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Week 16 of Pregnancy: What's Going On Inside

British Columbia Specific Information

If you have any questions or concerns about pregnancy, labour and baby care speak with your health care provider or contact HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to speak with a registered nurse anytime of the day or night, any day of the year, or a pharmacist from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.

You can also read Baby's Best Chance (PDF 14.88 MB), a parent’s handbook on pregnancy and baby care.

Topic Contents

Topic Overview

At the end of four months, you may be looking a little more pregnant on the outside. And inside, your baby is starting to look more human and may even have sprouted a little bit of hair.

Wondering what your baby looks like now? As you enter the fifth month of pregnancy, your baby is now about the size of an avocado. Average baby length is 120 mm (4.7 in.).

How your baby is changing

Here are some of the important facts and developments around 16 weeks.

  • This month, the face has become more human. The eyes have moved from the sides of the head to the front. The ears have moved from the neck to the sides of the head.
  • By the end of 14 weeks of pregnancy, sex organs are starting to develop. It will be a few weeks before an ultrasound can help you see whether it's a boy or a girl.
  • By now, your fetus may have started thumb-sucking and is rolling, kicking, and moving around a lot.
  • If this is not your first pregnancy, you might be feeling your fetus move. The first flutters you feel are called "quickening." It takes a little longer to happen in a first pregnancy.

Credits

Current as of:
June 16, 2021

Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
Adam Husney MD - Family Medicine
Femi Olatunbosun MB, FRCSC - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Kathleen Romito MD - Family Medicine
William Gilbert MD - Maternal and Fetal Medicine