14 weeks pregnant: Pregnancy Symptoms & Baby Development
14 weeks pregnant: Pregnancy Symptoms & Baby Development
Read time: 4 minutes
14 weeks pregnant is how many months?
Month 4 (Trimester 2)
Baby development at 14 weeks
How big is my baby? And what does my baby look like?
Your baby is now the size of a kiwi fruit - around 8.5cm in length1. The head is rounder and more proportioned to the body. Their eyelids are developing, and nails appear on their fingers and toes. Your baby’s movements will become less erratic as they start to turn and stretch their hands, wrists and legs2.
More importantly, their kidneys begin working and they may begin to swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid3. This passes into their stomach, through their kidneys, and back into the amniotic fluid as urine3.
Your baby will grow two kinds of hair. Some grow a small patch of normal hair on their head, but all will grow a fine hair all over their bodies called lanugo to help keep them warm4.
Your baby, this week
Discover the science behind your baby's developments, week-by-week
Enlarged breasts
You may notice your breasts become larger. This can make them feel tender for some women, and others may notice back ache due to the extra weight. If you see yellow stains in your bra, it’s likely colostrum, the first milk that mums-to-be produce. If it’s a problem, start using breast pads1.
Pregnancy symptoms at 14 weeks
Most women start to feel better soon after the first trimester ends, but it may take a little while longer for some symptoms, like morning sickness, to clear. There are also a few symptoms that can occur in the second trimester1 including:
- Belly pains caused by an expanding womb
- Headaches or dizziness
- Nosebleeds
- Bloating
- Indigestion and heartburn
- Swollen hands and feet
- Chloasma: a natural darkening of facial skin or the appearance of brown patches
Your ultrasound
Ultrasound scans happen between weeks 8-14, so by week 14 you should have definitely had your first scan. Ultrasound scans use harmless sound waves to show a detailed picture of your baby inside your womb. Neither you or the baby will feel a thing - except a little elation on your part at seeing your child for the first time.
Focus on vitamin K
It should be easy to get all the vitamin K that you and your baby need from a healthy, well-balanced diet. And because it’s fat-soluble, your body stores any unused vitamin K in the liver, so you don’t need to include it in your diet every day6. More good news is that vitamin K isn’t usually affected by cooking.
If your baby doesn’t get enough vitamin K during pregnancy, they can develop a rare bleeding disorder after birth. This is why most are given a booster injection just after they’re born7.
Synthetic vitamin K can be toxic8, so only ever take a vitamin K supplement if directed by your midwife or doctor.
THE
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VITAMIN K
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As well as being needed for healthy bone development and protein formation in the liver, vitamin K plays a key role in blood clotting5, enabling wounds to heal properly. This is particularly important during labour and just after you’ve given birth, when your body is recovering and starting to heal.
Foods to avoid while pregnant
There’s nothing specific to avoid during individual weeks, but throughout your pregnancy, it’s wise to give the following a miss:
Raw and undercooked meat
Unpasteurised milk and dairy products
Liver, and excessive consumption of foods high in vitamin A
How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?
Weight gain during pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy weight, and varies a great deal from mother to mother. Most women gain between 10kg and 12.5kg (22–28lb) while pregnant, some of which is the weight of the growing baby9.
Last reviewed: 04th December 2019
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