Pregnancy Calendar - Week 15

Week 15

Your baby now weighs about 70 grams. Because the skin develops very thin, you can see the blood vessels right through it. A lot of blood is pumping through those vessels; the baby's tiny heart pumps about 25 quarts of blood a day, which will increase to 300 at birth!

Hair growth continues this week on the eyebrows and the head. If your baby will have dark hair, the hair follicles may begin to make the pigment that colors the hair.

Your baby's ears are almost in position now, although they are still set a bit low on the head. Internally, the bone and marrow in your baby's skeletal system continue to develop. Muscle development continues, too, and your baby may be able to make a fist and bend his or her arms at the elbows and wrists.

What about you? At the moment your heart is pumping up to 20% more blood than it usually does to supply your baby with the necessary blood it requires.

You should start looking at investing in some maternity clothing, as you may start to notice that your clothes are getting tight and uncomfortable. For many, this realization can be joyful and frightening at the same time. It's normal to feel as if you're on an emotional roller coaster (you have your hormones to thank).

Another thing you may be feeling? Scatterbrained. Even the most organized women report that pregnancy somehow makes them forgetful, clumsy and unable to concentrate.

Try to keep the stress in your life to a minimum and take your "mental lapses" in stride - they're only temporary.