In the sixteenth week of pregnancy, some women feel the fetus for the first time. This is especially true for thin girls or those who are not going to give birth for the first time. Someone describes the sensation of butterflies in the stomach, others feel the rolling of the ball, others say that they have fish inside them.
If the 16th week of pregnancy has come, and there are still no "fish" and "butterflies", you should not be upset, most expectant mothers begin to clearly distinguish kicks by 20-22 weeks. An inexperienced woman may confuse the first movements of the baby in the womb with intestinal peristalsis, because the fetus still lacks strength for full-fledged shocks.
By the first movements of the fetus, you can calculate the date of the expected birth. They usually occur 20 weeks after the first clear perceptible movements.
At sixteen weeks of pregnancy, it is recommended to undergo a triple test to identify congenital fetal abnormalities. At the second trimester screening, the level of hCG, AFP and free estriol in the mother's blood is determined. Based on the test results, the pregnant woman can be referred for a consultation with a geneticist.
At this time, the fruit continues to constantly improve. He completed the formation of the auricles, which moved from the neck to their rightful place. By the fifteenth week of pregnancy, the nails on the fingers and toes are almost completely formed.
The work of the kidneys and bladder is accelerated, the fetus excretes urine into the amniotic fluid approximately every 45 minutes. The baby himself begins to grow even more actively - its length becomes about 16 centimeters.
