Week 16

Baby's development this week:

-  Bones forming in inner ears (now baby can hear your voice!)
-  Hair and eyelashes
-  Facial muscles (to make adorable expressions with)
-  Muscles gaining strength (so baby can straighten out more than before)
-  Heart is now pumping 24 quarts of blood every day

Are your insides starting to feel a little more cramped when you bend over? 

Add to your healthy diet this week:

-  Prenatal vitamin
-  Water
-  Exercise!

In the next few weeks, baby is going to double his weight. From here on out, you'll start noticing your weight gain if you haven't already. In addition to eating in moderation and drinking an adequate amount of water, you'll also want to keep your body active. 

Exercise is a great way to give yourself an energy boost. 

"The single most common factor my more energetic patients have is that they exercise," says Dr. Randy Fink, MD, FACOG, and an OB-GYN in private practice in Miami, Florida. "A little time committed to physical activity can make a huge difference." But just what sorts of exercise get your energy soaring? Just about anything that gets you on your feet and moving is beneficial.

• Get Moving: With your healthcare provider's permission, make it a habit to engage in physical activity each day. Take a brief walk outside on your lunch hour or perform some light yoga stretches while dinner cooks, suggests Dr. Kathleen Hall, PhD, author of A Life in Balance: Nourishing the Four Roots of True Happiness.
• Make TV Time Productive: Rather than sitting to watch your favorite TV show, use those 30 minutes for exercise. Pedal a stationary bike or take a walk on the treadmill.Low-impact exercise is best, but the overwhelming message is the same: exercise will "reenergize and increase your oxygen, blood, and nourishment to your body," says Dr. Hall.
• Make Exercise Fun: Getting fit doesn't limit you to isolated exercises and toning individual muscles. When you were a kid, you naturally got exercise by running around on the playground, playing kickball, and riding your bike. Using this childlike approach to exercise can make fitness more fun! Invest in an exercise DVD with music you love, or if you have other children, dance with them as you watch one of their favorite Disney musicals, suggests Dr. Hall. Getting the blood pumping will make you feel good and reinforce a positive outlook on fitness."