As you reach the end of the fourth month, you should expect exciting developments. This week you may feel the movement of the fetus for the first time. Inside your belly is a real human being who wants to make himself known to you. Your one-week-old baby is growing rapidly now and in the 16th week of pregnancy, and his transparent and pink skin is becoming more visible. Read on for other changes that you should expect in the fetus and yourself in the sixteenth week of pregnancy.
The state of the fetus in the sixteenth week of pregnancy
The fetus in the 16th week of pregnancy has a length of 11.6 cm and a weight of about 100 grams. He is now the size of a pear! However, it will grow rapidly in the next three weeks; His weight will be doubled and a few centimeters will be added to his height.
If you look at the photo of the fetus in the 16th week of pregnancy, you can see that now the lower body parts have grown more. His head is more straight and his eyes are in the front of his face. His ears are also near their final location.
Some organs of the fetal body are more complete in the sixteenth week of pregnancy, including the blood circulation system and urinary tracts and are busy. Her heart pumps about 25 liters of blood every day and her whole blood circulates several times throughout her body and this amount increases to about 190 liters in late pregnancy.
His scalp is also forming, although his hair is still unrecognizable. Her eyes are moving slowly even though they are closed and her toenails have even started to grow. But in general, her skin is now semi-transparent, so if you could look inside the womb, you could see the baby’s blood vessels under her skin.
Blood flows through the umbilical cord to the body of the fetus and delivers nutrients and removes waste from the amniotic fluid. The placenta also grows with the baby to support the thousands of blood vessels that carry nutrients and oxygen to the baby.
Height: 11.6 cm
Weight: 100 grams
Mother’s condition in the sixteenth week of pregnancy
Have people around you told you how attractive you look? Cheek redness (caused by pregnancy) is a fact that is caused by increased blood flow on the surface of the body’s skin. By stabilizing the amount of hormones and decreasing your nausea, you will also enjoy this period more. Also, due to the sharp decrease in the possibility of miscarriage after the fourteenth week, you will not have much concern about your child’s health, and this is another factor for your well-being!
Soon you will experience one of the best moments of pregnancy: feeling the movement of the fetus in your belly. Some pregnant women experience this exciting moment in the 16th week, while most women have to wait until the 18th week or more.
If this is your first pregnancy, don’t worry too much. This may not happen until the 20th week. The first movements of the baby may look like the movement of air bubbles or even the movement of a fish in the belly. In the following weeks you will definitely feel the baby kicking.
Important symptoms of the sixteenth week of pregnancy
In the 16th week of pregnancy, you notice interesting symptoms in yourself. Even after a long day at work, you feel so energized that you want to go shopping for baby clothes or go out to dinner with friends. At this time, you feel that your energy is back because your nausea is reduced and you are less tired. In this case, as the level of unpleasant hormones decreases, you feel more relaxed and you can control your emotions better.
Simultaneously with the increase in blood flow and the production of estrogen and progesterone hormones in the sixteenth week of pregnancy, the tissue inside the vaginal area may be continuously in a state of sexual arousal. Also, the color of the vaginal lips changes from pale pink and red to bluish purple, which is another effect of blood flow to all parts of the body. In addition, you may see new blue veins in the vaginal lips, and if you stand or sit for a long time, the number of these veins increases, which is nothing to worry about. These veins are different from varicose veins that occur in the leg.
The uterus is not the only part that gets inflamed and swollen. In the 16th week of pregnancy, the nasal membrane may also become inflamed due to the circulation of pregnancy hormones that are increasing in your blood stream. Inflammation and even nosebleeds may get worse during pregnancy, but probably the specialist will not give you any medicine or antihistamine nasal spray that will help open the nasal passage. You can safely use saline spray or nasal decongestants, especially if the stuffy nose is really bothersome. Another symptom that you may experience this week is dry, itchy and sensitive eyes. Once again, the blame is on hormones. It is better to use artificial tear drops for healing.
The fetus hears your voice
In the 16th week of pregnancy, the small bones in your baby’s ears are in place, so when you talk, the baby is more likely to hear your voice. Research has shown that children who hear a song in their mother’s womb will recognize the same song if it is read to them after birth.
Late abortion in the sixteenth week of pregnancy
Late-term miscarriage is very rare, accounting for only 2% of pregnancies. Late miscarriages often occur between the 14th and 20th weeks. Losing a child that you have carried so far is a huge blow. Symptoms of late miscarriage are much simpler than early miscarriage and include severe muscle cramps and bleeding. Large blood clots may also be passed with bleeding. If you see any of these symptoms, contact your doctor immediately. Although it may be too late to save the child’s life. Your doctor will take steps to keep you healthy. For example, you may be hospitalized for a while to make sure there is no bleeding. If bleeding and cramping continue after the fetus and placenta are removed from your body, a small surgery called a D&C may be performed to remove any pregnancy-related tissue that remains in your uterus. Also, after a late miscarriage, the doctor examines the factors that cause it to prevent its recurrence in the future.
