Week 15

Your baby is now able to move their limbs, although you might not feel these movements yet. Other pregnancy related aches and symptoms, such as headaches, heartburn etc. might make an appearance. But you can take a few steps to alleviate or prevent this.

At roughly 12cm, your baby is developing fine downy hair all over their body, called lanugo, which helps to keep them warm before the layers of fat develop later.

Their bones are beginning to harden and growing eyebrows and facial muscles allow them to make a range of facial expressions. Your baby now has tastebuds and can taste the sweetness of your amniotic fluid as they inhale it to strengthen their lungs. Their legs are growing longer than their arms and they’re now able to move all of their joints.

Physically, you might feel like you’re salivating more and suffering from a blocked nose. It’s partly due to the hormonal changes pregnancy brings, but also because you’re more likely to pick up colds during pregnancy as your immune system is serving not only you, but your baby too. If you do get ill and want to take something, be sure to check the labels; some medications aren’t safe to take during pregnancy. If in doubt, ask your doctor.

Mentally, you may feel your memory isn’t quite as sharp as usual and your concentration span is shorter. Some research suggests that the brain changes size while you’re expecting, but it may be down to having a lot on your mind or just nature’s way of slowing you down.

Click here to read about pregnancy scans >>

If you’d like to talk about this or any other aspect of your pregnancy, just get in touch with our Careline team for advice and support between the hours of 9am and 6pm Saturday to Thursday.