At 15 weeks pregnant, the bump is very prominent and the baby’s body becomes even more proportionate as the head stops growing. The 15 week foetus is now the size of an orange, weighing about 2.5 ounces and about 4 inches long. The amniotic fluid inside the sac acts as an atmospheric simulation for the baby, as it inhales and exhales the fluid.

15 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

Shortness of breath

When you are 15 weeks pregnant, your abdominal area keeps expanding and the uterus is pushed up towards the diaphragm. This leaves no room for expansion of the lungs to catch a full breath, resulting is frequent shortness of breath and panting. Yoga and asanas might help deal with this.

Bleeding nose

Increased blood flow in the nose, which has sensitive veins, causes leakages resulting in bleeding. This can be mended through meditation, deep breathing, and relaxation techniques. If there is excessive bleeding of nose, consult your doctor.

Heartburn during pregnancy

Indigestion is an inevitable part of the whole pregnancy experience. At 15 weeks pregnant, due to the raging and changing hormones, you might be unable to digest many foods that were perfectly fine for your system before you got pregnant. Stick to foods that contain minimal spices and fats. If you feel too unwell, consult your gynaecologist for further assistance.

Pain in the wrists

Some women who are 15 weeks pregnant, experience pain in their wrists but the exact reason for this is still not known to medical practitioners. Apparently, the hormones are to blame again! However, pain may occur due to retention of more fluids, which compresses the nerves.

Swollen gums

This is a common symptom among most women who are 15 weeks pregnant. Due to increased blood flow, the gums swell and become tender, leading to bleeding while brushing. Go gentle with that brush!

Spurt in energy levels

Surprisingly, at 15 weeks pregnant, there is an increase in your energy level. This is also a result of those freely flowing hormones! Make sure to make the best use of this because your energy level will dip soon after this phase.

Pregnant Belly

A 15 weeks pregnant belly is mostly expected to show a healthy bump. At this stage, your uterus juts out of the pelvis. However, how much protruding your belly is, depends on your body structure as every mother-to-be has a different constitution. Overall, this is the time when the belly starts showing in such a way that determines the nature of the bump to others around you. Make sure you have informed everyone, to avoid unnecessary emotional scenes as you are already facing mood swings!

Read: 11 Must Have Foods in Second Trimester

15 Weeks Ultrasound

An ultrasound during this period will reveal to you that the baby now has almost all its body parts in proper place. The 15 weeks foetus is now squirming around inside the womb and making mild sounds, or even getting hiccups!

If you opt for the “Multiple Market Screen” (MMS), the gynaecologist will draw some blood from your body and test the levels of some hormones and proteins for detecting neural tube and chromosomal abnormalities.

Amniocentesis is another method of detecting chromosomal defects and genetic disorders. In this method, the doctor injects a needle into your amniotic sac and draws some of the fluid to be screened.

Although these tests are stressful for the body and mind, they do not necessarily hurt much.

Dos and Don’ts during Week 15 of Pregnancy:

Dos –            

Take in lots of Vitamin C: Vitamin C is essential for developing immunity in the 15 week foetus. Eat a good quantity of citrus fruits regularly. Oranges and cranberry juice are excellent pre-natal super foods.

Read: 10 Pregnancy Foods to get a Fair Baby

Keep yourself hydrated always: At 15 weeks pregnant, it is vital to drink lots of fluids every hour. It is easy for you to get dehydrated frequently, as the body goes through a lot of physical changes that make you urinate more often than you did earlier.

Exercise: Keep doing moderate exercises to keep the pelvic muscles active at 15 weeks pregnant. The pelvis plays an important role in providing support throughout this period and while delivering the baby. The important exercises to follow are pelvic rocking, pelvic floor exercises, and mild squatting.

Rely on salads: Thoroughly washed raw fruits provide your body the essential nourishment and help the 15 week foetus develop immunity. Raw fruits carry an array of minerals and vitamins. These foods also provide for nutritious and tasty snacks to munch on. Just imagine apples on a plate, topped with cream! Yummy, isn’t it?

Enjoy a warm bath: A warm aromatic bath in the tub can be very relaxing when you are 15 weeks pregnant. Lukewarm water helps soothe your abdominal muscles and give your mood a lift.

Don’ts –

Keep hogging tropical fruits: Although fruits are an important part of the pregnancy diet, tropical fruits are not the best for your 15 weeks foetus. The contents of some tropical fruits are known to result in uterine contractions in pregnant women, at times even leading to leading to miscarriage.

Read: 25 Things to Avoid During Pregnancy

Drink fizzy beverages: Packaged fizzy drinks must be avoided when you are 15 weeks pregnant. They contain highly concentrated sugar, caffeine, and unhealthy calories. These ingredients lead to indigestion among pregnant women and affect the immunity of the foetus.

Read: 11 Must Avoid Beverages During Pregnancy – Parenting Healthy Babies

Sleep facing the ceiling or upside down: Know the proper sleeping positions while 15 weeks pregnant. Sleeping with your face towards the ceiling is discouraged by doctors because the weight of the womb may affect your internal organs and the fluid may spread out and fail to provide complete coverage to the 15 week foetus. Never sleep on your tummy as it might break the sac.

Listen to loud music for too long: If loud music is your preference, it is high time that you start changing this habit, at least throughout your pregnancy period. High decibels may cause unnatural vibrations of the amniotic fluid, and affect your 15 week foetus’ formation.

Eat tinned food: Tinned foods come with lots of preservatives that are not healthy; hence they should be avoided when you are 15 week pregnant. Natural foods are the best providers of balanced nutrition for your baby.

At 15 weeks pregnant, it is not too difficult for you to move on, because by now you are accustomed to the idea of being pregnant. However, you must always keep a track of the new changes in your body and consult your gynaecologist regularly.