Some factors of abortion after the first trimester of pregnancy are:
- Structural problems of the child such as spina bifida and congenital heart problems
- Maternal organ defects such as dividing the uterus into two parts
- causing problems in the fetal placenta, such as sudden termination or abnormal positioning
- Infections that lead to the death of the fetus, such as parasitic infections
- An infection that causes the amniotic sac to leak or cause premature death.
- Inefficiency of the uterus and its inability to hold the child
Swelling of the soles of the feet in pregnancy
If you haven’t put your favorite shoes in the closet yet, do it now because your feet won’t be back for a while. The high level of hormones in your body causes the body to retain more water and as a result, the legs become puffy. To avoid discomfort, put your legs above your head for 20 minutes several times during the day. This facilitates the return of blood from the legs to the heart. You can also lift one of your legs while sitting and massage the ankle of that leg in circular motions. Then repeat the same thing on your other leg to help the blood circulation in the body.
Sleep on your left side to reduce pressure on the large vein. Gaining weight may aggravate leg pain, so be careful about your extra weight during pregnancy. Remember to keep your feet above the level of your heart while watching TV or even at night. You can also put ice on the soles and ankles for 20 minutes every hour to reduce pain and swelling. At the end of pregnancy, you may have to buy bigger shoes. Avoid buying any shoelaces as they will be difficult to tie in the last weeks.
What should we eat in the sixteenth week of pregnancy?
If you are among those pregnant women who want to eat foods such as coco meat, macaroni, cheese, barley soup, spaghetti, meatballs, mashed potatoes and homemade chocolate sweets in the 16th week of pregnancy, consider these foods as a useful part of your diet plan. Enter your pregnancy. Replacing the ingredients in the recipes is the basis of the foods of the 16th week of pregnancy. If you want to make a meatloaf, use 93% ground beef with a combination of veal and turkey or ground breast. Mix grated carrots, zucchini or other vegetables and sprouts. Make pasta with low-fat cheese and boil instead of frying, and eat mashed potatoes with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese slices instead of butter and salt.
Reduce the consumption of non-homemade foods such as sausages, sausages and pizza, which usually do not have much nutritional value, as much as possible, and if necessary, it is better to eat pizza and hamburgers prepared at home using healthy ingredients.
Also, avoid eating leftovers and prepared foods during pregnancy. Canned and prepared foods, in addition to not having enough nutritional value, contain additives and preservatives that are harmful to the health of the body, so do not use canned foods.
Do not eat herbal decoctions
Herbal decoctions are known to be soothing, caffeine-free, and healthy. However, a label that says “vegan” or “healthy” does not always mean that it is healthy. Very few studies have been done on herbs, so no one really knows if they are harmful or not. A number of herbal decoctions have been found to put pressure on the uterus and may increase the chances of miscarriage or premature birth. Therefore, it is better to be careful in consuming decoctions during pregnancy, especially decoctions of mint, red raspberry leaves, mountain cypress, oregano, rosemary, and pine leaves. Consult your doctor before consuming your favorite decoction.
Swimming during pregnancy
The best exercise for pregnancy. Swimming is a sedentary activity and uses your muscles as well as your heart and blood vessels without causing any complications to your joints and ligaments. The chance of getting injured in this sport is very low and it also gives you a feeling of weightlessness, which is very nice for someone who constantly carries heavy weight. You can swim throughout pregnancy and as long as your doctor does not prohibit you from exercising. Remember to drink water before and after swimming, and if you swim for a long time, don’t forget to drink water in between. Swimming, like other aerobic sports, increases your body’s need for water. Be careful not to swallow pool water as it may contain bacteria. The pH of the water should be close to 7 and neither cold nor hot.
List of important tasks in the sixteenth week of pregnancy
- Make sure you get enough calcium. You can get this important element from low-fat dairy products or supplements.
- Try to reach the final result with your wife about the name of your child.
- Ask your mother or grandmother about their experiences during childbirth.
- Plan a romantic weekend even if you’re staying at home.
Estimate the gender of the fetus
If the heart rate of the fetus is 140 per minute, it means the baby is a boy, more than 140 means it is a girl. This is a theory that has always been around, but the truth is that it is false and known to be unfounded in medicine. All the experiences you heard from grandmothers or similar things on the internet are only 50% accurate with gender determination. If you want better possibilities than these, ultrasound is your answer.
Ultrasound of the sixteenth week of pregnancy
In the 16th week, if you want to see a close-up image of the fetus, its facial features are more obvious. Note that the length of the nasal bone is measured in the ultrasound of the sixteenth week of pregnancy. This specialized measurement may be useful in screening for certain genetic disorders.
go on a trip
When your baby is born, you and your partner will no longer be able to spend a weekend alone together. Do not miss this opportunity. In the 16th week, you have a good opportunity to travel. So don’t wait any longer because with the beginning of the third trimester, traveling may become very tiring and painful for you. If you can’t travel, visit your city and enjoy meeting each other. Even a dinner for two and a movie can be a good option