Week 15
Your baby is putting on weight – that little body is growing fast now to catch up with the head! Your baby’s legs are also growing longer, and their range of movement is increasing. Hair and eyebrows have started to sprout.Your baby's eyes haven't opened yet, but they can already sense bright light from outside the womb.
Looking more rounded?
You may be a little more curvy these days, as well as having a noticeable bump. Doctors and midwives don’t worry too much about how much weight you've gained at this point, unless you are very over- or under-weight. The average weight gain during pregnancy is usually somewhere between 10-12kg (22-28lb).
Have you told your boss the good news?
Although you don't have to tell your employer about your pregnancy until your 25th week, it's a good idea to tell them sooner, as there are a number of laws which protect you and your baby whilst you are at work.
Once you've notified your employer, you'll be entitled to time off for antenatal appointments and classes, and your employer will need to do an assessment of your working conditions and offer you alternative work if your job is dangerous for you or your baby.
What it’s like for the mum-to-be in week 15
Your body has now adapted as best it can to your pregnancy, and the second trimester is often considered the best of the trimesters. Hopefully, you can now enjoy this exciting time to the full.
Optimism
You'll be doing just fine in week 15, as your hormones put you in such a good mood that you may well feel like grinning from ear to ear. Your thoughts will be determined by this optimism, but also by a certain maternal cautiousness.
It's still a bit early to be able to feel your baby’s movements, but you’re doing everything you can for their wellbeing. After all, you’ll be thinking about little else other than the tiny person inside you who you’ll soon be cradling in your arms.
Your body changes
From week 15, it will become increasingly clear from your body that you’re expecting a baby, as your bump begins to grow. You’ll keep feeling a pulling sensation in your abdomen or groin as your womb grows. This is nothing to worry about, as long as you don’t experience any other symptoms.
Your body is also building up small amounts of fat that you’ll need later on to produce breast milk. We recommend a gentle daily massage with high-quality oil to help avoid stretch marks.
Strengthening your muscles and pelvic floor
If you haven’t done so already, we recommend signing up for a pregnancy class. The instructor will teach you gentle exercises to strengthen your muscles and pelvic floor during the time your bump is growing, as your pelvic floor in particular now has a heavy burden to bear.
Pregnancy classes will also help you to meet other pregnant women, who you can talk to and whose experience you can benefit from, and the instructor will have lots of useful advice and ways to treat the common symptoms of pregnancy.
