Welcome to Week 15 of your pregnancy (and of mine), mommies and daddies-to-be! I find it hard to believe that we’ve been on this journey for 105 days already — that’s nearly one third of a year. For me, these past few days have flown by since I’ve been busy catching up on all I had missed during the first trimester, when I was running low on energy. This week, I received the results of my CVS prenatal test. I’ll tell you about those below. I also describe the most commonly known prenatal test: amniocentesis, commonly known as the amnio. Let’s get to it!

15 Weeks Pregnant: Recurring Symptoms

15 Weeks Pregnant: Common Symptoms

Pregnancy Brain

Can’t find your keys or remember what you need to do once you enter a room? Losing your phone multiple times a day? Scientific evidence does indicate that your brain can experience some cognitive decline during pregnancy; however, the severity of this depends on the individual. I’m usually an air head so I’m not sure how much of this I can blame on pregnancy, to be honest. The other day, I was on the phone with someone and they asked me where I live. I gave them the wrong address. Kind of dangerous if you’re in a taxi! To help prevent pregnancy brain, I’ve been slowing down and using my phone alarms and sticky notes to leave reminders for important appointments and tasks. This has been a lifesaver, for sure. I’m still running late for most of the zoom calls! (Smile). When I put my phone down, I try to take an extra second to mentally absorb where I am leaving it, because if not, I never remember.

Shortness of Breath During Pregnancy

Your baby is literally taking your breath away. Since your uterus is growing in the middle of your abdominal cavity, it can push up against your lungs, restricting their capacity and making it difficult to get a full breath of air. During this pregnancy, I’ve tried to relieve this shortness of breath through yoga or simply by taking a few moments to focus on deep breathing. I’m also trying to walk a lot especially in hilly areas to try and keep my cardio strong.

Stages of Fetal Development: Baby Growth & Size at 15 Weeks

At week 15, your baby weighs 2.5 ounces and is 4 inches long, about the size of an apple. Your baby is on the fast track for growth. If you are having a girl, it is likely that she is developing hundreds of thousands of her own eggs at this moment — your potential own grandchildren! I can’t wrap my head around this!

In addition, your baby’s skeleton is beginning to ossify as the rubbery cartilage that makes up the bones slowly hardens. This process will finalize outside the body, since some flexibility in the baby’s skeleton is necessary for your baby to fit through the birth canal! Fontanelles, for example, are gaps in between segments of your baby’s skull, which are necessary in order to give your baby’s head some flexibility when moving through the birth canal. These bones will fuse together in the months following birth.

They say practice makes perfect, and your baby has definitely taken this phrase to heart. Your baby is practicing breathing by strengthening its chest muscles. Your baby also is trying out its swallowing reflex. It won’t be long before your baby is a master at performing these actions.

My Pregnant Belly Progression

Check out my 4 months pregnant belly! Definitely getting bit of a belly. It’s getting obvious, and I’m just living in yoga pants because they’re soooo comfortable!

Midwife vs. OB/GYN

If you are like me, you spent most of your first pregnancy searching all corners of the internet for the perfect doctor to care for you during your pregnancy and for your baby. There must be one right option, correct? Actually, I’ve found the answer is no. Each type of care provider — whether it be an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) or a certified midwife — are all equally great options, although some doctors are best suited for certain situations. I go into the details of four types of care providers in the chart below: OB/GYNs, midwives, family physicians, and perinatologists.

Your Pregnancy at 15 Weeks: Prenatal Appointments

This week I finally got the results from my CVS and I got some very good news! Everything is normal (insert enormous sigh of relief!) and I even found out the gender of my little one. I won’t reveal that to you guys just yet.

A whole lot of new testing options become available as you progress into your 15th week of pregnancy. Below you’ll find a brief overview of the testing options that you likely will consider:

Amniocentesis

This diagnostic test analyzes a sample of amniotic fluid taken from the uterus to detect signs of neural tube defects, chromosomal abnormalities, and single gene abnormalities. This procedure is typically done between weeks 15 and 20 in order to minimize risk. There are multiple risks that come with this procedure, however, so be sure to talk with your doctor about any concerns. 

Second Trimester Quadruple Screening (Quad Screen)

Cell-free DNA screening (cfDNA)

Week by Week Pregnancy Food Guide

Check out Week 4 and Week 5 for a full list of dietary do’s and don’ts during pregnancy. Take a look below and check back in each week for a healthy pregnancy recipe.

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How Many Months Is 15 Weeks Pregnant?

If you are 15 weeks pregnant, you are 3 months and 3 weeks pregnant. In one week, when you are 16 weeks pregnant, you will be 4 months pregnant.

Week 15 Pregnancy Checklist

Resources

• What to Expect & What to Expect When You’re Expecting – 5th Edition (2016)
• The Bump
• Baby List
• Parents.com
• Healthline.com
• WebMD
• The Mama Natural Week to Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth (2017)
• Mayo Clinic’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy – Second Edition (2018)
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists