Week 16 of Pregnancy (Trimester 2 of Preganancy)

Wow, that was quick - got the triple test results back this week! There is a 1:4,200 probability that my baby will have Down’s Syndrome. Given that for women in my age group (30-35 years of age) in the UK the average probability is 1:400, my results show a pretty low risk. Or pretty high odds of having a normal baby. After much consideration, I have decided not to have an amniocentisis to get a more diagnostic reading.

A sense of relief is slowly taking me over – I have been so very worried that there might be something wrong with this baby. Now I am gradually beginning to feel as though I can start to relax a little, to feel okay about being pregnant and to let myself feel some positive emotion towards this little life in my belly. I guess my need to research and find out about the development of my baby was the only way I could safely express an interest in it – without that emotional investment of love and hope.

The fetus continues to grow and mature, moving vigorously and looking more and more human although the head is still large in comparison to the body with a small chin and wide mouth. The eyelids remain closed until around the 26th week, and the sex organs are developed enough to be picked up on ultrasound. The legs are now longer than the arms, and movements are more co-coordinated.

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