Baby Avacado - 16 Weeks Pregnant

Eric and I have been working on names, however, we have not come to a complete decision yet. We want to have some ready for when we find out if it's a boy or girl. We can't wait!!!

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avacado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails.

The baby is around 17.5 cm in size and 160 g in weight. The baby has more space in the uterus to move now and will be moving around quite a lot. The baby can grasp with its hands, kick or even somersault by this time. The baby acquires reflex of suction and you can notice the baby stopping the swallowing action if a bitter solution is introduced into the amniotic fluid. The baby can even get hiccups in this stage. The baby reacts to visual stimulation and will use its hands to protect the eyes when violent external light falls on it. The baby develops fat under the skin to provide the baby with insulation. The baby and the placenta are of the same size now. The genitals are fully developed and a sonography might be able to tell you the sex of the baby. (We should know at our July 16th appointment!) The head and the neck are held straighter now and you might hear the thumps of the heartbeat with an external monitor. The baby has developed reflexes like sucking, blinking and swallowing. The regular movements of the chest show that the baby is now able to breathe underwater by inhaling and exhaling small amounts of amniotic fluid. The baby develops fingernails and the legs are longer than the arms now. The baby’s urinary and circulatory system begin functioning more efficiently and the baby pumps about 25 quarts of blood daily. By the 40th week it is expected to increase to 1900 quarts per day.

You will experience backaches (just a few so far, but not too too bad...most are when I first wake up in the morning) which are very common and you might feel more clumsy and prone to falling. Your skin will be stretching on the belly and breasts especially if you are gaining weight fast and this can lead to stretch marks on the skin. You can feel your uterus below your belly and must have gained about 5-10 pounds till now (I have gained 4 pounds as of this morning). This is a good time to start practicing sleeping on one side as sleeping on the back can place the uterus on the top of major blood vessels which can decrease the circulation to the baby. Using a pillow as a prop is also a good idea and can ease the strain on the stomach (I bought the ever-so-expensive funny-shaped maternity pillow on Sunday and it has worked MIRACLES!!! I bought the one that can be used as a nursing pillow, a baby pillow, and then a reading center for toddlers. I could not find the exact picture of the one I got to show all the different ways it is used, so the picture at the top is most similar. Eric loves to call the pillow "Mary Lee's Worm." The other night he put it in the shape of a six and then said, "This episode of Sesame Street was brought to you by the number six." HA HA! He must be ready to start watching those shows again!).