Week 15 - 16
December 9th, 2006 at 9:23 pm (Stages of Pregnancy)
Your baby has grown to around 15 cms in length (or 6 inches) from head to toe, or about 10cms (or 4 inches) from ‘crown to rump’. They probably weigh about 120 grams (or 4.2 ounces) and are more in proportion physically, but their head still accounts for about 1/3 of their body.
Your baby’s vocal chords are now formed and they now make different facial expressions. They can grasp with their hands and suck their thumb and may explore the inside of your uterus with their hands. If your uterus is pressed from the outside, this may produce a small startle response in your baby.
The amniotic fluid increases around your baby, so they move freely, floating like an astronaut in space and their umbilical cord is now completely mature. The cord contains two arteries and one vein, enclosed and protected by a thick gristle-like substance called ‘Wharton’s Jelly’. This makes the cord slippery and allows it to move freely around your baby and avoid compression.
Your baby is now bigger than their placenta, but you could still cradle them in one hand.