Medically reviewed by Ms Ayanthi Gunasekera Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist & Medical information lead at London Gynaecology.
At fifteen weeks pregnant, you're in the second week of the second trimester and in month four of your pregnancy. Your body should finally be showing signs of being pregnant and while some of the more unpleasant side effects of pregnancy like morning sickness may have subsided for you, other symptoms may arise. Here’s what’s going on with your baby, your body, and the common symptoms to expect at 15 weeks pregnant.
Baby development at 15 weeks pregnant
This week, your baby is around the size of an apple around four inches in length and 2.5oz in weight.
With each week that goes by, your little one is starting to look more and more like a baby as their features develop. According to Dr Ayanthi, "Your baby's skeletal system is becoming more developed, and they are starting to make movements like flexing their limbs and sucking their thumb. Their ears are also moving into their final position on the sides of their head, and they can hear sounds from the outside world, including your voice and heartbeat."
Developing features and skin growth
By 15 weeks, their features will have started to develop with ears on either side of their head and their eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face. The eyes will also start to become sensitive to light this week, and even though they remain closed, they can now register bright light. Your baby's skin is still super thin and their blood vessels are still showing. "Your baby has been busy growing a soft layer of hair, called 'lanugo', all over their body," says Dr Ayanthi.
Survival skills
Aside from spending lots of time growing, they are practising breathing, sucking and swallowing so they have all the skills necessary to survive in the big wide world. You still won’t feel it, but they are also moving around a lot at both 14 weeks pregnant and 15 weeks with plenty of kicking and moving the arms and legs.
Hearing development
Around this time in your pregnancy, your baby will also start to hear sounds from the womb from the outside world; the noises your digestive system makes (believe it or not, they find the whooshing comforting), as well as the sound of your voice and heart.
15 weeks pregnant symptoms
Heartburn and indigestion
Now that the morning sickness has (hopefully) eased off, you’re probably feeling a lot hungrier, yet this also causes that uncomfortable heartburn you’re desperately trying to avoid. If you are suffering, try eating several smaller meals, rather than three large ones.
Faintness or dizziness
Feeling light-headed is a common side effect during pregnancy, as your blood sugar levels change. If you do feel faint, sit down and put your head between your legs as this will prevent you from falling and hurting yourself.
Varicose veins
We spoke about these last week; as much as you might hate them, they are a normal side effect of the increased blood flow during pregnancy. Sit down and put your feet up – this will keep the blood circulating and reduce the pressure on your legs.
Pregnancy brain
Can’t remember when bin day is or where on earth you left your car keys? Pregnancy brain is a real thing as your brain cell volume actually decreases during pregnancy. Now is a good time to start using that notes section on your mobile!
Increased vaginal discharge
According to Dr Ayanthi, this is a perfectly normal change at this stage in your pregnancy and nothing to worry about. As your pregnancy develops, the amount of vaginal discharge you get will continue to increase as this is what helps prevent infections travelling up from the vagina to the womb.
Shortness of breath
If you notice that you're easily out of breath it might be because your growing uterus is pushing upward on the lungs making it harder to draw a big breath. It can also be down to the increase in blood during pregnancy as your heart has to work harder to move blood around the body - the increased workload can make you feel short of breath.
Nose bleeds
Nose bleeds might occur because of your increased blood and swollen or sensitive nasal passages. You might find this continues into 16 weeks of pregnancy too.
Swollen gums
Swollen gums, otherwise known as 'gingivitis' is a common side effect during pregnancy. The hormonal changes and increase in blood flood can cause gums to be more sensitive, irritable, swollen or susceptible to bleeding. Keep taking good care of your teeth by brushing and flossing and it will soon pass!
Increased sex drive
This might have been going on for a few weeks now. Once nausea has subsided and your energy levels are back up you might have more of an urge to have sex. During pregnancy your breasts can grow in size and become more sensitive which can result in more pleasure. As well as this, your vulva is engorged from the increased blood flow which might even lead to more enjoyable sex!
Cramps and pains
Medically referred to as round ligament pain, as the muscles and ligaments that support your uterus stretch, you might get pains on the lower sides of your body. Dr Ayanthi says, "This is very normal, but if you’re in too much pain, it might be worth checking with your GP."
Your body at 15 weeks pregnant
According to Dr Ayanthi, there are a few changes to your body you may notice this week. "As for changes to your body at 15 weeks pregnant, you may start to notice your abdomen becoming more rounded as your uterus continues to expand to accommodate your growing baby. Some women may also begin to feel the first flutters of fetal movement, known as 'quickening.'"
As your baby continues to grow and develop, you may notice that you feel permanently bunged up. You could also suffer from nosebleeds and sinus pain thanks to the increased blood flow to the membranes in your nose and sinuses. Avoid rooms with central heating or air conditioning on full blast, as they’ll dry out your nasal passages.
You might notice around week 15 your gums are red, swollen, and sore. They might even be prone to bleeding when you brush or floss. This is down to those pregnancy hormones again.
According to the Centres for Disease and Prevention, up to 75% of women suffer from gum problems during pregnancy, and this can lead to some nasty complications, so prevention is key.
You should also now be gaining more weight as your baby gets bigger. Don’t go overboard, but don’t panic either – aim to gain around one pound a week, or about four pounds a month.
Other things to consider at 15 weeks pregnant
Inform your workplace
If you haven't already, now is the time to let your workplace know that you're having a baby. It's also a good time to do your research into your company's maternity policy and see what you're entitled to in terms of time off for maternity leave and what maternity pay you can get.
Don't skip your pelvic floor workouts
If you're not already doing them, now is a great time to introduce some pregnancy safe pelvic floor exercises into your workout routine. Not only will engaging your core in this way help your overall wellbeing and fitness, but they'll also avoid urinary incontinence post birth.
Start talking to your baby
Now that baby can hear noises from outside of the womb, it's a great time to start talking to your little one and encouraging others around you to talk to them too. Speaking to your baby regularly is a great way of helping them get to know their mum's voice which will become a familiar comfort to them once they enter the world.
Check in with your doctor
Now is a good time to talk to your doctor about any health concerns you have. If you’re at a high risk of preeclampsia, or genetic or chromosomal issues, now is the time to chat with your GP as they’ll do the relevant tests between weeks 16-20.
About the expert
Dr Ayanthi Gunasekera is a senior obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) trainee (ST7) in North and East London at Barnet and Chase farm Hospitals NHS Trust. She has a keen interest in medical education and has a PG certificate in Medical Education.
Ayanthi has written patient information leaflets and guidelines and joins the London Gynaecology team as Medical Information Lead. In her spare time, she enjoys painting, gardening, knitting and crafting with her two young children.
About the author
Stephanie Spencer is the Deputy Digital Editor at Mother&Baby and auntie to four aged 8 to 6 months old. With a particular interest in health, she loves discovering products that make parent’s lives easier.