Second trimester
16 weeks pregnant
The fetus is around the size of an avocado. This is the week movement often becomes unmistakable, and the anomaly scan is approaching.
Size of
avocado
Length
12 cm
Weight
100 g
Your baby at 16 weeks
Muscles are strengthening, particularly in the back, allowing the fetus to straighten out more. Movements become more purposeful.
The eyes can perceive light through closed lids, and may move slowly. Taste buds are forming.
The umbilical cord and placenta are fully established and efficient, delivering everything needed.
How you may be feeling
Many people feel definite movement this week, often described as flutters or a light tapping. It usually becomes more regular and recognisable over the following fortnight.
Blood volume continues rising, which can cause nosebleeds, congestion, and occasional light-headedness. Some notice darker patches of skin on the face or a line down the abdomen.
Common symptoms around week 16
- First definite movements for many
- Linea nigra, a dark line down the abdomen
- Melasma, patches of darker skin on the face
- Continued congestion
- Stronger appetite
Appointments and tests around now
The anomaly scan is typically offered between weeks 18 and 21. It is a detailed structural scan checking the development of organs, limbs, spine and brain, and takes considerably longer than a dating scan.
What is normal, and what varies
Skin changes like the linea nigra and melasma are driven by pregnancy hormones and usually fade substantially after birth. Sun protection helps limit melasma.
Worth doing this week
Note when you first felt movement
Your provider may ask. It is also a detail worth remembering for its own sake.
Use sunscreen on your face
Melasma is worsened by sun exposure, and prevention is considerably easier than treatment.
Prepare for the anomaly scan
It is longer and more detailed than previous scans, and some findings require follow-up. Knowing that in advance makes the appointment less unnerving.
Looking ahead
Next week fat begins to form under the skin and movements grow stronger.
Nearby weeks
Not sure which week you are in? The week tracker works it out from the first day of your last period, and the due date calculator gives you an estimated due date.