You are 15 weeks and 3 days

It's time for another routine prenatal appointment to check that all is going well for you and your baby.

172 days until your due date

If your last appointment was around 12 weeks, you may have another around 16 weeks. You'll be weighed, your urine tested, and your blood pressure measured, and your baby's heart rate checked. Your doctor should be able to hear the heartbeat, which can be very reassuring.

If you didn't have the nuchal translucency scan at 11–14 weeks, you may be offered the triple or quadruple blood test to screen for Down syndrome.

This appointment is also a chance to discuss any worries, and your doctor will give you the results of the routine tests from your first appointment.

If your blood tests showed low hemoglobin, you may be offered an iron prescription.

Focus on

Your body: Does my belly look big in this?

You need clothes that fit your growing belly, but that doesn't mean buying a whole maternity wardrobe yet. These will keep you comfortable and make your usual clothes last a few more weeks:

Pregnancy support pants, which stretch with you, ease the strain on your lower back, and give a smoother outline.
A pants expander, an elastic belt that lets you keep wearing your jeans. Or loop a hairband (or, for extra room, a strip cut from a pair of tights) around the button, through the buttonhole, and back.
A belly band, a wide stretchy band worn over your belly to cover the gap between your top and waistband.
Bra extenders, which hook onto the back of your bra to add up to 3 in (8 cm).
Borrowing clothes from your partner or slightly larger friends.

Explainer

Belly bands

A belly band is a versatile item that covers your belly, so you can keep wearing some of your favorite tops.

As a matter of fact

The first maternity wear

Maternity wear first appeared in the mid-19th century.

Prudish society at the time felt pregnancy should be hidden, and for the same reason, and for the wellbeing of mother and child, women were encouraged to stay in bed in the weeks before the birth.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.