16 gestational week

16 gestational week corresponds to the 4th month of pregnancy and falls in the second trimester. The pregnant woman continues to enjoy the absence of toxicosis and constant mood swings. The fetus is actively growing, so is your belly.

If this is your second pregnancy, then in the 16th gestational week there are high chances that you will feel the movements of your future child for the first time. Now is the best time to start taking active care of your skin – against the appearance of stretch marks.

Fetal size and development in the 16th gestational week

• Height – 11.6 cm.
• Weight – 100 g.
• Head circumference – 12.8 cm.
• Abdominal circumference – 10.6 cm.

At this stage of pregnancy, there is already calcium in the bones of the fetus, the muscles continue to strengthen, which predisposes it to increasingly active movement. The future child makes grimaces – it can pinch its eyebrows, open its mouth, imitate sucking movements. Hand and foot movements. His skin is still reddish and blood vessels are visible. The subcutaneous fat layer is still underdeveloped.

The most important event in the 16th gestational week is the opening of the eyes. It can now move its eyelids.

You are only a few weeks, if not days, away from being able to observe and monitor your future child’s activity. Ideally, you will feel his movements every 10 minutes.

During an ultrasound examination, the doctor can easily determine the sex of the child. In girls at this stage, the uterus and vagina have already formed, and in boys the sex organs are already formed, and so far the testicles are still higher in position. In time they will “go down”.

At the end of the sixteenth gestational week, the child will be substantially grown. Its head and abdomen will be 12.8 cm and 10.6 cm in diameter, respectively.

The placenta continues to thicken and currently reaches 18.5 mm.

What does the pregnant woman feel during the sixteenth gestational week?

If this is not your first pregnancy, it is possible to feel fetal movements already at this stage. Otherwise, the usual time at which a pregnant woman senses fetal activity is the 20th gestational week. The more the child grows, the more clearly distinguishable its movements will be.

Currently, the height of the cervix is already about 16 cm. The abdomen is growing rapidly and you should already be experiencing discomfort during exercise. However, we recommend that you continue to lead an active lifestyle.

The muscles should be toned. This is the only way they will benefit the pregnant woman during childbirth. Another problem associated with immobility is an increase in the risk of constipation. You should know that constipation can provoke sweating, beyond the constant discomfort it creates.

To avoid this risk, it is advisable to exercise and eat properly. Discover those products that have a mild laxative effect.

During the 16th gestational week, it is possible that hormonal changes provoke serious kidney diseases. For example, pyelonephritis – a bacterial infection of the kidneys and urinary tract.

The reason for its unlocking can be the increased level of progesterone in the body of a pregnant woman.

Any infectious disease of the urinary tract can provoke a kidney infection. To control the condition of the urinary system, urinalysis is regularly performed.

At this stage of pregnancy, the health of the kidneys is important to be monitored, as any complication can lead to chronic problems with this important organ.

Vaginal discharge is one of the signs that tell whether the pregnancy is proceeding without problems. If it is light and milky in color, there is no cause for alarm.

When the characteristics of the discharge change, do not hesitate to consult your gynecologist. If necessary, additional analyses will be appointed.

If mild abdominal pain occurs, seek medical advice immediately. The risk of possible cervical erosion remains. And the slightest suspicion of this is a reason to share with the doctor.

The menu of a pregnant woman in the 16th gestational week

During pregnancy, it is not desirable to follow strict diets or exclude entire food groups. Some doctors consider it acceptable to exclude meat, as long as products such as eggs, milk and other dairy products remain on the menu.

You should know that complete exclusion of animal proteins can lead to a deficiency of certain amino acids that negatively affect fetal development.

Strict diets and any fasting is inadvisable for a pregnant woman. The health of the future child depends on your diet.

In addition to proteins from meat and milk, you can get such from nuts, seeds and legumes. Fish should continue to be present on the table.

We recommend that you continue to consume porridges, vegetable and fruit salads. Replace the usual salt with iodised salt. If you are prone to otics, you can replace salt with soy sauce.

Keep yourself hydrated – take no less than a litre and a half of water daily. Preferably plain water rather than sparkling or mineral water. Sometimes there is a risk of an imbalance in the body.

What is seen on ultrasound?

At this stage of pregnancy, you can already clearly notice the clavicle and lungs of the fetus. It already has a character and decides for itself whether to appear in person or not.

Go to 15 gestational week or 17 gestational week