Week 15: Baby starts to taste

Your baby is about the size of an apple this week and growing fast — the legs are now longer than the arms. Something rather magical is happening too: taste is beginning, and the amniotic fluid carries the flavours of what you eat, so your baby is getting their first hints of your favourite meals.

As your energy returns, you might notice a few new things — night-time leg cramps (very common), a bigger appetite, and possibly some darker patches on your skin (melasma), which the sun can deepen.

Stretching your calves before bed can help head off those cramps, and a daily sunscreen is a good habit. Calcium-rich foods — dairy, tofu, fortified plant milks — support your baby’s developing bones.

A nice thought, if you fancy it: because your baby is starting to taste the foods you eat through the amniotic fluid, eating a varied diet now may even gently shape their palate later — one more reason to enjoy your meals rather than stress over them. Keep including iron-rich foods (the extra blood your body is making needs them) alongside the calcium, and stay hydrated to help with leg cramps and constipation.

You might also start noticing your changing centre of gravity — a slightly different walk, the odd off-balance moment — so flat, supportive shoes earn their keep from here. Some people get a blocked nose or occasional nosebleeds as blood flow increases; both are harmless and tend to settle.

A growing bump may also call for a wardrobe rethink around now — a few well-fitting maternity pieces and a comfortable, supportive bra make a real difference to how you feel, far more than squeezing into clothes that pull and dig.

One thing to book now: the morphology (anatomy) scan, ideally around weeks 18–20. It’s Medicare-covered and checks your baby’s development in detail. If you have Rh-negative blood, this is also a good time to ask your doctor about Anti-D.