You're 14 weeks pregnant! You're now getting into your second trimester, and your baby is well on their way to being ready to meet you! There's a lot of things that are happening with your baby right now, and we bet you're curious about them. We've got all the info you'll need in this article, so read on to find out!
Key Points
- You should be experiencing less nausea and less frequent urination, but you may notice food cravings or aversions cropping up.
- Your body is developing more milk ducts at this time in preparation for breastfeeding.
- Your baby is now about three to four inches long, and weighs about an ounce.
Body Changes at 14 Weeks Pregnant
During week 14 of pregnancy, you should be experiencing less nausea and less frequent urination. Your energy levels should be increasing. You may begin experiencing constipation due to hormone changes. If it becomes a problem, add more fiber to your diet and make sure you are drinking plenty of fluids. You may develop cravings or food aversions, loving foods you previously hated or vice versa. The changes in your hormones are partly responsible for this.
You may have developed a dark line down the middle of your abdomen to your pubic bone; this is called a linea negra. Your uterus is now the size of a grapefruit. The areolas (the darker colored part around your nipple) of your breasts are darkening and growing larger in diameter. Your body is preparing for breastfeeding by growing new milk ducts. Your nipples may also be more sensitive.
Your Baby's Growth and Development 14 Weeks Pregnant
When you are 14 weeks pregnant, your baby is about three to four inches long. He or she weighs about one ounce. All of the baby's nourishment is being received from the placenta. The placenta has also taken over all hormone production from the ovaries. These hormones will continue to play a vital role in maintaining your pregnancy along with the changes in your body.
The baby is now about 12.5 cms or 4.92 inches. Your baby is now producing urine and actually urinating into the amniotic fluid. It also can practice “breathing” the amniotic fluid in and out of its lungs.
Your baby will start to get covered with a soft, fine hair over its body called lanugo. The lanugo will be shed before he or she is born and replaced with thicker, coarser hair. Your baby's sex organs have fully differentiated into male or female.
Other fetal development that occurs around week 14 of pregnancy include the ears moving from the neck to the head, complete digestive glands, and the thyroid starting to produce hormones. The vocal chords are completely developed. Your baby will begin to inhaling and exhaling.
Taking Care of Yourself At 14 Weeks Pregnant
There's some essential steps you'll want to take at this stage to take care of yourself and your baby. This is the time when you'll really want to start seriously planning for the arrival of your baby, if you haven't already. Make sure you're doing the following things, or at least begin to plan on doing them:
Tell your employer. Many women choose to tell their employer about their pregnancy once they've entered the second trimester. Once your employer is aware of your pregnancy, there are certain protections that you'll receive. You cannot be fired for being or becoming pregnant, nor can your employer fire you or place you on leave because they believe your job poses a risk to your baby. You have the right to ask for an accommodation for pregnancy-related difficulties, without taking a pay cut as a result. For more information about your legal rights as a pregnant worker, please see this article.
Begin planning your nursery. If you haven't begun planning for your nursery, now would be a good time to start. You want to give yourself ample time to get prepared, so that you aren't rushing to buy everything at the last minute! This will also give you the chance to figure out what exactly you need for your baby, so that you can save money towards it if necessary.
Continue avoiding alcohol, tobacco, recreational drugs, and caffeine. All of these things can be harmful to your baby. It's important that you cease any consumption of these items while pregnant. If you're struggling to avoid consuming any of these things, speak with your doctor or midwife.
Do some pelvic floor exercises. This is a good time to start strengthening your pelvic floor in preparation for further steps in pregnancy. Stronger pelvic floor muscles can help prevent leakage when you laugh, sneeze, cough, or jump. Talk to your doctor about these exercises if you're unsure on how to proceed.
Conclusion
So there you have it. Everything you need to know about being 14 weeks pregnant. We hope this article gave you all the information you were looking for! If you have any more curiosities, we have dozens of articles on our site on pregnancy, childbirth, and life with a newborn. Any concerns or questions you have should be directed to your doctor. Congratulations on the healthy progression of your pregnancy!
The information in this article should not be taken as professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of a doctor for any medical questions or concerns. Moms Who Think is not responsible for any outcomes that may arise as a result of actions taken based on information we provide. It is your responsibility to do your own research and to take the appropriate measures to protect your health.