pregnancy week 15

Your heart is slightly enlarged with your pregnancy and has increased its output to supply the baby with oxygen.  It is pumping about 20% more blood than before you became pregnant.  This volume will increase to 30-50% by the end of your pregnancy.

It may be time to purchase some maternity clothes or at least start to wear looser pants and tops.  Some women can make it up to their seventh month without wearing real maternity clothes, but you need to be the judge of your own comfort.

The baby may have developed the habit of sucking his or her thumb by now.  Its skin is very thin, and blood vessels can clearly be seen underneath.

The baby weighs about 70 grams.  The scalp hair pattern is developing.  And the heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood a day.  This will increase to about 300 quarts by delivery time.