Your body houses and protects your growing baby throughout your pregnancy. In week 15, your baby begins to perceive the sounds inside your body. These familiar sounds will accompany and soothe your little one in the coming months. Your growing belly may also become more noticeable, especially at night when you’re trying to sleep. In this article, you’ll 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 sense of well-being that many pregnant women feel starting in the second trimester often continues. Your Weight gain is now around two to three kilograms. Your uterus is enlarging and continues to grow this week until it sits almost under your navel. From the outside, you can already feel it there quite well. One side effect you may have already noticed is Bristle Branches —small veins that shimmer through the skin. These tiny spider veins develop because your body is pumping a higher blood volume. Transporting blood from bottom to top is a real challenge, which increases pressure in the veins and can cause 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 gentle foot exercises while sitting (such as alternating tiptoe and heel stands and wiggling your feet).

You may also notice this week that you occasionally forget things. You’re not alone—many expectant mothers report increased forgetfulness. The cause of this so-called " Pregnancy-related dementia " isn’t fully understood, but it’s suspected that rising estrogen levels play a role. Another theory is that your brain is already focusing on your relationship with your baby and filtering out things that seem less important. So you don’t need to worry if you occasionally forget an appointment or misplace your keys.

Fluid retention during pregnancy

If you haven’t already noticed it in the past few weeks, you may 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 is fluid retention (so-called edema), which about 40 percent of women experience during pregnancy. Water retention occurs due to the increased blood volume in your body. Your blood vessels expand because of hormonal changes and become more permeable, allowing fluid from the blood to leak more easily into the tissues. Fortunately, you can prevent or relieve edema with a few simple tricks and home remedies. These include:

• Avoid prolonged sitting and standing

• Protect your legs from heat

• Elevate your legs regularly

• A lukewarm foot bath

There are 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 baby’s hearing is already developed enough to perceive the first sounds. Your baby can’t hear clearly yet, but can sense 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 the bones. Hearing will continue to refine over the next few weeks, so it won’t be long before your baby can hear properly.

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

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

This is now important

• If a small baby bump appears overnight and makes it harder to find a comfortable sleeping position, a few pillows can help. Simply place them while lying on your side under your belly and between your 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 can get your circulation going and help prevent numerous pregnancy-related complaints.

• If your second prenatal check-up with ultrasound takes place this week,
  your baby’s sex will probably also be recognizable, as the reproductive organs have already developed sufficiently. Nevertheless, on average, 19 percent of children are born with a different sex than previously determined. This can happen, for example, when what appears to be a penis on the ultrasound later turns out 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 is also created in exchange with our
LILLYDOO experts. Nevertheless, the information listed here can
never replace personal consultation with your doctor or midwife. Always contact your healthcare professional with questions and for professional care.