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The 14th week is the beginning of a new phase in your pregnancy. After completing a successful first trimester you’ve now stepped into the second one! Considering everything is on track, you must have already started sporting a cute little baby bump that’s probably visible to most people.
However, even if you are not showing that you are pregnant, there is no need to fret, ladies. The coming weeks will be equally exciting while your baby embarks on a rapid journey of growth. More importantly, your body will undergo quite a few changes, a nice big baby bump is one of them!
Your Baby’s Growth During Pregnancy – Week 14
By the 14th week, your baby will have successfully transitioned into a phase where she/he can pull faces, right inside your belly. He will be as big as your clenched fist and will be moving all the time.
Though you may not be able to see or feel much, your baby can grimace, squint and even frown. Your baby’s kidneys have started producing urine, owing to the amniotic fluid that the foetus will inevitably sip. His neck will grow longer and he will actually be standing without any prodding. Apart from these changes, your baby’s heartbeat will be clearer, though this can only be heard or felt by an expert medical practitioner.
What is the Baby’s Size?
By now, you can compare your baby’s size to that of a kiwi, peach or lemon.Your little peach weighs around 50 to 60 grams inside your tummy. Also, your baby is anywhere between 3-4 inches long. Although at 14 weeks pregnant the baby’s size may seem rather unexciting, even the kiwi sized structure is more than enough to make its presence known by creating changes in your body and contributing to pregnancy symptoms.
Common Body Changes
As hinted above, once you are pregnant you are bound to experience many changes. And it’s only fair that your rapidly growing baby will contribute to your body changes during pregnancy.
Your second trimester will certainly be smoother than your first one. Most women feel less tired, have lesser bouts of morning sickness and in general feel better and more energetic. You should watch out for weight gain or loss. It’s advised to gain a kilo or two. However, ensure that you are not losing weight as that could be worrisome.
Of course, the most exciting part of the 14th week of pregnancy is that you will definitely show a bit. Also, the chance of miscarriages has gone down quite a bit so you should be okay to announce the big news.
Symptoms of Pregnancy at Week 14
Every week of pregnancy brings along a new symptom. There will always be some recurring symptoms from the preceding weeks that will continue into your 14th week and the weeks to come. Some of these symptoms are listed below.
- Ligament pain
- Thick and shiny hair
- An increase in energy
- An increase in appetite
- Mood swings
- A decrease in breast tenderness
- Nausea
- Considerable weight gain
- Pain in the stomach
- Varicose veins or enlarged veins in legs and feet
- Congested nose
Belly at 14 Weeks Of Pregnancy
You should be able to feel your uterus jutting out of your pelvis and showing in your abdomen. As mentioned, most of you will be sporting a baby bump. You are bound to feel a sore and rather aching stomach owing to the fact that your body is trying hard to accommodate your rapidly growing belly.
Since it is recommended to gain some weight, make sure that you also exercise a little to stay fit and deal with those aches and pains that should have already started to manifest.
14 Weeks Ultrasound
It is rather rare to schedule an ultrasound in the 14th week of your pregnancy. Nevertheless, if you do indeed get one, there are some cute surprises coming up. Your little one is going to make you fall in love all over again by showing off his new skill at sucking his cute little thumb!
A closer look will also reveal that your baby can now wiggle his toes. The spleen and liver should be functioning fine, and of course, your little one’s kidneys are producing urine. Your little peach sized miracle will also show the formation of peach fuzz or lanugo, a protective layer made of hair that is going to help him stay warm.
What To Eat?
The choices of food during the 14th week of pregnancy should be varied and full of nutrients that both you and your baby need. In fact, during the entire course of your pregnancy, it’s rather important to eat a rainbow of foods, meaning a food variant having every color of the rainbow. These include beetroots, green leafy vegetables, proteins, foods rich in calcium etc.
A common misconception during pregnancy is that you need to overeat because your baby is getting nutrition from you. Make sure you disregard this idea because what you really need to do is eat for two! It may sound confusing but your doctor will surely chart a diet for you that can supplement both you and your baby without you having to overeat.
Meanwhile, if you frequently crave for snacks, keep some fruits handy. Make sure that you stock up on nuts and yogurt because it’s wise to make healthy choices for snacks. Eat foods that are rich in folic acid to prevent birth defects and don’t forget oily fish varieties that contain the required amounts of Omega 3 fatty acids. Milk and milk products should be a part of your diet because bone strength is important.
Tips & Care
In a nutshell, the entire process of pregnancy is to keep yourself and your baby safe and healthy. Since you have successfully completed the 1st trimester and come so far, ensure you practice healthy habits for this one as well.
Go through our list of dos and don’ts that will certainly come in handy not only during the 14th week of your pregnancy but also for the coming weeks.
Dos
- Get plenty of rest and regular hours of sleep.
- Get a body pillow that should provide you some comfort.
- Think positive and stay cheerful.
- Read some nice parenting books.
- Have sex with your partner.
- Take care of oral hygiene.
- Take care of personal hygiene.
- Ensure that you eat good food that is properly cooked.
- Exercise and do some yoga.
Don’ts
- Smoke or drink alcohol.
- Stay in conditions that stress you.
- Worry too much.
- Overdo your exercises.
- Expose yourself to radiation.
- Expose yourself to places with questionable hygiene conditions.
- Starve yourself or your baby.
- Forget to take your medication as advised by your doctor.
What You Need To Shop For
At this stage of pregnancy, you need to keep yourself as comfortable as possible. Buy cotton clothes that are loose and let you breathe. Investing in stylish maternity wear will be a good call considering you are going to need it later. More importantly, it’s time you switched to comfortable flats, preferably with padding, and ditch your stilettos and fancy shoes. Stock up on lotions because your skin may tend to feel dry. Buy good stretchy bras because your breasts will soon grow bigger. You may also want to invest in nursing bras as you are going to need them soon.
Conclusion: Read all that you can and prepare well to welcome your newborn and you will be able to reduce a lot of stress during this time.
Read this article in Arabic: الأسبوع 14 من الحمل
