What’s going on?
Your body is finally looking and feeling more pregnant now, with a visible bump to boot. On the other hand, you might be able to feel your baby’s first kick – especially if this is your first pregnancy.
Baby at Week 15
Your baby’s body is now more proportionate to his/her head, and his/her crown to rump length is around 11.5cm. Yes, your little one is as big as an orange and boy is he/she growing fast!
Although your baby/s eyelids are still shut now, he/she can sense light from the outside. So, if you were to shine a torchlight on your bump, your baby might move away from the light. By this week, your baby can also hear your voice – make sure you allocate time to sing and chat with him/her every day as this gives them a good start to language development.
Apart from being able to interact more with you, your baby is also keeping himself/herself busy by practicing on breathing, sucking and swallowing – these are essential skills that he/she must have upon exiting your womb. Also in the practice schedule are exercise sessions: your little one is kicking, curling toes and moving his/her arms and legs. With all the movement that is going on inside, you might be able to feel your baby’s kicks pretty soon (if you have done felt it already).
What is mum up to?
If you look closely at your growing bump, you might notice a dark line running from the top to bottom. Called linea nigra in medical terms, this dark line is what most pregnant women develop during pregnancy due to the concoction of hormones coursing through the body. Some women may also notice dark patches on their face as well, which is known as cholasma or the “mask of pregnancy”. Despite the unsightly appearance of these dark line and patches, there is nothing you need to worry about as they will fade soon after your baby is born or once you are done with breastfeeding.
Apart from changes to your skin, pregnancy could also cause your nose to stuff up more than usual and you can blame it on both the hormonal changes and increased blood flow to your mucous membranes. Better known as pregnancy rhinitis, this condition occurs when the nasal passages experience itching or inflammation, which causes the production of mucous in excess, nasal congestion and runny nose. Your doctor may recommend one of the following to help you treat pregnancy rhinitis: saline sprays, nasal strips and/or antibiotics.
Top tips for Week 15
With your bump getting more prominent now, you might need to make some changes to the way you sit, sleep and drive to keep both you and baby safe.
If there is a need to continue driving during pregnancy, here are some things that you need to look out for:
- Ensure that your seatbelt is positioned in such as a way that the bottom belt goes under your bump (and not across), and the upper belt goes over the top of your bump and between your breasts.
- Do adjust your steering wheel, especially if your car comes with fitted airbags
- Do keep your seat as far away from the dashboard or steering wheel as possible, but do ensure that you are still able to drive safely and comfortably
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