In this article you will be able to read about everything related to your pregnancy in week 15. You'll find information about the baby's development, how the mother's body is changing and tips you might need along the way. When you are 15 weeks pregnant, the fetus is the size of a lemon.

Baby: The fetus is now 9 cm!

The baby growing inside you is now about 9 cm long and weighs about 80 grams!

Development

By the beginning of the second trimester, the parts of the body have developed and become sufficiently distinct that it should be possible to tell the sex of the fetus with an ultrasound under optimal conditions. If you do an ultrasound now, the heartbeat is also clearly visible, even to the untrained eye.

Growth and movement

The baby is in an intensive growth phase and the nervous system has developed. The intensive phase means that the fetus is moving much more and more smoothly than before, but despite the active lifestyle of the fetus, it will most likely take some time before you can feel the movements.

The child's skin

The fetus's body has a thin, transparent layer of skin through which ribs, blood vessels and retinas are clearly visible this week. The thin skin is now starting to be covered by lanugo hairs, which are very thin, fine hairs that help the baby regulate its body temperature. Lanugo hair is incredibly cool as it follows the pattern of the skin so that it almost looks like little fingerprints all over the body. When the baby is born, the lanugo hair will probably only be present on the back and shoulders, but this may vary from baby to baby.

Mom: Pregnant at 15 weeks and a dark line on your belly?

You are one third of the way through your pregnancy and are now entering the second trimester!

Trimester 2

The second trimester is often referred to as the ghost weeks. This is because many pregnant women find that pregnancy symptoms such as nausea have subsided and therefore the pregnancy is not felt as much. It's common for thoughts like "am I really pregnant?" pop up, but they usually disappear the day you start feeling fetal movements, if not earlier.

Until then, it's good if you can try to trust your body instead of all those thoughts that pop up. It is perfectly normal to feel anxious - as long as it is manageable! However, if you feel that your anxiety is having a significant impact on your daily life and is difficult to manage, it is a good idea to talk to your midwife so that you can get support and reassurance about your feelings.

The growing belly

Your uterus continues to grow and get bigger, maybe you are now starting to show that you are pregnant if it was not visible before? If it is still not visible, this is also perfectly normal, every woman's body and pregnancy is unique.

If you have been pregnant before, your belly may be or feel bigger than the first time. This is often because the abdominal muscles have become more stretched and the uterus becomes more forward leaning after pregnancy. Your belly may also have grown faster if you were pregnant before, but this does not mean that it will continue to grow at the same rate in the future. Often the uterus grows a little faster during the first half of pregnancy.

Hormones during pregnancy

Due to the various hormonal changes during pregnancy, many women may develop a dark line in the middle of the abdomen called the Linea Nigra. The line can look completely different from woman to woman and usually extends from the pubic bone up to the navel, and further towards the ribs or all the way up under the breast. Not everyone gets this dark line, but if you notice it, it usually fades away after the baby is born. For some it happens relatively quickly, and for some it can take up to a couple of years for the line to disappear completely.

During pregnancy, there is a general hyperpigmentation, which means that you are more likely to get pigment spots on your face or other parts of your skin. This is highly hormonal, but it is wise to be careful in the sun. Stay in the shade and always apply SPF to reduce the risk of pigmentation.

Your way of life

Now that the first trimester is over, fatigue and nausea have hopefully begun to subside, and for some pregnant women, the trimester when many feel their best awaits. If you're not one of them - hang in there! Feeling better awaits, even if it feels far away. Try to accept that every pregnancy is unique and your experience is just that: YOURS.

Don't belittle yourself or your well-being by comparing yourself to others who feel better during this period of pregnancy. Only you can recognize your body and what you need to feel good, and if that is, for example, large amounts of rest, that is exactly what you should do.

You can read about week 14 here.

Here you can read about week 16.