Week 16 of my pregnancy

Dates and numbers:
There are 163 days until your due date on February 16, 2009.
You are 117 days pregnant.
You are 3.8 months pregnant.
You are in your 4th month of pregnancy.
Your 1st trimester: May 12, 2008 to August 10, 2008. (0 - 12 weeks)
Your 2nd trimester: August 11, 2008 to November 23, 2008. (13 - 27 weeks)
Your 3rd trimester: November 24, 2008 to February 16, 2009. (28 - 40 weeks)


At this point of your pregnancy, your baby is approximately 4.3 to 4.6 inches long and weighs 2.8 ounces. Not only is your baby growing, your uterus and placenta continue to grow to accommodate the growing baby inside of you! Just six weeks ago, your uterus weighed about 5 ounces. This week it now weighs 8.75 ounces! The amniotic fluid that surrounds the baby is increasing and there is about 7.5 ounces of fluid. You will easily be able to feel your uterus approximately three inches below your navel.



This is an important week for testing and you will most likely have an AFP test done. This is a harmless blood test that is done to detect abnormalities such as Down`s syndrome or spina bifida. This is a non-invasive test and it carries no risk to your developing baby. Most doctors will offer the test, but in most cases it is completely optional.

Your milk glands start production at this time and this causes some tenderness and swelling in early pregnancy. Your veins will become more visible because there is an increased amount of blood flowing to the breasts.

At this time, your baby is holding her head erect. Because her muscles are developing, she can make some faces now. Your baby is able to squint, frown and open its mouth. There is enough calcium in the bones that they will show up on an x-ray. Your baby`s fingernails are well formed now and the legs are longer than the arms. Because your baby is moving well now, you may begin to feel his movements! Some women say that the early movements feel like gas bubbles or a slight flutter. If you have not yet felt the baby move, don`t worry. Fetal movements are usually felt between the 16th and 20th week of pregnancy.

You may feel your heart beating "louder" and harder. This is because there is a lot more blood in your body than normal. (about 20-25% more)