The baby at 16 weeks of gestation has 4 months and it is during this period that the eyebrows begin to appear and the lips and mouth are better defined, which allow the baby to make some facial expressions. For this reason, it is as of this week that many women begin to be able to identify some familiar characteristics in the ultrasound, like the father's chin or the eyes of the grandmother, for example.
Most of the time, it is as of this week that one can know the sex of the baby and it is also from this time that many women begin to feel the first movements of the baby in the womb, which begin by being subtle ma that help the pregnant to know that everything is okay with the development of your baby.
See when to take the exam to find out the sex of the baby.
Pictures of the fetus at 16 weeks gestation
Main development milestones
This week, the organs are already formed, but they are still developing and maturing. In the case of girls, the ovaries are already producing eggs, and by the 16th week, up to 4 million eggs can already exist. This number increases until about 20 weeks, when it reaches close to 7 million. Then, the eggs diminish until during adolescence the girl has only 300 to 500 thousand.
The heart beat is strong and the muscles are active, and the skin becomes rosy, yet slightly transparent. The nails also begin to appear and it is possible to observe the whole skeleton.
This week, even though you are getting all the oxygen you need through the umbilical cord, the baby begins to train the breathing movements to further encourage the development of the lungs.
Fetal size at 16 weeks gestation
By about 16 weeks of gestation, the baby is approximately 10 centimeters, which is similar to the size of an average avocado, and its weight is approximately 70 to 100 g.
When the first movements
By already possessing developed muscles, the baby also begins to move more and, therefore, some women can begin to feel the first movements of his baby around this week. Generally, the movements are difficult to identify, being similar to the gas movement after drinking a soda, for example.
Usually, these movements will become stronger throughout pregnancy, until birth. So if at any time the pregnant woman feels that the movements are getting weaker or less frequent, it is advisable to go to the obstetrician to see if there is any problem with the development.
Main changes in women
The changes in the woman at 16 weeks of pregnancy mainly involves increasing the volume and the sensitivity of the breasts. In addition, as the baby is already more developed and needs more energy to continue growing, many pregnant women may also feel an increase in appetite.
The food in this, as in the other phases, is important, but now as the appetite increases it is necessary to be aware when choosing the food, because the quality should be valued and not the quantity. Therefore, it is important to eat a balanced and varied diet, avoiding fried or oily foods, as well as sweets and alcoholic beverages are advised against. Check out some more tips on how to feed.
Check out this video how it should be feeding:
Your pregnancy by quarter
To make your life easier and you do not waste time looking, we separate all the information you need for each trimester of gestation. What quarter are you in?
- 1st Quarter (1st to 13th week)
- 2nd Quarter (14th to 27th week)
- 3rd Quarter (from the 28th to the 41st week)
