16 Weeks

Your baby is now about 4 ½ inches long and weighs about 51/2 ounces. Hard to believe when you consider that most women have gained somewhere between 5 and 10 pounds! Just remember, your weight gain includes a lot more than just the weight of the baby, including the placenta, amniotic fluid and a larger volume of blood.

Your baby now gets the hiccups, but since they have fluid instead of air in the trachea they don’t make any sound. They also like to play, by pulling and tugging and squeezing on the umbilical cord.

The baby’s legs are beginning to grow longer than the arms now and the movement of all of the baby’s limbs is becoming more coordinated. The eyes have reached their final destination on the head and are no longer on the sides of the face. The baby is urinating about every 40-45 minutes and Meconium – the first stool the baby produces is beginning to collect in the bowels.

Usually between 16 and 20 weeks you’ll begin to feel the baby moving about. At first the movement may seem like butterflies in your stomach or gas bubbles. Moms who have been pregnant before may recognize this movement sooner than first time Moms.

I'm rocking and rolling now when I walk. My pelvis feels so loose and a bit sore that I can feel myself walking funny but can't do anything about it. And I have lost "brisk" from my walking repertoire.

I have gained 2.5 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight.

My bra strap felt a bit tight yesterday so I wonder if my ribs are starting to open a bit. Many of my maternity tops still hang and bag on me so if I have it's not super significant. I am still wearing my regular jeans, in addition to a couple maternity skirts, but the jeans get pinchy toward the end of the day.

I am feeling some pressure on my diaphragm and just generally feeling more "full". I am forced into good posture these days. ;)

My digestion is good now! Yippee! My congestion is also gone. Double Yippee!

I haven't felt the baby move yet but I'm expecting to any time. I was 16 weeks when I felt Eva move.