15 Weeks Pregnant Guide – Know All about the Parental Care!

Every week of pregnancy is accompanied by certain defined symptoms. By week 15 of pregnancy, your baby will move a lot. But you will not feel those movements. You are almost going to complete 4^th month of pregnancy now. You can also start talking to your baby from now onwards. Read the article, 15 weeks pregnant guide for parental care knowledge and much more!

You may have an increased libido this week too. It is observed that as the blood flow starts to increase in the body, it will start to affect the gums, lining of the nose and airway. Don’t worry if there is slight bleeding in these areas

15 Weeks Pregnant Guide – Symptoms 

Here are some of the 15 weeks pregnancy symptoms that you may start to experience-

• Increased Libido – You will feel energetic and excited by now. Some women experience a boost in their sex drive too. It’s safe to involve in sex unless you are refrained by your doctor.
• Forgetfulness – By this time you may forget a lot of things. Like, you may involve in search of your house keys before leaving home. Your hormones which can take a toll on the memory leading to forgetfulness. Also, this may cause some moments which are very funny yet irritating.
• Nose bleeding – It happens since your nasal passages may become extra sensitive. This extra sensitivity is due to the increased amount of blood volume.
• Indigestion and Heartburn – eating spicy and oily foods may aggravate this issue. So, pay attention to your eating habits. You can take antacids to get relief. But check with your doctor about their intake safety.
• Sensitive Gums – Your gums get more sensitive during week 15 of pregnancy. You must take care of your gums. Brush your teeth often, floss and do regular checkups with the dentist. Maintaining oral hygiene is very important. Use a soft toothbrush for brushing teeth.

Common problems during15^th Week Pregnancy

In the 15 weeks of pregnancy, you may have –

• Gas and bloating – The higher levels of progesterone cause the gastrointestinal muscles to relax. That way the nutrients can be absorbed for foetus growth and development. It also causes gas and bloating in pregnant ladies.
• Disturbed Sleep -You may also face difficulty in sleeping. Due to leg cramps, frequent urination and heartburn, your sleep gets disrupted. Many pregnant women do suffer from insomnia.
• Infection – In fact, the urinary bladder and tract infections are very common. They also need proper treatment. Rush to your doctor if you’re having a urinary tract infection along with – abdominal cramps, nausea, bleeding in the stools, vomiting, fever.

Precautions for Week 15 of Pregnancy

The precautions you should take are –

• Avoid going to saunas or hot tubs. Because the environment temperature is higher than the normal temperature of the body.
• It is better to avoid taking treatments which include exposure to radiation. X-rays can affect the growth and development of your baby.
• Consult your doctor if you are taking certain medicines for pre-existing diseases. He will give you the right direction.
• Do your exercise regularly. Start brisk walks, jogging, swimming or yoga. Start with pelvic muscle exercises now for a less stress-free normal delivery. Exercises are to be done as recommended by your doctor

• You shouldn’t hold urine because it can lead to the urinary tract infection. Pregnant women are very susceptible to this. Never douche, or wipe from back to front to reduce the risk of UTI. Talk to your doctor if you notice any signs of UTI’s.

15 Weeks Pregnant Guide – Baby Growth and Development

At this stage, the baby is quickly growing.

• The size of the baby’s body is in proportion to its head.
• The legs will begin to grow longer than her arms. The bones of the skeleton start to get visible.
• The air sacs of the lungs develop since the amniotic fluid passes through the upper respiratory tract and nose.
• A baby also begins to develop taste buds and recognises flavours.

• Baby’s body starts to develop a layer of hair. The hair is very fine in structure and called Lanugo. It keeps their body warm until they develop a subcutaneous fat layer.
• The eyelids of a baby are shut but it does recognise the light.
• The baby also develops reflexes like gasping, swallowing, sucking.

Baby Size in Week 15 of Pregnancy

In 15^th week of pregnancy, your baby is approximately 10.1 cm long. By now, the baby is of the size of an apple.

