16 Weeks Pregnant
Here's what's happening during Week 16 of your pregnancy:
Your Growing Baby
Your baby weighs about 2.8 ounces (79 grams) and is about 4 1/2 inches from crown to rump—roughly the size of a small gerbil. At any time, you will begin to feel fetal movement as your baby's bones harden, and she starts a big growth spurt. Your baby has plenty of room: At this point, she could fit in the palm of your hand. This is a great time to be a fetus. At any given time, she might be playing with the umbilical cord (which she's now able to grasp), putting her thumb in her mouth, or kicking at the amniotic sac.
Your Growing Belly
Since you have almost a cup of amniotic fluid in your uterus, your pelvic area will feel heavy and firm. You're also carrying all the extra poundage your body's putting on that can be attributed to extra blood and fluid volume, your placenta and baby's support systems, and enlarging breasts.
It's normal to be gaining a pound a week at this point. If you have an appointment this week, your care provider may recommend an ultrasound to detect the possibility of genetic defects.
Tips & To-Do's
The First Kick
Wondering what your baby’s first noticeable movement in utero is going to feel like, and when you might expect it? Most women experience that first kick between 17 and 22 weeks, says maternal-fetal medicine specialist Alice Cootauco, M.D., of St. Joseph Medical Center in Baltimore. Here’s how some moms describe that miraculous moment >>
Things to think about this week
Experts agree you need more calories, more often, as a mom-to-be. While it’s recommended that the average woman take in 2,000 calories each day, according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), expectant moms need roughly 340 extra calories a day in the second trimester and 450 extra calories in the third trimester. Make the most of them with these simple recipes for nutritious small bites >>
