Week 15

Mum

Is it too early for baby names? Here’s a hint: It’s never too early for baby names. Perhaps you have one chosen already, ever since your second date, but chances are, now that the baby is a person – sort of – he or she may be giving you all sorts of signals as to whether the name you have in mind is in fact suitable. For real!

There are baby name books, baby name websites, and baby name apps that offer suggestions and explain the meaning and origin of each baby name. There are even websites that show you how to create your own, totally unique, name for your baby: You can change the spelling of an existing name, combine two or more existing names, or concoct something with hyphens.

Dad

This week may be a good week to think about your lifestyle. It’s probably busy, like everybody else’s, and you probably don’t mind. It’s a lifestyle for a couple though, so try to fit a baby into the mix and see whether it all stacks up. If your job requires long hours or frequent travel, you might think about what changes you’d like to make to be able to spend time with your family. Putting the wheels in motion now will give everybody plenty of time to plan and adapt. Ideally, you might want to make the changes happen a few weeks before due date so that you can spend more time relaxing with your partner before “baby makes three”.

Baby

Fifteen weeks and counting! You are as big as a small apple, can move your arms and legs, and … I know it sounds a bit weird … you spend your time breathing the amniotic fluid (the warm bath you’re swimming in) right into your nose and lungs. Don’t freak out though, you can’t drown, because you’re getting your oxygen from – where? That’s right, from the same person who feeds you and gets rid of your poo: Mum. Get used to it – even though she’ll stop breathing for you when you enter the world, she’ll continue to feed you and deal with your poo for years to come. Your eyelids are still closed, but you can sense light; if those pesky parents happen to shine a torch directly onto you, you’ll move away unless you happen to be asleep.