During the second week of your second trimester, your baby's features are beginning to take shape.

Meanwhile, by week 15 of pregnancy, your morning sickness could very well be gone — but you might be experiencing some other unpleasant symptoms, like bleeding gums.

Your Baby at Week 15

At a Glance

See-through baby
See-through baby
Your baby’s skin remains super thin, allowing developing blood vessels to show right through.
Baby's got back
Baby's got back
Your little one’s skeleton is starting to ossify. Translation: If an X-ray were taken today, his skeleton would be visible.
Falling into place
Falling into place
Things are moving into place, namely your baby’s ears and eyes. They continue the slow migration to their rightful spots on baby’s face and head.

15 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you're 15 weeks pregnant, you're in month 4 of your pregnancy. Only 5 months left to go! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.

How big is my baby at 15 weeks?

Curious why your body is (probably) finally starting to look pregnant? It's because at 15 weeks pregnant, your baby is quickly growing bigger each week — he's as long as 4 inches right now and weighs around 2½ ounces.

Need a better visual? Hold a pear in your hand — that's how big your little darlin' is. Now that you're done looking, eat that pear for a delicious, nutritious snack!

Get ready for some major growth on your baby's (and belly's!) part in the weeks to come.

Baby is looking more like a baby

With each passing week, your fetus is also looking more and more like the baby you're picturing in your dreams.

By now, the ears are positioned properly on the sides of the head — they used to be in the neck — and the eyes are moving from the side of the head to the front of the face — where they'll soon meet your loving gaze.

Baby is practicing for the outside world

So what keeps your baby busy all day? Mostly, your fetus is in rehearsals — practice, practice, practicing and getting ready for that big debut.

Babies work on breathing, sucking and swallowing motions so that when they leave your comfy womb and move into your comfy house, they'll have the skills necessary to survive.

Your fetus is also holding daily aerobics classes — kicking, curling toes and moving those little arms and legs — but because he only weighs a couple of ounces, you won't feel the fetal movements going on inside your abdominal gym.

Baby's heartbeat can be heard!

This is the week when your practitioner can take out the Doppler at your prenatal appointment and let you hear your baby's heartbeat. And there's really no sweeter sound than that!

Remember that the only accurate, safe Doppler devices are the ones your doctor uses. Don't be tempted to try one of the at-home Dopplers. Not only do they provide mixed results in terms of how reliable they are, but they can unnecessarily add to your stress and worry.

Your Body at Week 15

15 weeks pregnant woman

The golden months

Does it get any better than this? By this week, many of those bothersome early pregnancy symptoms have disappeared — and at 15 weeks, you're not too big to get around — or get out of your chair. 

Now that you're finally able to open wide without throwing up or gagging on extra saliva, it's a good time to focus on your mouth, which, believe it or not, is also going through a number of pregnancy-induced changes.

Bleeding gums and dental care

Say cheese — and take a good look in the mirror. You might notice that you have red, swollen gums and they may even be sore, sensitive or prone to bleeding when you brush or floss. It's those pregnancy hormones at work again, this time triggering gingivitis, an infection and inflammation of the gums, by making them react differently to the bacteria in plaque.

Those hormones are also the cause behind a chronic stuffy nose or even nosebleeds. Look even more closely and you may notice a small lump on your gums, called a pregnancy tumor. Before you start worrying, keep in mind that these benign growths are scarily named but completely harmless and painless. If you do develop one, it should go away on its own after delivery.

What is a little more alarming is what can happen if you don't take care of your teeth while you're expecting. Gingivitis can progress to an infection of the bones and tissues supporting your teeth called periodontitis — and research has shown a link between periodontitis, premature labor and preeclampsia.

Prevention is key: Good oral hygiene, which includes regular dental care, brushing at least twice a day and gentle flossing once a day, will greatly reduce gum swelling, bleeding and soreness.

Gaining weight

Whether you were barely able to gain an ounce during the first trimester, thanks to all that toilet hugging, or you gained more ounces — and pounds — than you were hoping to, it's weight gain time now.

Starting in the second trimester, your baby's getting bigger and bigger, and consequently, you should be too. Make slow and steady your motto and aim for a weekly weight gain of about 1 pound.

But keep in mind that's an average, which means that it's perfectly fine to gain half a pound one week and a-pound-and-a-half the next, as long as you're netting about 4 pounds a month. Just be sure to do whatever your practitioner recommends on the weight gain front.

If you're weighing in at home, once a week or once every other week is plenty; just make sure you do it consistently, at about the same time and under the same conditions — undressed and right after getting up, for instance. Or leave the weigh-ins to your practitioner at your monthly visits.

Learn more about pregnancy weight gain.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 15

Heartburn and indigestion
Heartburn and indigestion
Varicose veins
Varicose veins
Faintness or dizziness
Faintness or dizziness
Occasional headaches
Occasional headaches
Round ligament pain
Round ligament pain
Pregnancy brain
Pregnancy brain

Tips for You This Week

Make a guess: boy or girl?

True or false: A fetal heart rate of fewer than 140 beats per minute means you're having a boy, while a heart rate of more than 140 beats per minute means you're having a girl. It's a theory that's been making the rounds forever.

The truth? It's false.

While it may sound more plausible (and more grounded in medical fact) than some of the other ways to predict baby’s sex, it's about as reliable as the Chinese gender predictor or the ring gender test — an old wives’ tale in which you hold a ring on a string over your belly to guess whether you’re having a boy or a girl. 

There are as many of these myths around as there are people to repeat them (and try them out at family gatherings!). And while they may be fun to talk about, they all have one thing in common: They have a 50-50 chance of being correct.

