What's happening when you're 16 weeks pregnant? What’s going on inside your ever-expanding belly this week? For one thing, your little boxer is working up to fighting weight. Sure, her body still looks pretty thin and fragile, especially with only a translucent layer of skin covering those blood vessels and bones. And yes, she’s only four to five inches long and weighs just three ounces. But your little flyweight is starting to gain some muscle mass. Her back muscles are getting stronger, enabling her to straighten her head and neck even more. Stronger muscles also allow her to make some of her very first facial expressions. Was that a grin?
Talking about that getting-more-adorable-by-the-day face, your baby’s eyes are facing fully forward and framed by a fringe of eyelashes and tiny eyebrows. And, though her eyelids are still sealed shut and will stay that way for another ten weeks or so, those tiny orbs will soon be able to perceive light, even though there’s nothing to see. It’s always dark in baby’s hotel womb.
In other news, your little one’s ticker is pumping around 25 quarts of blood per day through her growing body. Now that sounds like a lot of pumping action going on, but it’s only the beginning. By the time your baby is ready for her debut, her heart will be pumping 1,900 quarts a day!
Did You Know?
You don’t have to spend a fortune stocking up on brand new pregnancy clothes—second hand shopping with a bit of ingenuity and you’re set. Even your favorite jeans are adaptable: loop a rubber through the button hole, wrap it around the button, and voila! You’ve got a few more weeks of wear. You can also buy the belly band if the rubber band isn’t classy enough for you tastes.
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