Pregnancy Week 16
Learn From the Specialists
- Baby Clothes
- Get Pregnant
- Pregnancy Test
- Fertility
- Baby Furniture
- Baby Toys
- Weeks Pregnant
- Baby Food
- Baby Diapers
What Your Baby is Doing This Week
Your baby continues to get bigger and stronger. Your baby should be around 3.9 ounces (110 grams) and measure about 4.7 inches (12 cm) in length. Most babies can hold their heads up at this stage and most babies will be practicing facial expressions such as frowning, smiling and squinting.
What Your Body is Doing This Week
Between now and the next 2 weeks you will be offered the triple marker test. This is a blood screening test that measures the levels of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), a protein produced by the fetus, and the pregnancy hormones hCG and estriol in the mother's blood. The test is sometimes called a quadruple screen when the level of an additional substance, called inhibin-A, is also measured. The results of this test can tell you whether or not your baby is at risk for neural tube defects such as spina bifida or Downs Syndrome. The downside of this test is that it's not 100% accurate. Out of every 1,000 women that have the test 50 will have abnormal results and out of the those 50 women, 1-2 women will actually have a baby with an issue. Talk to your health care provider about the risks and advantages of these tests.
Choose another week: