16th - Week Pregnancy - Symptoms, Baby

Development, Tips And Body Changes

FARIDA RIZWAN ON MARCH 14, 2016

Images: Shutterstock

For nearly 5-6 weeks you were not even sure about your pregnancy; and finally when
the news hit you, it came with tons of early pregnancy symptoms. Now that you can
breathe easily, it will be a pleasant surprise for you to realize you are so well into your
16th week pregnancy. At this stage, you must have finished the MMS (Multiple
Marker Screen) test to check out for abnormalities.
MMS measures alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) to see if the baby is growing properly in your
womb. If the reports have any abnormality in the foetus, doctors will recommend
more tests to rule out lingering doubts. Let us discuss more about the other tests you
may have to undergo later.

16 Weeks Pregnant Quickening:

You cannot believe that you are already into the 16th week of pregnancy. The
highlight, if it happens in this week, would be your baby moving in your womb. The
feeling could be one of the most exciting moments ever. Many women rate it above
their first kiss or anything else they have ever experienced in their life.
When you feel the foetal movement for the first time, it is known as quickening; the
name derived from the word quick, which means alive. This is the first natural
sensation which you feel as though the baby is tapping inside you womb. It may also
feel like the fluttering of butterfly, but these sensations eventually become stronger
and more frequent in later stages of your 16 week pregnancy, when you may perceive
it as though the baby is kicking the wall of your womb!
Many women fail to identify the quickening, thinking it must be hunger pangs or gas.
It is not your abdominal muscles that feel the movement of the baby, but the muscles
of your uterus; hence, your physical stature has no say in the matter. If this is not your
first pregnancy, than it is easy for you to identify the movement of the baby. Some feel
it as early as week 14.
If this is your first pregnancy, your gratification of feeling the little life moving inside
you can be delayed for another week or two. Keep looking for it and you will soon
know, how much it means to you to feel the babys first touch.
[ Read: 17 weeks Pregnant ]
Changes in Your Body:

At this stage, your body is producing nearly 50% more blood than it was producing
earlier. This increased circulation of blood may cause pregnancy glow on your face.
Part of it comes from the increased production of oil, by the hormones. Below are
some more changes you will find at this time:

When you stand in front of the mirror to look for that elusive
bump, the appearance and size of your breasts may catch your
eye.

Your milk glands are already working and producing secretions,

in addition to increased blood flow which makes the veins more
prominent.

Your waistline is definitely expanding and stretching. You may

have gained around 5- 10 lbs at week 16. 8 ounces of the
weight comes from your uterus itself.

The amount of amniotic fluid has increased to a great extent so

that your baby remains safe and sound in your womb.

At Week, 16 you have around 7-8 ounces of amniotic fluid for

your baby to swim in.

Start of the Weight Gain:

It is very difficult to find a woman who would happily accept weight gain, no matter
what the reason is. During your pregnancy, you might feel uneasy to see your body
accumulate pound after pound with each passing day. If you eat right by
minimizingjunk food and maximizing nutrient rich food that nourishes you and your
baby, you can limitunnecessary weight gain without interfering with the development
of your baby.
Just know the fact that weight gain during pregnancy (within the required amount)
will mean that you and your baby are in good health. Accept your new shape and
status with pride. Wear trendy maternity clothes and show off your bump. Lift that
chin up girl!

Weaker Immunity:
You are having a weaker immune system during your pregnancy, which may lead to
coughs, colds or even fever in you in more frequency than you would normally do. It
is just a passing annoyance, which will not hurt your baby in anyway. But there are
some other infections like genital herpes, rubella or chicken pox which can be
dangerous to the growing baby. Care should be taken to practice healthy dietary and
sanitary measures at this time.
[ Read: 4th Month Of Pregnancy Diet ]

Screening for Abnormalities in Second Trimester:

Usually, MMS or MSAFP tests are offered to the pregnant woman in second trimester
to measure the production of Alpha-fetaprotein by the fetus. If this level is abnormal it
indicates a possibility of either Downs syndrome or Neural Tube Defect such as
Spina Bifida.
Note: It is just an indication and not confirmation. In such cases, further tests like
ultrasound and amniocentesis would predict the status of your baby with more
accuracy.

Amniocentesis:
Amniocentesis is a very important prenatal test, usually performed following
detection of abnormalities in either MMS or MSAFP tests. Amniocentesis or
chorionic villus sampling (CVS) can determine whether a baby has certain genetic
disorders or a chromosomal abnormality, such as Downs syndrome. The test is
generally done between 16- 20 week of your pregnancy.
Though the test is optionally recommended for every pregnant woman, it
is highly recommended only if you have higher risk for genetic and chromosomal
problems; the reason being that the test is invasive and carries a small risk of
miscarriage.

How Is Amniocentesis Done?

Prior to conducting amniocentesis, you will have to undergo ultrasound to check your
babys basic anatomy. During the procedure, an ultrasound is used to pinpoint a
pocket of amniotic fluid at safe distance from both your baby and the placenta. With
continued guidance from the ultrasound, a thin, long and hollow needle is inserted
into the pocket of amniotic fluid though your abdomen. About an ounce (2
tablespoon) of amniotic fluid is sucked into the needle before removing the needle.
The actual process of inserting and removing the needle often takes less than a
minute, but locating the amniotic fluid pocket away from the baby and placenta may
take more time. The whole procedure may be accompanied by some amount of
discomfort like cramping, pinching sensation or pressure in some cases, whereas some
women do not feel anything at all. The discomfort may be different not only from a

woman to another woman, but also from one pregnancy to another pregnancy in the
same woman.
You have an option of doing the procedure under local anesthesia. But, the discomfort
you can get from the injection of anesthesia is going to be something similar or worse
than the prick of amniocentesis needle; hence, think twice before opting for that
procedure. Doctors often check the babys heart beat and movements for a reassurance
that everything is OK within your womb.
The fluid is sent to a laboratory for testing which may include:

Genetic and chromosomal abnormalities.

Measurement of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels.
Collecting babys living cells from the fluid so that they can
reproduce it in the laboratory for a week or two. The reproduced
cells are checked for chromosomal abnormalities and for certain
genetic birth defects.

The results would take about 2 weeks, but some predictions

based on fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) can be given
out in a day or two. It must be a relief for you to know that most
women who undergo amniocentesis get good news about their
babies which frees their mind from worries about their baby for
the remaining part of their pregnancy.

Need for Amniocentesis:

Amniocentesis test is recommended during 16th week of pregnancy for the following
reasons:

To measure maturity of lungs, which determines whether the

child should be delivered early for medical reasons or not.

To either diagnose or rule out any form of intrauterine infection

in the fetus.

To check the presence of blood sensitization (this can be

detected by Doppler ultrasound as well).

For detection of almost all chromosomal disorders, including

Down syndrome, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, and sex chromosome
abnormalities such as Turner syndrome and Klinefelter

syndrome. Amniocentesis is more than 99 percent accurate in

diagnosing these abnormalities in fetus.

Amniocentesis can indentify more than a hundred

abnormalities in fetus such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease
and Tay-Sachs disease.

To determine the presence of neural tube defects such as spina

bifida and anencephaly.
Unfortunately, amniocentesis test cannot detect other structural birth defects such as
heart malformations or a cleft lip or palate. The structural defects can be identified by
the ultrasound thats normally done for every woman undergoing amniocentesis test.

Risk Factors for Genetic Abnormality or Disorder after

Screening:

Indication of Down syndrome in screening results.

Indication of defects in fetus related to chromosomal problems.
Parents are carriers of recessive genetic disorder such as cystic
fibrosis or sickle cell disease.

Past history of siblings born with genetic abnormalities.

Presence of chromosomal abnormality or genetic disorder in

family history.

Women getting pregnant at older age, i.e., after 35.

Factors To Consider Before Taking Amniocentesis Test:
Before undergoing the test, discuss the pros and cons of it with your spouse, doctor,
and family.

Many couples are very sure that they would terminate the
pregnancy in case any abnormality is detected in the baby. Such
couples often opt for screening tests.

There are some who are not sure what they are going to do if
any abnormality is detected in the baby. Such couples often try
to escape making the decision by avoiding the screening test in
the first place.
Finally, know that undergoing any screening test is your choice. It is entirely up to
your to make a suitable decision.

Changes in your Baby:

This week is the time for you to not just watch what goes into your mouth, but also
what comes out of it. With all the tiny bones in her ears developed and in place, she
can hear what you say!

Start introducing your unborn baby to the lullabies you are

going to sing to her after her birth. It is believed that your baby
will connect to it while she is in your womb.
Her tiny heart is pumping away nearly 25 quarts (6 gallons) of
blood every day. The urinary tract is now able to carry on more
complicated functions.
Your babys head is more erect than it has been in the previous
week. Her eyes and ears are now in the respective positions
which are not going to change again. She looks like a miniature
form of the baby going to be born.
Now that everything is set in place, during the next few weeks,
your baby will go through a growth spurt.
Your baby now measures 4 5 inches long and can weigh
anywhere between 3-5 ounces. She is the size of an average
Avocado now.

Care and Tips for Week 16 Pregnancy:

Make a firm decision about the screening tests and what you
want to do about it. The sooner you make your decision, the
lesser you have to worry about it.

Now that the bump is showing, you can start taking pictures
standing in the same position at the same place every week
from now on. You can have fun with the stop motion film after
the pregnancy is over.

Since you are going through a lean phase of immunity, ask

your doctor about the safe way of being immunized against
certain illness.

Start looking for the quickening, or your babys movements.

Enjoy the special bond with your baby in a special way.
[ Read: Pregnancy Calendar ]

Tips for Dad-to-Be:

When your partner announces that she can feel the baby move inside her womb, you
will have a great temptation to feel it as well. Unfortunately, you will have to wait for
a long time before you can feel it. For now you have to be satisfied by talking and
getting your baby familiar with your voice.
Hope you will follow the tips and care when you are 16 weeks pregnant. Remember
the more you take care, the more safer is your pregnancy.