Pregnancy Week - 15 Weeks Pregnant

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Pregnancy Week 15

**Please note- Your Due Date is calculated from the date of your last menstrual period, which corresponds to our Pregnancy Week by Week articles.

Week 15

Your Baby's Growth and Development
Your baby is growing rapidly as you continue your pregnancy week by. If you were to peek inside your uterus during pregnancy week 15 you would still be able to see your baby's blood vessels through his paper-thin skin. In fact, the blood vessels forming in your baby's body make him look rather like a map! This week, your baby will start producing lanugo, which is fine hair that will cover your baby's body up until a few weeks before birth. Lanugo covers every part of your baby in utero, except for the palms, soles of the feet, lips, penis, nails, and inner fingers and toes. Typically babies will shed this hair by the 8th month of pregnancy, but it can persist in some newborns for a short period of time. Pre-term babies are more likely to be born with lanugo than full term babies. Your baby might start sucking his thumb this week.

The bones in your baby's body are also starting to get harder during pregnancy at 15 weeks and will continue to do so throughout your pregnancy. Your baby is spending most of his time practicing breathing, by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid. Believe it or not, the very act of doing so will help your baby's air sacs develop during pregnancy. Your baby continues to form taste buds at this point in time.

Your Growth and Development
You should start noticing a more bloated abdomen by 15 weeks. Most women have gained anywhere from five to ten pounds by now, and their uterus has either risen or is starting to rise past their hipbones. Your healthcare provider will be able to actually feel your uterus about three inches or so below your belly button.

Later in your pregnancy, your healthcare provider will start taking measurements of your uterus, which they will refer to as the "fundal height". This measurement can help confirm your due date, as it usually correlates with the number of weeks you are pregnant. The fundal height is formally defined as the distance between the top of your uterus and your pubic bone.

Changes in You
At 15 weeks pregnant, you are starting to feel more pregnant. Some women start experiencing some unexpected side effects well into their pregnancy. For example, excessive salivation is not uncommon during pregnancy. This is nothing to be alarmed about, though it can be a bit inconvenient at times.

Other women start experiencing more stuffy noses. This is due to swelling in the mucous membranes of the nose, largely the result of increased hormonal production. You may also find that you have a cold at 15 weeks pregnant. Pregnant women are more susceptible to common illnesses, in part because their immune systems are compromised during pregnancy. Be sure that you take great care to wash your hands religiously when out in public.

Many women find themselves the victim of an unwanted urinary tract infection during pregnancy. Unfortunately for some this is another unpleasant side effect of pregnancy. Believe it or not, but urinary tract infections are more common during pregnancy, particularly because the muscles of your ureters are relaxed due to increasing levels of progesterone. The uterus can also compress the ureters causing urine to flow more slowly to the bladder, which can allow bacteria to accumulate. Some women also have more concentrated urine during pregnancy that can contribute to UTI's.

At your first prenatal visit, your healthcare practitioner will actually test your urine for bacteria that is associated with a UTI. Generally, most women who test negative at this visit will not contract a UTI during pregnancy. However, it is possible that you still might. If you have bacteria present during the first prenatal visit, your healthcare provider will likely prescribe antibiotics to help clear it from your system. IT is important that your infection is cleared out. If it is left untreated, there is an increased risk that you will develop a kidney infection during your pregnancy, which can be very serious in some situations.

There are some telltale signs of a UTI in most women. These include: pain when urinating or burning, lower abdominal pain, a frequent urge to urinate though little comes out, blood in the urine or cloudy urine. The symptoms may be different during pregnancy however, and may include nausea or fever. The symptoms of a kidney infection are more severe, and typically include high fever, pain in the lower back or abdomen and nausea or vomiting.

Fortunately there are many things you can do to help prevent a UTI during pregnancy. These include: drinking at least ten 8-ounce glasses of water ever day, peeing as soon as you feel the urge and wiping yourself from front to back. You can also drink cranberry juice to help discourage bacteria from forming in the urinary tract.

Pregnancy Pillows
When To Buy Pregnancy Pillows During Pregnancy

There is no right time to buy pregnancy pillows during pregnancy. My personal opinion, is that when it comes to a good pregnancy pillow, the sooner the better. Pregnancy pillows like Snoozer Pregnancy Pillows are really helpful for anyone that has difficulty sleeping, whether pregnant or not. They are, especially useful during the second and third trimester, when the weight of your growing abdomen starts causing problems related to sleep.

A pregnancy pillow can also help support your legs and back. Many women find pregnancy pillows help reduce leg cramping and the ordinary aches and pains typically associated with pregnancy, regardless of what trimester they are in!
Watch our pregnancy pillows video on youtube.com.

Maternity Clothes
Maternity Clothes That Help Breastfeeding Moms Succeed

Breastfeeding is hard enough without having to worry about finding clothes that will work. Fortunately, there are a variety of maternity outfits that help make breastfeeding much easier. The newest styles for the upcoming season at Destination Maternity are readily available to help make feeding your baby easier. Many women start looking for breastfeeding maternity wear while still pregnant, particularly nursing or maternity bras. This is an exceptional idea, particularly if you find your breasts growing and in need of more support during your pregnancy. Your breastfeeding experience should be easy, feminine and above all else comfortable.

Think cotton is the best choice for your nursing bra? Think again. Over time cotton can stretch out or lose its shape. When looking for nursing bras to complement breastfeeding, consider a bra with a cotton/Lycra or spandex and nylon blend. Don't forget nursing covers for when you are going out in public. These come in a variety of colors and styles, and they will make breastfeeding in public much more comfortable.

Pregnancy Health Tips
In general, taking any form of medication during pregnancy is not recommended until it is absolutely necessary. Some women, however, will need to take a course of antibiotics during pregnancy. There are times when the benefits of taking a medication outweigh the risks associated with it.

Generally medications are assigned to certain categories that describe how safe or unsafe they are to use during pregnancy.

Category A medications are generally considered safe, and thus far have not proven harmful to the developing fetus during pregnancy. Only a few medications fall into this category, among them Mycostatin, a cream used for yeast infections.

Category B medications are medications that have no known association with birth defects or pregnancy related complications. They are considered safe. These include many antibiotics that can be used to treat infection in pregnancy, such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, zovirax, zithromax and clotrimazole-vaginal to name a few.

Category C medications are those that may or may not be safe. There simply isn't enough information about them to form definitive conclusions, however there are also no confirmed reports of links to birth defects in humans. Included among these are: cipro, monistat, terazol, isonizid and certain vaccines.

Category D medications are contraindicated in pregnancy and associated with very distinct problems including birth defects. Among these drugs include the following: tetracycline, minocin and sulfa drugs.

Be sure that you discuss any condition you have with your doctor.You should understand the benefits and risks of any medication you take during your pregnancy.

Read About Pregnancy Week 16