16 weeks pregnant

Your Child is growing very fast and is moving around a lot.

An increase in blood flow through your body is preparing you for breastfeeding. 

Your Child’s development
Your Child’s eyes can slowly move, and the little one weighs around 100g and measures about 12 cm in length — the size of a tomato. 

Baby kicks: You may now feel Your Child’s kick for the first time. However, if this is your first pregnancy, feeling Your Child’s kick for the first time will still be a few weeks away. So, don’t worry if you don’t feel anything yet. It’s perfectly normal for it to delay a bit.

Position: Backbone and back muscles are gaining strength, so Your Child can now straighten out the head and neck. 

The ears: The ears, which have been transitioning to the sides of the head over the last couple of weeks, are now about to reach their final destination. 

The legs and toes: Your Child’s legs are well developed now. Movement is more coordinated, but this movement is still likely too weak for you to feel. At the very end of the legs, tiny toenails are forming now.

The heart: As the circulating system has now been established, Your Child’s heart is stronger than ever and can now pump about 20 liters of blood a day.

The transparent skin: At this point, the baby’s skin has no fat yet, which means Your Child’s skin is practically translucent and we are able to see all the blood vessels under that thin layer of skin.

The muscles: The muscles of facial expression are formed, but it will take several weeks to see the little smile. 😊

Your development
An increase in your blood flow is preparing you for breastfeeding. Unfortunately, this may lead to stuffy nostrils and an increase in vaginal discharge. 

Constipation: You may experience constipation, since the hormone progesterone relaxes your body’s smooth muscle tissues, including the ones in your gut. The implication is slow digestion and gut motility, resulting in bloating, gassy tummy, and burping.

Back pain: Soon, your back may start hurting because your enlarging baby may change your center of gravity and strain your back. Unfortunately, there is little you can do about it, and you may need to wait until after giving birth for the pain to disappear. However, using a pregnancy pillow for support during sleep may be of help.

What you can do
If you have constipation, make sure you take lots of fluids and fiber-rich foods. To reduce your stomach problems, it’s better to reduce your intake of foods that make it worse, such as cabbage and beans.

Track weight: It’s important to know how much to gain and when to gain it. By now, you should have gained # kg, based on your BMI. You may try to learn how to calculate your body mass index (BMI), which is the first step to determining your personal weight gain.

Eat well: As long as you eat right during pregnancy — minimize junk and maximize nutrient-dense foods  — you’ll likely be fine in the long run.