You are still in the “honeymoon phase” of pregnancy! At 14 weeks pregnant, your baby is as big as a peach, of 3.4 inches length and 1.5 ounces weight. The weight of the foetus has almost doubled since week 13. The speed at which your baby is growing has increased considerably over the past few days. At this stage, in your second trimester, you a little over 3 months pregnant and your belly makes the news quite obvious. You are likely to experience less nausea and more food cravings during this week as your waistline shows no remorse of growing out of your clothes!

14 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

Abdominal aches

At 14 weeks pregnant, you are more likely to experience frequent abdominal aches and cramps as your belly grows in size, stretching the muscles to make more space for the foetus. If the pain becomes excruciating, consult your gynaecologist as there may be other reason too.

Change in the shape and size of your eyes

Along with the changes in the shape of your body, your eyes also change their shape and reduce the production of tears. If you wear contact lenses, you might want to switch to spectacles for clearer vision.

Urinary leaks

Due to the expanding uterus and excess pressure on the bladder, you might want to visit the loo way too often. In fact, at times, there can even be minor slips, resulting in leakages. At 14 weeks pregnant, it becomes difficult to control those muscles that help deal with nature’s call. If such a situation arises, use special panty liners that can soak the fluid and save your clothes from getting wet.

Hunger pangs

As the nausea subsides, food becomes tolerant to your eyes and digestive system again. The rapid growth of the 14 week foetus makes you crave food almost all the time. Keep lots of fresh fruits stacked to help you deal with these frequent attacks.

Pregnancy “fog”

It is very common to become forgetful of everything, while 14 weeks pregnant. The volume of brain cells gradually decreases due to changes in the hormones. This is rectified after childbirth. So, make lists and charts, or put alarms to remind you of important tasks like taking medicines, exercising, or visiting the gynaecologist.

Thicker and shinier hair

One of the very few positive effects of pregnancy on your body is that your hair becomes more silky and thick! However, doctors have not specified the reason behind this occurrence.

Pregnant Belly

Since the 14 week foetus is almost double the size that it was a week earlier, you might find yourself not being able to fit into many of your recent clothes. Your belly at 14 weeks pregnant is jutting out of your waist, showing a healthy baby bump that hard to avoid noticing! A regular increase in the dimension of your belly signifies proper development of the baby. At this stage, doctors recommend gaining about one or two pounds per week.

14 Weeks Ultrasound

An ultrasound test is not necessary at 14 weeks pregnancy. However, if you do happen to go through one, you can see that your 14 week foetus now has facial muscles that help speech formation and a proper face that looks like that of a tiny human! There is also a thin layer of frizzy hair called ”lanugo” that grows on the foetus to keep it warm!

During this phase, the doctor might make you go through a series of normal non-fatal tests to keep a check on the basic health conditions, sugar levels, bone density, chromosomal defects, and mineral levels.

Dos and Don’ts During Week 14 of Pregnancy

Dos –

Visit the dentist: You might think that this is an off-beat piece of advice, but believe us, it isn’t! During pregnancy, your gums become tender with each passing day, making them bleed while brushing. Regular bleeding can lead to development of plaque bacteria that affects the baby’s development as the food that goes down is infested with the disease.

Attend childbirth training sessions: Why sit at home and worry about the vagaries of childbirth, when you can sign up for sessions and tutorials to ease this tension? These sessions teach pregnant women a lot about their bodies and ways of dealing with regular problems.

Include more protein and calcium in your diet: Doctors prescribe women at 14 weeks pregnant to eat foods packed with protein and calcium. These are the two most essential nutrients for the baby’s growth. Pile up on lentils, beans, soy nuts, almonds, eggs, cheese, tofu, milk, soy milk, apples, bananas, pumpkin, guava, chia seeds, and oats.

Kegel: Keep exercising even if you are 14 weeks pregnant and feel tired to do almost anything. Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic muscles and help treat urinary incontinence. The flexibility of these muscles will also help during delivering the child.

Keep shopping: Since it still is the “honeymoon period”, keep shopping for the 14 weeks foetus that will grow into a beautiful bundle of joy in no time!

Don’ts –

Spray pesticides in your house: Pesticides contain strong chemicals that attack the nervous system of the targeted species. While you are 14 weeks pregnant, you must steer clear of such harmful chemicals as they may interfere with your hormonal cycle and affect the development of the foetus. Fatal situations may even lead to premature birth and defective physique.

Stand for too long: Since your uterus is expanding rapidly and is getting heavier, at 14 weeks pregnant, you must rest the abdomen as much as possible. Standing for too long might put extra pressure on the amniotic sac that protects the baby.

Wear the same clothes for more than one day: During this time, your body is highly susceptible to contract diseases and infections. Make sure that you change your old clothes everyday for fresh ones regularly.

Eat foods that are too spicy: While a bit of spice is always good for the tummy, too much of it is a taboo during pregnancy. Highly spicy food may not go down well with your tender constitution when 14 weeks pregnant, and may result in indigestion and heartburn.

Eat deli meats: Always buy fresh meats that are more than 80% fat-free. Never opt for deli meats as they are loaded with harmful bacteria like listeria, toxoplasma, and salmonella. These end up harming the 14 week foetus and stalling proper development.

Pregnancy is a tender period in a woman’s life. Look after yourself, know the symptoms, and follow up with your gynaecologist for further assistance and self help.