15 weeks pregnant: Your baby can hear your heartbeat now!

If you are 15 weeks pregnant, you are in your 4th month of pregnancy. As you are moving ahead on your bumpy journey full of excitement, you must be keen to know about the growth of the little one breathing inside you. By now you must have developed signs of pregnancy and the changes in your body would be quite noticeable. One of the signs must be the appearance of a dark line around your bump, do not worry about it.It will fade away once the baby is born.
In your second trimester, your baby will grow faster and you must now be able to feel it inside your womb. You will be excited to know that now your baby would have developed ears and could even hear your heartbeat.
How big is the baby?
As you have reached 15th week of your pregnancy, your baby's body is now in proportion. The body of the baby would have caught up with the head in terms of growth.
The tiny little creature living inside you now must be around 10.1 cm long, which is equal to the size of an orange. And though you would have gained 2 - 4 kilograms of weight, your fetus must be only about 70 grams.
Development of the baby
Layer of hair
A layer of fine downy hair called lanugo would have started growing on the baby. These fine hair keeps the fetus warm inside the womb until they develop the layer of subcutaneous fat, which will keep them warm once they are born.
Ears and eyes
Your baby's ears and eyes must be moving into place. The eyelids of your baby might still be fused shut, but it can recognize light. If you shine a light on your belly, the baby might move a bit away from it. It would be exciting for you to know that by now your baby would also be able to hear your voice and the first thing they will hear is your heart beating and your tummy gurgling. So now you can sing and chat with your little one. Isn't is exciting?

Taste buds
Your baby would have developed the taste buds too and they would be able to recognise different flavours.
Movement of the fetus
In the 15th week, the movement of the fetus starts inside your womb. It must be kicking, curling and waving its arms and legs. You might not be able to feel its movement right now because they do not weigh much.
Pregnancy symptoms and what to do to relieve them?
Red palms
Red palms or palmar erythema occur very rarely in a pregnant woman. It is caused by increased body temperature and blood flow. You must not be worried about it as these are not harmful at all.
Pregnancy brain
Yes, you read it right, pregnancy brain is a real thing. Pregnancy brain can cause you to do things you would never do normally. You may also start forgetting everyday things a lot. If this happens with you too, blame your hormones. This may also happen as your sleep is interrupted and it can take its toll on your memory.
Bleeding gums
You may also notice that your gums are bleeding a little while brushing your teeth and as the time goes on you may notice they are swollen too. It can be a sign of gum disease or gingivitis. Visit your dentist immediately, if ignored this would continue for a year after your baby is born.
Tips for you this week
If you have not yet started exercising, it is time to do so. Include daily pelvic floor exercise in your daily workout routine. Pelvic floor exercises will help to strengthen your muscles for labour too.
If you notice a visible sign of preeclampsia- which is marked by high blood pressure in pregnant women who have not had high blood pressure before- ask your doctor for low-dose aspirin. As per a study, a small dose of aspirin after the first trimester can reduce preeclampsia by 24%.
As your baby bump is growing in size, try to lie down on your left side. Lying down in this position is best as this eases the flow of blood in your and your baby’s body.
When should you see the doctor?
You may have more vaginal discharge than usual. This happens because more blood flows to your womb, cervix and vagina during pregnancy. Do not worry, it is normal as long as the discharge looks and smells the same as it did before you conceived. If you notice any change in its colour or smell, then it could be a sign of a vaginal infection. Meet your doctor if this happens or if your vagina gets itchy.
You may also get viral or coughs and colds more often during this time. Do not take any medicines without consulting your doctor.
Read here: 16 weeks pregnant: Your baby is the size of a pear!