It is believed that at the 15th week of pregnancy the most dangerous period is already behind and you can relax a bit. If the toxicosis has still not passed, most likely, it remains to wait another week. Most women report improvement in their condition only at 16 weeks. In the meantime, it remains to be patient and get used to their new status.
15 weeks of pregnancy is how many months? This is approximately three months and one week, if you count from the moment of conception, the obstetric period is a little more - 17 weeks (it is counted from the first day of the last menstruation).
Fetal development at 15 weeks gestation
At this time, your baby looks almost like a real man. Its weight is almost 70 grams, and the length from the coccyx to the crown is 10 cm. It has very thin translucent skin, and even a light fluff has appeared. Ultrasound clearly shows that the limbs of the baby are not yet proportional. This is evidenced by too long hands in relation to the legs and a large head.
But the most important thing at the 15th week of pregnancy is the beginning of the process of formation of the cerebral cortex. Such a complex process will last all month, but already starting this week, gyrus and grooves appear in the hemispheres. The central nervous system begins to control the body, nerve cells actively divide and their number increases with each passing minute.
The main organs, namely: the heart, gall bladder, kidneys are working at full capacity. The baby’s endocrine system is already active at 15 weeks of gestation, and boys even begin to produce testosterone. The sebaceous and sweat glands are in full swing. Your crumbs have taste buds, now he can taste the food you eat.
Another important point of what happens at the 15th week of pregnancy is the improvement of the respiratory system. The child swallows amniotic fluid and spits it out, thereby training the lung tissue.
At a gestational age of 15 weeks, fetal development can be considered completed. He will not grow anything new, from now on all organs will only improve.
Mom's sensations
Before the 15th week of pregnancy, the baby and mother are undergoing tremendous changes that could not but affect the well-being of the woman. Fortunately, the most difficult period is almost behind. Nausea at the 15th week of pregnancy no longer worries, many women note an improvement in mood and a surge of strength. Although, on the other hand, drowsiness, irritability and distraction are possible.
At the 15th week of pregnancy, frequent bleeding from the nose and gums occurs. This is due to an increase in circulating blood volume. For this reason, most pregnant women have nasal congestion. If unpleasant symptoms do not stop or are excessively aggressive, you should consult your doctor.
At the 15th obstetric week of pregnancy, you may notice increased pigmentation. This is indicated by a fading of the skin on the face, darkening of the areoles on the nipples and the appearance of a strip on the abdomen.
The chest continues to grow and get heavier. Frequent headaches, fainting, and spasms in the calves are quite possible. If you have these symptoms, you will probably need to take vitamin complexes.
Stomach
Slowly but surely your tummy is growing. Perhaps, at the time of 15 weeks of pregnancy, it is still not at all noticeable, especially for women with a thin physique, but very soon it will start to round up.
The uterus rises and now its bottom is located 7 cm below the navel. She is easily probed, and at the next examination, the midwife can easily determine how much she has grown, although for you this is completely invisible. Unless, of course, this is not a 15 week twin pregnancy. In this case, the stomach will grow much faster. And this is not surprising, because for the development of two kids you need more space.
Despite the fact that your baby is constantly moving and tumbling, you still can’t feel the movements at the 15th week of pregnancy. Now he is still too small and his mother cannot feel his tiny tremors. But a few more weeks will pass, and you will be able to fully feel the movements of your child. Recently, many mothers began to take memorable selfies in order to remember in the future what kind of stomach they had at the 15th week of pregnancy.
Physiological pain
The second trimester of pregnancy is considered the safest and easiest period for the entire pregnancy. It is recommended not to postpone important matters to the last trimester, because on the eve of childbirth much will not be enough time and energy.
In the meantime, at the 15th week of pregnancy, although the pains are manifested, in most cases they are physiological in nature and quite correctable without the participation of doctors. Symptoms that a pregnant woman may encounter:
- Heartburn. The uterus grows and presses on the stomach, from there the gastric juice splashes into the trachea and causes irritation and heartburn. In such cases, they recommend drinking milk or clicking seeds. If these products do not help, you do not need to endure discomfort and it is better to contact your gynecologist to prescribe a medicine.
- Constipation. The reason for constipation during pregnancy is the same - a growing uterus presses on all organs. This is an extremely dangerous problem that needs to be solved immediately, otherwise chronic constipation can provoke hemorrhoids and prolapse of hemorrhoids.
- Headaches. This is a fairly common occurrence during pregnancy. Before you resort to medication, you should try to just relax. A walk in the fresh air, a snack, a warm shower can also help.
All other pains and ailments are best discussed with your doctor.
Pain requiring medical diagnosis
It’s a completely different matter if there are disturbing “bells” signaling serious problems. So, for example, you should notify your doctor about any pain in the abdomen and lower back. Of course, the growing uterus can be the cause of such pains, but still excessive caution never hurts.
