When you have stepped into the fifteenth week of pregnancy, it is common for you to relax a bit. This is usually the stage when the annoying pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness, nausea and fatigue begin to decrease. The pain you usually experience at the start of their pregnancy will no longer be there, and you can enjoy the fact that you will soon be a mother in a laid-back way. And many moms will choose to go for a 15 weeks pregnant ultrasound to ensure everything is progressing in the right direction. Keep reading to find out more about what to expect from your ultrasound and why it is important.
What to Expect from 15 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound
A pregnant ultrasound at this stage can make you see your baby swallowing, grimacing, sucking on his/her thumb, and moving arms or legs. The doctor may also perform a fetal Doppler to learn more about your baby's heartbeat. The ultrasound image will also show the growing scalp and eyebrows. You will notice that the bones become hard and the body of the fetus has extremely fine hair which is known as lanugo. Even your baby's ear will be developed, and they will be able to hear your voice that they recognize after birth. You can even find out more about the baby gender at this stage, for an accurate result you need to wait for another couple of weeks.
Other Tests and Exams
Aside from the 15 weeks pregnant ultrasound, your doctor may order some additional tests if they suspect anything wrong. You may even talk to your doctorabout taking any test to ensure the pregnancy is progressing healthily. You won't find any routine exams for week 15, but women over 35 years old will benefit by going for amniocentesis and multiple marker screening between the 15th and 20th weeks. Amniocentesis will help a lot in detecting any genetic or chromosomal diseases in your baby, whereas multiple marker will measure the alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in your blood. If your AFP levels are abnormally high, your baby may develop a neural tube effect.
15 Weeks Ultrasound Pictures
Here are some ultrasound images at different times during second trimester.
Picture 1 shows a fetus at 15 weeks and 4 days.
Picture 2 shows an ultrasound image of identical twins at 15 weeks and 3 days of pregnancy.
Picture 3 is a 4D ultrasound of a fetus at 15 weeks pregnancy.
Picture 4 shows how the gender is detected at 15 weeks pregnant ultrasound. Hey, a baby boy is on the way of being the new family member!
Here is video sharing a couple's experience of taking an ultrasound at 15 weeks pregnant:
Can Baby's Gender Be Detected from 15 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound?
It is possible to use an ultrasound to reveal the gender of your baby. It's just more than exciting to know thata baby boy or girl will come to your family. Your ultrasound at 15 weeks pregnant can definitely help identify the gender, but most experts believe you should do it around 20 weeks.
In most cases, 15 weeks are a bit too early for your doctor to see the gender clearly. Your doctor may even mistake a tailbone for a penis. Still, a doctor can use the ultrasoundand reveal your baby's gender with about 80% accuracy. Even if they have determined the gender, you should still come back again in a couple of weeks for another ultrasound to confirm the result.
What to Expect at 15 Weeks Pregnant
Both for babies and moms, there are some changes to be expected at 15 weeks pregnant. You baby will experience certain development regarding on growth. And the mom has some physical changes at this stage.
1. Baby Development
Your baby will be about 4 inches long with a body weight of up to two and a half ounces. Here's more about baby's development at this stage:
|
Baby Development |
What to Expect |
|---|---|
|
Sensory Organ Development |
Your baby will have his/her breathing, heartbeat, and speaking developed. Their bones in the ears will also begin to ossify, but their eyes will remain shut. They will have their taste buds developed though. |
|
Limb Development |
The legs of your baby will grow longer than arms at 15 weeks, and will come in proportion with the rest of your body. The nails will grow fast and the joints of his/her body will develop enough for movement. |
|
External Appearance |
The eyes of your baby will be at the front of his/her face. The babies at this time will start to change their facial expressions to use their muscles. Their body will also develop a very fine layer of hair that helps them retain body heat until delivery. |
|
Fetal Movement |
Your baby will start curling toes and may even be kicking and punching more often. They will begin to practice swallowing, sucking and grasping to ensure they can survive on their own once they are born. Your baby will also have frequent hiccups at this stage – this usually happens before they start practicing breathing. |
2. Body Changes
Your 15 weeks pregnant ultrasoundwill clearly suggest that your uterus is growing with your growing baby. Your doctor may notice your body changes using a tape measure. They will measure fundal height, which is the distance between your pubic bone and the top of the uterus. Mostly, the fundal height at 15 weeks of pregnant is 15 cm.
3. Health Tips for 15 Weeks Pregnant
During the second trimester, your belly won't be sticking out much and your body weight may also be on the lower side, so this is the best time to practice sleeping on your side, as well as how to walk, stand, and sit in a better posture. It is easy to develop a habit early in the pregnancy to avoid any complications later. Be sure to learn to sleep on your left side to improve your blood circulation. Go buy yourself pregnancy pillows and start using them early.
