A week by week guide to what’s happening to you and your baby

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOU

You open the fridge to be greeted by the nauseating smell of garlic. But you LOVE garlic, or rather you did. Now all sorts of smells seem unappealing at best, and sick-making at worst.

In fact, almost 85 per cent of pregnant women have at least one food aversion. One explanation, according to researchers, is that food aversions peak when hormones are fluctuating. As you progress through the second trimester and your hormones stabilise, your aversions may disappear.

While aversions to coffee or alcohol may be your body's way of preventing you from consuming anything harmful to the baby, aversions to healthy foods should be treated differently. No, you don't have to force feed yourself the detested item. Rather, find a palatable alternative that offers similar nutritional value.

WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY

Your baby is now about 4 1/2 inches long and weighs 45g. The neck is complete, and your baby even has fingerprints.

He or she is beginning to move around in the amniotic fluid, which replenishes itself every three hours. Foetal movement, or ‘quickening’, can occur as early as this week so be alert for fluttering sensations. If you can't feel them, however, don't worry as they're more likely to occur between the 18th and 22nd week. In subsequent pregnancies, foetal movement is felt earlier.

HEALTHY EATING

Make sure that meat and poultry are cooked thoroughly. This destroys any salmonella bacteria that might be present. Stay away from liver and liver products as they contain a high level of retinol, a type of Vitamin A that is dangerous to your unborn baby.

FACT OF THE WEEK

If you are over 35, have had an unusual AFP result or have a genetic history which could affect the foetus, your doctor may recommend an amniocentesis. This procedure involves the insertion of a hollow needle through the uterus to remove amniotic fluid. An ultrasound is performed during the procedure to ensure the needle does not puncture the placenta or the foetus. The cells taken in the sample need to be cultured so the results are usually available between 24 to 35 days after the procedure.An amniocentesis will be offered if you are over 35 when the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases, if certain diseases run in your family, you are a carrier of genetically linked disorders such as haemophilia or your AFP levels are raised, suggesting spina bifida.

Find out what's happening in week 15 of your pregnancy.

For a list of all the pregnancy week by week articles click here