Week 16

Your bump

Your baby could fit in the palm of your hand, the feet are 2 cm long and the diameter of the head is about 3 cm. He or she frowns, sucks its thumb, and swallows water which can give the hiccups, but you won’t feel that until later. Your baby’s hair is growing. There are eyebrows and clearly visible nails. Colourless fine hair, called lanugo hair, now starts to cover the body. It is thought that the purpose of this is to retain the vernix, which will form over the coming four weeks. It’s a greasy substance that will protect the baby’s thin skin.  The lanugo hairs do not disappear until towards the end of gestation. It’s a great time being a baby right now. There is plenty of space for kicking and moving. Illustration by Karoline Lenhult 

You

If this is your second child, it is possible that you can feel the kicks already. Many women describe the feeling as ”gas bubbles” or ”flutterings”. Often it’s something you have noticed for a few days or more, but you didn’t realise what you were feeling. But don’t worry if you haven’t felt anything yet. Foetal movement is usually felt between 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. Some babies are more active than others. They have their own personalities already. Have you noticed that it is not that comfortable lying on your back? Just don’t do it. In that position the baby presses on your aorta and cuts off the blood flow through your body. That’s why it feels like you want to faint.

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