If you'd like better odds than that — the kind you can base your nursery paint colors on — ask your practitioner about your options for finding out baby's sex.

Fit in healthy fare

Do you struggle to fit healthy meals into your day? Adjust your schedule to squeeze in a lunch break — even if it's just a sandwich and a fruit cup.

Keep plenty of nutritious, appealing snacks on hand that will make feeding you and your baby easy: Stash bags of dried fruit and nuts, dry cereal, and crackers in the pantry, and store a supply of individually wrapped cheese sticks, hard-boiled eggs, and yogurt and cottage cheese containers in the fridge.

Know the signs of prenatal depression

You’ve probably heard of postpartum depression — but depression during pregnancy, called prenatal depression, is surprisingly common too. 

If you have five or more symptoms of depression — sadness or hopelessness, crying, withdrawal from friends and family, loss of interest in activities you once liked, weight loss, trouble sleeping, etc —  for most of the day, every day, during a two-week period, talk to your practitioner about getting some extra help.

Untreated pregnancy depression can cause other problems, so it’s best to get it taken care of as soon as possible.

Is amnio for you?

The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby can provide you with a wide range of information about your little one's genetics and health.

Amniocentesis — also called "amnio" — is a procedure that extracts this fluid to detect conditions such as Down syndrome, Tay-Sachs, sickle cell anemia and more.

If you or your baby's other biological parent has a history of genetic conditions, or if other screenings have detected an abnormality, you may want to ask whether you should have an amnio done.

Choose pregnancy-proof workout gear

The heat's on when you're expecting, thanks to a metabolism boost. So when dressing for exercise success, play it cool. Wear loose, breathable, stretchable workout clothes during pregnancy, right down to your undies (which should be cotton).

Choose a bra — perhaps a sports bra — that provides plenty of support for your larger breasts but doesn't pinch once you get moving.

If your sneakers are showing their age, replace them now to minimize your chances of injury or falls. While you're at it, make sure you're wearing the right sneakers for your fitness routine.

Should you get the quad screen?

The quad screen is a blood test that measures the levels of four substances produced by the fetus and the placenta, which are then passed into the mother's bloodstream.

The results tell you what the probability is that you're carrying a child with a chromosomal abnormality or neural tube defect.

Quad screen results can be combined with those from the nuchal translucency (NT) screening or the noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to give you a more accurate assessment.

Ask about aspirin

Preeclampsia generally develops later in pregnancy, after week 20, and is characterized by a sudden onset of high blood pressure, severe swelling of the hands and face, and signs that some organs may not be working normally, including protein in the urine.

If you're considered high-risk for preeclampsia, ask your practitioner about low-dose or baby aspirin. Taking baby aspirin (usually two a day, but check with your doctor) after the first trimester can reduce preeclampsia by 24 percent, according to some studies.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  1. What to Expect When You’re Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  2. WhatToExpect.com, The Quad Screen, October 2022.
  3. WhatToExpect.com, Preeclampsia: Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment, April 2022.
  4. WhatToExpect.com, Amniocentesis, October 2022.
  5. Johns Hopkins Medicine, The Second Trimester, August 2021.
  6. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Prenatal Genetic Diagnostic Tests, December 2022.
  7. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Low-Dose Aspirin Use During Pregnancy, June 2018, reaffirmed 2023.
  8. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy, April 2023.
  9. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Periodontitis, January 2022.
  10. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Gingivitis, January 2022.
  11. American Academy of Family Physicians, Fainting, March 2021.
  12. Mayo Clinic, Fundal Height, April 2020.
  13. March of Dimes, Amniocentesis, May 2017.
  14. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Nature Neuroscience, Pregnancy Leads to Long-Lasting Changes in Human Brain Structure, February 2017.
  15. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Aspirin Use to Prevent Preeclampsia and Related Morbidity and Mortality: Preventive Medication, September 2021.
  16. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, International Journal of Pediatrics, Prenatal Mouth Movements: Can We Identify Co-Ordinated Fetal Mouth and LIP Actions Necessary for Feeding? July 2012.
  17. National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, PLOS One, Periodontal Disease and Risk of Preeclampsia: A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies, August 2013.
  18. Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School, When the Lights Suddenly Go Out, August 2009.
  19. WhatToExpect.com, Sore and Bleeding Gums During Pregnancy, January 2022.
  20. WhatToExpect.com, How Many Weeks, Months and Trimesters in a Pregnancy?, May 2022.
  21. WhatToExpect.com, Pregnancy Symptoms: 14 Early Signs of Pregnancy, May 2023.
  22. WhatToExpect.com, Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator, August 2022.
  23. WhatToExpect.com, How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?, July 2022.
  24. WhatToExpect.com, Heartburn During Pregnancy, October 2022.
  25. WhatToExpect.com, Varicose Veins During Pregnancy, February 2022.
  26. WhatToExpect.com, Dizziness During Pregnancy, September 2022.
  27. WhatToExpect.com, Headaches During Pregnancy, July 2021.
  28. WhatToExpect.com, Round Ligament Pain During Pregnancy, May 2023.
  29. WhatToExpect.com, "Pregnancy Brain" or Forgetfulness During Pregnancy, August 2022.
  30. WhatToExpect.com, Your Baby's Heartbeat, August 2022.
  31. WhatToExpect.com, 8 Scientific Signs That You're Having a Boy or a Girl, February 2022.
  32. WhatToExpect.com, Best Healthy Pregnancy Snacks to Satisfy Your Cravings, June 2022.
  33. WhatToExpect.com, What to Eat for Lunch During Pregnancy, March 2021.
  34. WhatToExpect.com, Depression During Pregnancy, April 2021.

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