Parental Care 

The parental care you need is –

• The uterus moves into the abdominal cavity due to increase in size. The pregnant woman’s centre of gravity starts to shift. And to remain upright the body has to realign itself constantly.
• Second trimester onwards, you’ve to meet the doctor at least once every month. By now, the doctor will check and measure the heartbeat of the foetus. He may also ask you to test protein and sugar levels. The doctor will enquire about your and partner’s Rh factor. Also, he will cross check for family history of diabetes, thyroid etc.

Changes During 15 Week Pregnancy

Change in Feelings 

During the 15^th week of pregnancy, you may notice a little more weight gain. You may find yourself getting conscious or uncertain about your physical appearance. Talk to your partner openly to relive the stress. Early pregnancy symptoms will settle down now and you’ll start to feel better. Also, you’ll experience an increase in sex drive due to your energy regain.

All Visible Changes 

What changes you will experience during week 15 of pregnancy?
You’ll start to feel better since the morning sickness symptoms start to subside.
The blood flow will start to increase in the body thereby –

1. Affecting the gums
2. Lining of nose
3. Airways

You may experience an occasional

1. Nose bleed, Stuffy nose
2. Congestion
3. Bleeding of gums

There can be slight changes in your skin. The dark colour of the face, areolas around the nipples is normal. A line will appear running from the pubic bone till the naval region. The breasts will also keep growing. They won’t be sour or tender now. Instead, the nipple may get sensitive during the rest of the pregnancy. There will be a slight weight gain too.

15 Week Pregnant Guide – Physical Changes 

In week 15 of pregnancy, the breasts will look bigger and fuller. As the milk-producing glands enlarge, the breasts will keep growing. In the second trimester, there will be a slight gain in the weight. You’ll notice some changes in your waistline as the uterus keeps getting enlarged. The areas around the face may get dark. Areolas around the nipples will darken for getting prepared for breastfeeding. You can also notice a line called linea nigra. This line runs from the naval region to the pubic bone.

15 Weeks Pregnant Guide – Recommended Diet 

What should you eat during the 15^th week of pregnancy?

Dietary Dos – You have a baby growing inside you and you may need extra nutrients. These nutritive calories in your diet enhance the growth and development of the baby.

• Calcium – You should eat foods rich in calcium content, like milk and milk products. Make sure that they are pasteurised. Lack of calcium may lead to problems like osteoporosis to mother in future. Your body and the baby would need a high amount of calcium. This will be required for healthy bone development in babies. 2 glasses of milk or around 500 gm of curd will be sufficient.
• Iron supplements – You should take folic acid and iron supplements as recommended by your doctor. Include natural sources of folic acid in the diet through beetroot, broccoli etc. Remember less amount of iron can make you anaemic. Include poultry, fish, lean meat, spinach, pulses, fortified cereals, lentils etc.
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids –It is required for the development of brain, nerves and eyes. Be aware your diet consists of enough amount of omega 3, 6, 9. Fatty acids are present in olive oil, tinned light tuna, nuts and freshwater fish etc. Fatty acids are helpful in – lowering the risk of premature labour, low birth weight, mental retardation.
• Vitamin C – Keep in mind that for body needs vitamin C to absorb the iron. So, include vitamin C source like orange juice, lemonade at the same time.
• Fibrous food – You must include fibre rich foods in your diet. These foods help in reducing the symptoms of constipation. Whole-grain foods, spinach, oats are very good examples of fibrous food. Make sure to drink enough amount of water since fibrous foods absorb moisture from the body during digestion.
• Balanced Diet – Include all food groups in your pregnancy diet plan. Like intake of whole grains, protein, fruits, vegetables etc.
• Vitamin D – Get your daily intake of Vitamin D from foods such as Light tuna, Salmon, Egg yolk, fish liver oil, Fortified milk etc. 

Which food you should avoid during the 15^th week of pregnancy?

Dietary Dont’s

• Undercooked / Raw Meat – Never consume undercooked or raw meat, seafood, eggs etc. Its intake is restricted since they contain disease-causing microorganisms.
• Unpasteurised milk products – Do not eat unpasteurised milk products which may harbour harmful pathogens. Avoid intake of unpasteurised milk, soft cheese etc.
• Refined flour – Maida or refined flour can cause haemorrhoids, constipation and is difficult to digest. So, avoid food items made of refined flour like noodles, pizza, momos etc. Instead, opt for multigrain or whole-grain flours.

• Dry fruits – Do not eat too much of dry fruits. As they are very warm by nature so, limited intake is recommended. They can cause early contractions.
• Sea Foods – Don’t eat seafood with toxic compounds like mercury. This can be very dangerous for the growth of your baby.
• Alcohol – It isn’t recommended to drink alcohol as it’s injurious to health during pregnancy. It can hamper the foetus growth or cause birth defects like foetal alcohol syndrome.
• Caffeine – Avoid caffeine intake or minimise to 2 cups a day. It can cause many birth defects or premature birth. Caffeine may be also present in certain other food items like chocolates. A lot of tea/coffee intake lessens the absorption of iron in the body. So, it is recommended to limit their intake.
• Smoke – Stop smoking as it can be life-threatening for the foetus. Many problems can break out due to smoking. The problems can be decreased birth weight, infections in the foetus, decreased immunity. It can also cause sudden infant death syndrome.

Sex during 15^th Week of Pregnancy

Is it safe to have sex during the 15^th week of pregnancy?
Beware you and your partner doesn’t have any kind of sexually transmitted diseases. In some cases, the doctor will refrain to-be-parents from having sex. Having any history of preterm labour or miscarriage? Consult your doctor. In such cases do not attempt intercourse as it can harm the baby. But otherwise, having sex during pregnancy week 15 is completely safe.

15 Weeks Pregnant Guide – Doctor Consultation 

You may have a prenatal appointment scheduled for this week. In that appointment, your doctor will discuss with you for relevant tests. Discuss everything with your doctor about your health and don’t skip anything. You will be guided about the tests and possible risks if you have-

1. A high risk of preeclampsia
2. Chromosomal or genetic issues

Test/Procedure for 15 Weeks Pregnant

During the 15^th week of pregnancy, your gynaecologist will check for urinary tract infection. Any kind of sign for urinary tract infection is checked by a urine test. To check genetic abnormalities doctors prescribe protein and sugar levels tests.

Supplements for 15 Weeks of Pregnant Woman

Continue taking folic acid as a supplement during this week. You need to take it throughout your pregnancy. It helps to protect the child from birth defects, neural tube defects such as spina bifida etc. You will be also asked to take vitamin D, and calcium supplements. Include natural sources of calcium, vitamin D and folate in your diet chart.

15 Weeks Pregnant Guide – Important points to know 

During the 15^th week of pregnancy, the early pregnancy symptoms will settle down. Don’t forget to eat a healthy, balanced and nutritious diet. Do your exercise regularly. A pregnant woman is susceptible to urinary tract infection during this time.  If UTI is not treated on time it will lead to infection in kidneys. Never hold the urine or delay to use the bathroom. This causes the bacteria to multiply causing UTI. The symptoms of this are –

1. Nipple tenderness,
2. Difficulty in sleeping,
3. Frequent gas formation in the tummy.

Your baby will be moving a lot though very small in size. You will not notice baby’s jerks jolts etc. at this stage. However later, the kicks will become stronger and you would regularly feel them. You can talk to your gynaecologist regarding your baby’s development and body.

Preparation Guidelines for Baby

During the 15^th week of pregnancy, you should take enough care of yourself. This time you get prepared for your baby’s birth. Take your pregnancy supplements and eat balanced, nutritious and healthy foods. Drink enough water and other healthy fluids also. You will be very susceptible to urinary tract infections. During this phase of pregnancy, maintain hygiene. And do not hold or delay going to washrooms.

Many pregnant women may be anxious about the health of their baby. Discuss with your doctor for any questions related to delivery options etc.

This is the time to start talking to your baby. It is a very beautiful time for mom and baby. The ‘mothers’ usually talk to their babies when it is still in the tummy. This strengthens the bonding process between mom and baby. Enjoy this period to the utmost.