15th week of pregnancy

Your body houses and protects your growing baby throughout the entire pregnancy. In week 15 of pregnancy, your baby will first perceive the sounds of your body around it. These sounds will accompany and soothe it in the coming months. Your growing belly is becoming more noticeable, especially when sleeping. In this article, you will learn what else is changing and find tips for possible accompanying symptoms.

How big is your baby in the 15th week of pregnancy?

Your baby is about 10 centimeters long this week, roughly the size of a lemon.

15th week of pregnancy: What changes are happening to you

The well-being that most pregnant women feel starting in the second trimester continues. Your Weight gain now weighs about two to three kilograms. The uterus is enlarging and continues to grow this week until it is almost under the navel. From the outside, it can already be felt well there. A side effect that you may have already noticed is Bristle Branches , also small veins that shimmer through the skin. The tiny spider veins develop due to the increased blood volume pumped through your body. Transporting this from bottom to top is quite a challenge for your body and causes rising pressure in the veins, leading them to expand and become visible. Spider veins are not dangerous, but if they bother you visually, you can counteract them with sufficient hydration, exercise, and light foot gymnastics while sitting (such as alternating tiptoe and heel stands and foot wiggling).

Perhaps you also notice this week that something occasionally slips your mind. You're not alone; many expectant mothers complain about forgetfulness. The trigger for this so-called " Pregnancy-related dementia “ is not fully clarified, but it is suspected that on the one hand, the rise in estrogen levels is responsible, but also that the brain focuses early on the relationship with the child and filters out seemingly unimportant things. So you don't have to worry if you occasionally forget an appointment or lose the key.

Fluid retention during pregnancy

If you haven't already noticed in the past few weeks, you might start to realize this week that shoes and rings are becoming tighter and your legs feel heavy at the end of a long day. The reason for this is (so-called edema), which about 40 percent of women experience during pregnancy. Water retention occurs due to the increased blood volume in the body. The blood vessels expand due to hormonal changes and become more permeable, allowing the fluid in the blood to more easily leak into the tissues. Fortunately, you can prevent or alleviate edema with some tricks and home remedies. These include:

• Avoid prolonged sitting and standing

• Protect girls from heat

• Elevate your legs regularly

• A lukewarm foot bath

There are still many other methods you can use to counteract water retention. You can read about them in the article "".

15th week of pregnancy: Development of your baby

By the 15th week of pregnancy, your child's hearing is already so well developed that it can perceive initial sounds. It cannot hear properly yet, but it can feel the sounds of your body, such as your heartbeat, your voice, and your digestive system, as well as muffled external noises through fine vibrations in its bones. Its hearing will continue to refine over the next few weeks, so it won't be long before it can hear properly.

Your baby's eyes are still closed, but its cornea, iris, and lens are already largely developed this week. However, it will still take some time before it opens its eyes in the 7th month of pregnancy. The fine lanugo hair covering your child's body continues to grow this week. It keeps your baby warm, whose skin is still thin and does not yet have a warming layer of fat this week.

His little heart is already fully developed and pumps a staggering 28 liters of blood through his body every day. The digestive organs, liver and pancreas, also begin their work this week. Your baby's bones are getting harder, and he continues to move his arms, legs, and the rest of his body diligently to train his muscles. By the 15th week of pregnancy, the neck is fully developed, allowing your baby to turn and nod his head. Things are also becoming more active in your belly: your baby plays with the umbilical cord or sucks his thumb for comfort.

This is now important

• If a small baby bump appears overnight and makes it harder for you to find a comfortable sleeping position at night, a few pillows can help. Simply place them in side-lying position under the belly and between the legs; they support your
  body and provide relief.

• Regular exercise is also good for you and your baby in the womb this week. Are you more of a couch potato? Then regular walks outdoors will also get your circulation going and prevent numerous pregnancy-related complaints.

• If your second prenatal check-up with ultrasound takes place this week,
  the gender of the baby will probably also be recognizable, as the reproductive organs of your baby have already developed sufficiently. Nevertheless, on average 19 percent of children are born with a different gender than previously determined. Such a surprise occurs, for example, when the apparent penis on the ultrasound is later revealed to be a small finger or a piece of the umbilical cord.
  

With our pregnancy calendar, we want to accompany you through this exciting time and provide you with relevant information, which also in exchange with our
LILLYDOO experts are being created. Nevertheless, the ones listed here can still
Never replace personal consultation with your doctor or midwife with advice. Always contact your healthcare professional for questions and professional care.