Week 16: Your baby is the size of an avocado!
It's the end of your fourth month, and your baby now weighs 2 1/2 ounces. At this time, your baby is holding her head erect. Because her muscles are developing, she can make some faces now. Your baby is able to squint, frown and open its mouth. There is enough calcium in the bones that they will show up on an x-ray, and baby's fingernails are well formed now. Watch what you say...tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes, and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming. She's able to kick her legs, which are measurably longer than the arms that she often swings about as she floats in a sea -- actually, 7 1/2 ounces -- of amniotic fluid. Because your baby is moving well now, you may begin to feel his movements! Some women say that the early movements feel like gas bubbles or a slight flutter. If you have not yet felt the baby move, don't worry. Fetal movements are usually felt between the 16th and 20th week of pregnancy. You may feel your heart beating 'louder'. This is because there is a lot more blood in your body than normal. (about 20-25% more)
Still not sure if I've felt any movement--there's a lot going on down there, so it's hard to discern baby movement from other movements. I'm going to assume s/he's lazy like us and just doesn't feel the need to waste all that energy kicking yet :p
We had a nice, laid-back birthday--Ian painted me a picture of Pippi, I ODed a little on cake mix, and then we browsed some bookstores. I tend to get a little swoonish when I've been standing too long (especially on the hot, humid Metro), so we came back early and watched some nostalgia-inducing movies :)
I have a picture from today (16 weeks and 2 days), which I'm a little hesitant to post because I look dumpy rather than pregnant, but I guess I've gotta keep it real, especially since it only gets rowdier from here on out! I have to remind myself that being pregnant is beautiful, even when it isn't so pretty :p
My next appointment is this Thursday, so I'll update if there's any news!
No comments:
Post a Comment