This is especially true for pain accompanied by bloody or brown discharge. Miscarriages at this period occur, although not so often, but the threat of termination of pregnancy always exists, therefore excessive vigilance can sometimes save a child and mother.
Analyzes
Usually, at the 15th week of pregnancy, a woman passes routine tests: a general urine and blood test. Nothing more is required. Unless, of course, the quantity and quality of the discharge does not cause concern for your doctor and he does not decide to take additional tests at 15 weeks of gestation, which is extremely rare.
Screening
A screening study of the second trimester occurs during the period from 15 to 17 weeks of pregnancy. This test includes ultrasound and a biochemical blood test. According to the results of the study, we can talk about genetic abnormalities.
It should be understood that even if the results are at the border mark, this in no way means that the child is 100% likely to be born sick. Just in this case, the risk of having a baby with chromosomal abnormalities is slightly higher than that of others.
In general, in fairness, I must say that risks always exist, regardless of the results of analyzes. And screenings, in fact, are considered uninformative and are more likely to drive women into a panic than actually help.
Multiple pregnancy
At the 15th week of pregnancy, twins, there were no significant differences in women's well-being. The tummy may be slightly larger compared to a singleton pregnancy. Nevertheless, the mother needs to remember that two babies grow inside her, and, therefore, it takes twice as many vitamins and minerals. Now, as never before, a future mom needs to eat right and move more.
Almost always, with multiple pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia and a lack of calcium develop, due to which teeth can be destroyed. Therefore, do not neglect preventive measures, include dairy products and as many vegetables and fruits as possible in the diet.
It is believed that pregnant women need to move a lot, but in this case, excessive activity is contraindicated. With multiple pregnancy, it is worthwhile to refrain from excessive physical exertion and more time to relax.
Cold
Now that you know how many months it is 15 weeks of pregnancy, it is not difficult to guess that the dangerous period is behind us and that a more or less stable time has come. The placenta is quite well developed and takes on all the protective functions.
However, no one is safe from colds. Unfortunately, fever can lead to premature detachment of the placenta, and viruses can cause irreparable harm to the fetus. Therefore, you should be extremely careful and monitor your health.
But, if you could not avoid a cold, and the virus attacked the body of a pregnant woman, before using any medications, including harmless at first glance, you should definitely consult your doctor.
What can a pregnant woman do at week 15 to alleviate the condition:
- observe bed rest or at least relax and avoid stress;
- increase the consumption of vegetables, fruits and seafood;
- if the throat hurts, you can rinse it with decoctions of sage or chamomile;
- when coughing, inhalation and rubbing help;
- with nasal congestion, rinsing of the nasal passages with saline is recommended.
Food
Everyone knows that everyone should eat healthy food. A pregnant woman is simply obliged to adjust her diet and exclude anything that can harm the fetus, namely: any carbonated and colored drinks, various fast food, chocolate, convenience foods, canned food and smoked meats.
The opinion that a pregnant woman should eat for two is fundamentally wrong. Excessive food cravings can lead to obesity, which in turn contributes to the difficulty of labor, and after delivery it will be very difficult to lose extra pounds.
For the full growth and development of the child in the womb, it is necessary to eat a sufficient amount of protein, fats and carbohydrates. Therefore, in addition to vegetables and fruits, be sure to eat meat, eggs, dairy and seafood.
Do not forget about vegetable fats, they strengthen the walls of the placenta. Therefore, season ready meals and salads with various cold-pressed oils.
Sex
Sexual life at the 15th obstetric week of pregnancy is, in principle, not contraindicated. As you know, when having sex, endorphin is produced, which is called the hormone of happiness. Such sensations will be most welcome for the future mother and child. In addition, uterine contractions during orgasm train muscle tissue perfectly. Naturally, a loving couple is advised to avoid rough actions and too deep penetration.
In some cases, the doctor may prohibit sexual activity. Typically, such a ban is necessary for obvious threats of miscarriage, for example, if there is a low placentation, cervical insufficiency or spotting.
Discharge
At this time, the risk of spotting is much less than at the beginning of pregnancy. However, this may happen. It is important to remember that any spotting, even in very small amounts, requires immediate medical advice. The same applies to streaks of blood and brown. The doctor will definitely take a smear for analysis and direct the pregnant woman to an additional ultrasound diagnosis.
Less dangerous, but still require attention to the following selection:
- very plentiful;
- curd cheese;
- green, beige, pink;
- having an unpleasant odor;
- heterogeneous consistency.
Any discharge accompanied by itching, frequent urination, burning or swelling of the external genital organs is a reason for immediately contacting a gynecologist.