Week 16

Carola Felchner is a freelance writer in the medical department and a certified training and nutrition advisor. She worked for various specialist magazines and online portals before becoming a freelance journalist in 2015. Before starting her internship, she studied translation and interpreting in Kempten and Munich.

More about the experts All content is checked by medical journalists.

By the 16th week of gestation, the child's ear is already well developed and your baby begins to perceive noises. In addition, your uterus is now the size of a honeydew melon, and your legs continue to have more to carry. Find out more about the 16th week of pregnancy: developing your body into a stronghold for the offspring and which maternity wear you can get now.

16 weeks of gestation: This is how your baby is developing

In the 16th week of pregnancy your baby is active around the clock - apart from short sleep phases. It turns night into day and vice versa.

Their ears are already so well developed that the child can hear sounds such as your heartbeat, the rustling of blood in your veins or the vibration of a car driving by - and your voice! So start talking to the little one and singing to them in the 16th week of pregnancy. The baby will get used to the calming sound of your voice.

16th week of pregnancy ultrasound: That can be seen

At the end of week 16, the fetus measures around ten centimeters and weighs around 75 grams.

16th week of pregnancy: That will change for you

In the 16th week of pregnancy, your body continues to adapt to the child, its protection and care. The placenta grows in the 16th week of pregnancy and gradually takes over the entire care of your baby from the chorion, the fruit covering around the embryo. The cervix solidifies in the 16th week of pregnancy and bends backwards to protect the child and the cervix.

Especially when you have to stand a lot for work, you can feel your feet more and more. After all, the weight they have to carry increases from week to week. It literally flattens the feet: studies have shown that as pregnancy progresses, feet get slightly larger in length, width and volume, while their height decreases.

If you are prone to varicose veins or spider veins, you should ask your gynecologist whether he can prescribe thrombosis stockings for you. These prevent a clot (thrombosis) from forming, which could block the veins in the legs or lead to a pulmonary embolism, a stroke or a blockage of the placental vessels.

16th week of pregnancy: That is important now

Bag out, let's go shopping! Although the stomach is not excessively rounded in the 16th week of pregnancy, you can still look around for pregnancy clothing that “grows with you”. If you don't stretch your pants now, it won't be long before you can no longer get them closed.

Whether or not you can use your normal dress size as a guide when trying on your maternity clothes depends on how much your body (has) changed, but it usually stays the same. In any case, maternity wear is often cut wide (wider) on the abdomen and hips so that it fits for a longer period of time beyond the 16th week of pregnancy. Or it can be adjusted to the growing belly with a cord, elastic band or something similar and is so incredibly comfortable.

The waistband of trousers should either run under the belly or be wide enough to lie above the bulge without pressure. In general, you should avoid tight cuffs, even with stockings, otherwise there is a risk that the pregnancy will dig into the skin and cause edema (water retention in the tissue).

Tip: Buy a few items that can be combined well and rely on natural materials (cotton, silk ...) because you will sweat less in them. Choose tops that can be opened at the front so you can still wear them while breastfeeding after the birth.

If possible, bras should not have an underwire and should be made of soft material, as the breast is sensitive during pregnancy. You are welcome to wear a nursing bra during pregnancy - even as early as the 16th week of pregnancy. It has pleasantly wide straps, is comfortable, can be adjusted in many ways, and you save yourself an additional investment. Keep in mind, however, that your chest can still gain a little before its real use.

Midwife tip

You can feel more and more being a mama. Perhaps you and your partner already have a nickname for the little one in your stomach and think about what it should be called “really” later. An exciting task, there are so many beautiful names! When making your choice, keep in mind that your child will have to spend their entire life with it. So be careful and don't let trends guide you, choose a name that feels good to you. It doesn't matter whether you decide on a name in the 16th week of pregnancy or later.