Pregnancy Week 14 - Pregnancy Week by Week

Welcome to Pregnancy Week 14.

Changes to Mother During Pregnancy Week 14

You should consider starting exercising if you are not doing them already. However before you get started, remember to discuss with your doctor the kind of exercises that you can do. It is advisable to avoid exercises that involve lying on your back to prevent pressure on the spine. Remember that your body starts producing a hormone called relaxin which makes your joints and ligaments much more flexible. This makes them easily susceptible to injury.

You should increase your protein intake and eat more Vitamin C through plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Also avoid raw or uncooked food and unpasteurised dairy products. Remember to increase the high fiber content in your diet but do so slowly and increase your fluid intake in parallel.

You may suffer from constipation during this stage. You can control it by including vegetables and fruits in your diet. Drinking lots of water is also a good choice. If not treated properly, constipation can worsen into hemorrhoids.

14 Weeks Pregnant (12 Weeks after Fertilisation)

Changes to Baby During Pregnancy Week 14

Your baby is about 4 inches long now. His finger prints have developed and his thyroid starts functioning due to maturity of thyroid glands. The baby's mouth is working now and it uses sucking motions to swallow the amniotic fluid surrounding it. He continues receiving his nutrition through the placenta. His chin starts forming.

Soft hairs begin to develop on his face. These are called lanugo and will slowly cover his entire body and will drop off before delivery. However, they may continue to be present after delivery in case of premature babies.