The 16 Week Phenomenon - Am I Still Pregnant?
/The 16 Week Phenomenon
The question I always get at 16 weeks … “is everything ok, because I don’t feel pregnant anymore?” If you have found yourself asking this question then keep reading to learn what is happening at 16 weeks and why this shift in symptoms is completely normal.
Resolution of First Trimester Symptoms:
Your routine OB appointment happens at 16 weeks and women often find themselves wondering if the reduction in symptoms they are noticing is a problem. The first trimester was at best incredibly tiring, but for most full of symptoms more than just fatigue that were signs to you that you were pregnant. At 16 weeks when those symptoms are now gone logic would say that maybe your pregnancy is also gone, right?
The truth is that first trimester symptoms do not actually correlate with the health of your pregnancy. There can be extremely sick women having a miscarriage and women who feel great who have a perfectly healthy growing pregnancy.
The intensity of symptoms simply says more about your reaction to the hormones of pregnancy than it does about the health of your baby.
Try thinking of it in a different context… for example taking a birth control pill. Some women take a pill to prevent pregnancy and feel normal (maybe even better than normal) while another woman can take the same medication and feel horrible! The medication is the same but the woman is not. About 60 % of women find that their first trimester symptoms resolve by 12 weeks and another significant chunk of women feel better by 16 weeks. No need to worry though as feeling better at 16 weeks is simply part of the normal progression of pregnancy hormones and your response to those changing levels.
I’m Not Showing Yet:
Many women having their first baby will ask, “when will others be able to see my pregnancy?” or “when will I look pregnant or need to wear maternity clothes.” At the 16 week mark this is a very common concern, for first time moms in particular. If you have spoken to me for more than 2 minutes you likely know that I personally was in maternity clothes at 8 weeks… because why not?!? Often women do not start “showing” or looking pregnant however when having their first baby until after 16 weeks. Women having a subsequent baby may “pop” earlier. The combination of not yet appearing pregnant while feeling less symptoms is often a concern for women who are unaware of the 16 week phenomenon.
Consider what goes into the appearance of your belly bump…
The size of your uterus, the strength of your abdominals, the length of your torso and how much bloating you have all affect the appearance of your belly. Your uterus is in line with the top of your pelvis or hip bones at 12 weeks which means every week after 12 the uterus rises a bit higher. The uterus however has to be significantly elevated over your pelvis to start tipping forward. With this in mind a woman with a very long torso may have more room for her uterus to rise upward before tipping forward. To all of my short waisted sisters out there… good luck hiding that bump, haha.
Another common finding at 8-16 weeks is that it can often seem like your belly size keeps changing.
A belly that looks smaller than the day before can induce anxiety for many women. Bloating however is one of the most common first trimester symptoms and often is experienced by having a normal size belly in the morning, and by the end of the day looking considerably more pregnant. Lastly, the strength of your abdominals greatly affects the appearance of your belly as the stronger the abdominal wall the more support your uterus has to remain tucked into your abdomen prior to pushing out. If you have amazing core strength, 1. I am jealous, and 2. You likely will show later than others. Similarly, lack of abdominal strength or prior separation of the abdominal muscles is why women having their second or third baby tend to show earlier.
Baby Is Not Moving:
While some baby books suggest that you may feel the baby move at 16 weeks most first timers are not aware of baby’s movements until much later. Your baby is absolutely moving at 16 weeks but the movement is often so subtle that it is easy to miss unless you have felt the feeling before. When considering what fetal movement feels like I think it helps to imagine exactly what is happening internally– there is a baby floating around and bumping into the walls of your uterus. If you feel a little bump or tap that could be the baby! Not being aware of baby at 16 weeks is not a problem. The combination however of feeling better, not showing, and not feeling baby is concerning for many women. Your provider however will be able to listen to baby's heartbeat at 16 weeks which will confirm that your baby is ok.
Pregnancy is a time of so many changes and new experiences.
I find it helpful to remember that many women have gone before you/me and that our bodies often know what to do even if our brains do not. Your provider is monitoring your progress during pregnancy to ensure that your health does note get off track. I encourage you to remain positive and reframe your changing body… remember that feeling great at 16 weeks is a good thing! Now that you are feeling better, start working on your second trimester goals and put healthy routines into place. Soon enough you will be feeling the challenges of the third trimester and wondering why you were so worried at 16 weeks!
Starting to think about birth preparation? Check out my FREE How To Choose A Birth Class course!
