Week 15

If you use public transport, you might want to order a "Baby on Board" badge to prompt other commuters into giving up their seat for you.

You might feel fine now, but as you get bigger, you will be more unstable on your feet, and falling over could be stressful and even dangerous.

What's happening in my body?

Your baby is growing quickly and comes with a lot of packaging (the amniotic sac and fluid) and their own food supply (placenta).

You could start getting the odd jabbing pain on the sides of your bump. This is known as "round ligament pain" – putting your feet up and resting can help.

Your skin could also feel a bit itchy. It might help to use an unperfumed moisturiser, wear loose cotton clothing and have a cool bath. If the itching gets worse especially at night, talk to your doctor or midwife.

Read about itching in pregnancy on the NHS website.

Changes in your pants

Have you noticed a lot of discharge in your pants? Many women get this.

There's more blood flowing around your pelvic area and that can cause your body to produce more of the milky fluid called leucorrhoea that keeps your vagina clean and free from infection.

See your doctor or midwife if:

it changes colour – it should be clear, white or creamy
it smells bad – it should smell slightly musky, not strongly of fish or anything else
it changes texture – for example, it starts going frothy or looks like cottage cheese
you get pain when peeing
you feel itchy or sore

Thrush

If you have a vaginal infection, it's likely to be thrush, which is a common yeast infection.

Signs include a lumpy white discharge, itching around your vagina, and stinging when you pee or have sex.

To help prevent thrush:

wear loose cotton underwear
use unperfumed soap or body wash
steer clear of sex until it's cleared up

There are more tips to beat thrush on the NHS website.

2nd trimester pregnancy symptoms (at 15 weeks)

You may still be experiencing pregnancy symptoms including:

swollen and bleeding gums (read about gum health in week 13)
pains on the side of your belly, caused by your expanding womb (known as 'round ligament pains')
headaches (read about headaches in pregnancy on NHS.uk)
nosebleeds
feeling bloated (read how to cope with bloating on week 10's page)
constipation (read how to deal with constipation on week 16's page)
indigestion and heartburn (read about how to treat indigestion and heartburn on week 25's page)
sore breasts
leg cramps
feeling hot
dizziness
swollen hands and feet
urine infections
vaginal infections (read about vaginal infections in week 15
darkened skin on your face or brown patches – this is known as chloasma or the 'mask of pregnancy'
greasier, spotty skin
thicker and shinier hair

You may also experience symptoms from earlier weeks, such as:

morning sickness (see week 6 for morning sickness advice)
weird pregnancy cravings
a heightened sense of smell
mood swings (read about dealing with mood swings on week 8's page)
a white milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina and light spotting (seek medical advice for any bleeding)

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.

What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or foetus, is around 10.1cm long from head to bottom, which is about the size of an apple.

Your baby has been busy growing a soft layer of hair, called "lanugo", all over their body. Their eyebrows and eyelashes are also starting to develop. Your baby's eyes are now sensitive to light.

Around now, your baby will start hearing too. Talk to your baby and they will probably hear you. They will also hear your heartbeat and any noises made by your digestive system.

Composite. One side shows a foetus attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord. The foetus is recognisable as a baby. Other side shows a person holding an apple in one hand. — Your baby is about the size of an apple

Action stations

Think about telling your work

Many women will tell their employer after they've had their first pregnancy scan at around 12 weeks.

Once you tell your employer, you have maternity rights and can attend antenatal appointments during paid work time.

You can also ask for a risk assessment of your workplace to ensure that you're working in a safe environment.

Start doing pelvic floor exercises

It's a good time to tone up your pelvic floor muscles. Gentle exercises can help to prevent leakage when you laugh, sneeze or cough.

Get the muscles going by pretending that you're having a pee and then stopping midflow.

Visit Tommy's for more information on pelvic floor exercises.

Antenatal classes

Ask your midwife or doctor about online antenatal classes – they may be able to recommend one. The charity Tommy's has lots of useful information on antenatal classes and preparing you for birth.

Even if you've had children before, antenatal classes are still worth going to as you can meet other parents-to-be. The NCT offers online antenatal classes with small groups of people that live locally to you.

Smoking, drinking and caffeine in pregnancy

Do your best to stop smoking and give up alcohol, and go easy on the tea, coffee and anything else with caffeine.

Ask your midwife or GP for support.

Vitamins in pregnancy

To keep bones and muscles healthy, we need vitamin D.

From late March/early April to the end of September, most people make enough vitamin D from sunlight on their skin. However, between October and early March, you should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement because we cannot make enough from sunlight.

Some people should take a vitamin D supplement all year round, find out if this applies to you on the NHS website.

You just need 10 micrograms (it's the same for grown-ups and kids). Check if you're entitled to free vitamins.

Exercising in pregnancy

It's recommended that you do 150 minutes of exercise a week while pregnant.

You could start off with just 10 minutes of daily exercise – perhaps take a brisk walk outside.

Listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

Healthy eating

There's no need to eat for 2. You just need to eat a healthy balanced diet, with a variety of different foods every day, including plenty of fruit and veg. Have a look at our guide to healthy eating in pregnancy.

You may be able to get free milk, fruit and veg through the Healthy Start scheme.