What may change in your body
The bump tends to become more noticeable. Skin may itch as it stretches, and stretch marks may appear. Moisturizing creams can improve comfort and dryness, but there's no reliable evidence that they prevent stretch marks.
Care for this week
Moisturize your skin for comfort, without expecting it to prevent stretch marks.
Pay attention to posture and footwear if your center of gravity is shifting.
Keep eating a varied diet with sources of iron, as advised.
Prenatal care focus
- If it isn't booked yet, talk about the second-trimester anatomy scan.
If you're expecting twins
With twins, fetal growth and signs of specific complications are assessed through serial scans; the schedule depends on chorionicity.
For those by your side
Avoid comments about the size of the bump. Ask how the person is feeling, not whether it's 'too big or too small'.
Questions for this week
Does moisturizer prevent stretch marks?
It can help with skin comfort, but there's no reliable evidence that creams or oils prevent stretch marks.
Do movements already have a pattern?
They may still be irregular. Individual patterns become clearer later on.
When to seek care
- Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy should be reported to your care team; how heavy it is, pain and gestational age change how urgent it is.
- Severe, worsening or persistent abdominal pain deserves evaluation.
- Fever, fainting, significant shortness of breath, chest pain or feeling very unwell need medical care.
In an emergency, go to the urgent care service in your area. This content does not replace a professional assessment.
The next chapter
In week 18, facial structures are clearly recognizable on ultrasound and movements may become easier to identify.
See week 18Was this helpful?
Sources and transparency
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — Brazilian Pregnancy Booklet, the official prenatal record (Caderneta Brasileira, updated in 2026)
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — Prenatal care (Ministério da Saúde — Pré-natal)
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — High-Risk Pregnancy Manual — Multiple pregnancy (Manual de Gestação de Alto Risco — Gestação múltipla)
- NHS — Week-by-week guide to pregnancy
- ACOG — How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy
- Brazil's Ministry of Health — Prenatal tests and vaccines (Ministério da Saúde — Exames e vacinas no pré-natal)
- NHS — Stretch marks in pregnancy
Nilu editorial content, written from the official sources above. Individual clinical review of each week is in progress — this text is for information and does not replace your prenatal care.