs about 3.5 ounces. The
size of the baby at 16 weeks in the pregnancy is about 5 inches. At 16 weeks of your pregnancy, the actual size and age of the baby is 14 weeks old. At the 16 weeks fetus ultrasound, your doctor can even tell you the sex of your unborn baby. At
16 weeks,
fetal development is considerable and it can hear external voice and starts to sleep and dream in the womb. There is definite fetal movement at 16 weeks. Your baby‘s bodily functions such as its urinary system would already be functional, with your baby emptying its bladder every 45 minutes.
The baby’s nails have formed, as have the ears which have moved to the head. Your baby is also covered with a protective down Fat cells begin to form underneath the baby’s skin. Your baby’s tiny lungs have formed and it is now able to breathe in the womb. The baby is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. Your baby’s heart is now pumping blood and can pump up to 6 gallons of blood. Your baby’s heart is beating doubly fast as compared to yours as it is improving circulation in that little body and helping the organs grow. The whorl pattern on the baby’s head is forming and can be spotted during the ultrasound. The baby also develops reflexes in this stage. Your baby’s vision is developing and it also performs sucking and swallowing motions. The baby also learns to play with the umbilical cord. The baby’s limbs are also becoming coordinated.
You may feel the need to rest more as your baby grows more rapidly in this trimester. Some pregnant women even feel calmer in this trimester. All those additional hormones even add a pregnancy glow to the mother. Your uterus expands to 100 times its original size now. Starting week 16, you will start to feel movements of the baby resembling butterflies in the stomach. Sometimes if the baby moves suddenly, you could feel some pain which is the uterine wall being stretched by the baby. If it is too frequent, you can bring it to the notice of your healthcare advisor.
Submitted by N on April 5, 2011 at 07:31
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