You try to wear your perfect jeans and find out that you cannot button it anymore. Oh, the joy that flows through your being! Finally, the little bump is here. No matter how much you peer into the mirror, you can never get enough of that cute little pout your belly is making. For many, that bump could be just invisible, but you can feel it and see it. Nobody knows your body like you do. You may be happy by the way your breasts appear; which could be another reason why you are attracted to the mirror.
Though on the outside it appears to be a tiny bump, inside your body, the ligaments and muscles are stretching painfully so that your growing baby will have enough room. Wear clothes that will not hinder this in anyway. Things have eased up a bit with your body adjusting to the changes in the past weeks. Your energy will make a comeback, with the nausea and vomiting getting to the backstage. If you are still feeling queasy and tired, just wait for a little longer. You may be one those women who need some more time to get out of the early pregnancy symptoms. Every woman is unique and will take her own time for the changes to take place in her body.
Changes in Your Body:
Your uterus has filled your pelvic region and is now expanding into your abdomen. This will create a tiny bump on your tummy, which you have been waiting to see. This is the ultimate proof of your baby growing in the comfort of your womb.
All those attacking symptoms of early pregnancy are on retreat march finally. Sooner or later you will get rid of them. But then there are new, though less troublesome ones making their appearance this week.
14 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms and Signs:
- Abdominal aches due to expanding uterus. Though your body is prepared for the changes it undergoes during pregnancy and children, you do have to suffer aches and pains as a part of pregnancy. Let us not even talk about the labour pain yet. All is forgotten once you hear the baby cry. The ligaments surrounding the uterus do not expand that easily. All the stretching and expanding will cause pain in your abdomen.
- The baby is growing in your tummy, how could it affect your eyes? But it does. If you are one of those women who wear contact lenses, then you would see that they do not fit you right now. Pregnancy changes the shape of your eyes and also reduces the production of tears. The easy way out is to go back to your glasses if you have prescription contact lenses or give out on style if you wear contact lenses for aesthetic purpose.
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- Where are those keys? Was the doctor’s appointment yesterday or is it tomorrow? Why are you going to the doctor anyway? If these are the thoughts floating through your mind, don’t worry. You are not losing your mind, but you are going through what is known in common terms as ‘pregnancy fog’. The condition may worsen during the third trimester when the volume of brain cells decreases considerably. The condition corrects itself after childbirth. For now, just take precautions just like a forgetful person would do. Make lists, put down notes and switch on alarms and reminders.
- The hunger pangs torment you now that the nausea has subsided. No more turning away from food or throwing up at the sight of them. You may in fact start eating more than you were before being pregnant. The accelerating growth of your baby, which is zooming away like F1 race car, makes you hungrier than ever. Keep healthy fruits and snacks stacked in the pantry and refrigerator so that you can munch on something healthy whenever the hunger pangs attack you.
- Celebrate the return of your energy by starting on your exercises, the ones that you have been procrastinating doing, due to the extreme fatigue in first trimester. Take walks, swim, or start on yoga which is very good for both you and your baby.
- If you suddenly see a crown of glory on top of your head, do not be surprised. Thicker and shinier hair is one of the beneficial symptoms of 14 weeks pregnancy you may notice. If you are the beneficiary, just leave it down and enjoy while it lasts.
Changes in Your Baby:
Your protective womb is nourishing the baby, encouraging her to grow and develop at a fast rate. Though there may be a storm raging in your body due to hormonal changes, your baby is living and growing peacefully in the ambient environment.
Your baby loves to put the thumb in the mouth and probably try to suck at it during this week. This is an exercise to work the muscles that will help her to swallow and breathe after birth. The muscles are yet to develop, but what is the harm in trying. That is the attitude the baby has!
She is able to make fists with her fingers which are showing off the newly developed prints on them. The ridges are clearly visible though they appeared just a week ago.
The bones in the body are beginning to harden now with calcium deposits. You will need to increase your calcium intake in this week, because the next 2 months will be the time dedicated for bone development.
She is lifting up her chin which need not rest on the chest anymore, since the neck has developed and grown in length. Soon her neck will divide her head from her torso, making the baby look more prominent.
Her face can now make actions like grimacing, frowning or squinting in response to stimulus or just for exercising the facial muscles. She will jump from one expression to other every moment. The act will be repeated in her teens outside your womb.
Her kidneys are producing urine and secreting it into the amniotic fluid. She is drinking the amniotic fluid to secrete more urine and she will do it at the frequency of twice every hour. Fortunately, this is a natural harmless process which helps in the development of her excretory system. The urine the baby passes at this stage is nothing like what we excrete from our body.
The lanugo covering her skin is keeping her skin safe and her body warm. She can wiggle her toes whenever they need to move. The reflexes of her muscles improve further. It allows her more exercise to build up her tiny body, but you may not yet feel the movement due to her tiny size.
The hair on her scalp and eyebrows are becoming prominent enough for you to see. The placenta supplies all the nutrients required for her development and growth. The rich network of blood vessels present in the placenta is functioning as your baby’s life support system. Remember once again, that what you eat will directly affect your baby.
The placenta assists her growth by taking in amino acids from your system. Amino acids are essential in making up the bulk of protein which helps your baby’s organs and muscles develop.
The large vein of the umbilical cord will supply nourishment and oxygen rich blood to your baby. Also present are two smaller arteries which are responsible for carrying waste products and carbon dioxide from the tiny body of your baby to the placenta. The placenta will then process waste.
Your baby needs antibodies to fight any type of infections. The placenta for time being supplies from your body all the antibodies that are required by your baby to fight infections.
She has almost doubled her body weight in the last week. Her body is developing at a faster rate than her head now. Her arms will have grown to a length that’s in proportion to the rest of her body by the end of week 14. Her legs are still lagging behind in development. Her limbs are nearly ½ inch in length.
The liver will produce bile and the spleen starts its production of RBC (Red Blood Cells). Her intestines are producing meconium in very small quantities. The meconium will be passed out of her body only after her birth.
If you go for an ultra sound scan this week, it will be a delight to watch your girl perform her little tricks like putting her thumb in her mouth, clench and open her fists, spread her fingers, thrash her limbs and move around in your uterus. She has the ability to grasp an object now. You could catch her making facial expression or sucking thumb if you are lucky. The heartbeat is also clearly visible and audible by now, the rate of which is almost twice as yours which is normal for her.
Size of Your Baby:
Clench your fists tight and hold them up in front of you. Now the baby who is swimming inside your protective womb is nearly of that size; almost 3 ½ inches (8 ½ to 9 cm) in length from top to bottom and weighs about 1.5 ounces or 40-45 gm. Isn’t she growing at an amazing speed? No wonder you are going through all the weird symptoms and hunger pangs at this stage.
Care and Tips for 14th Week of Pregnancy:
Include more cheese, milk and milk products, seeds, meat, and nuts in your diet because they are rich source of protein, one of the most essential nutrients for your baby now along with calcium.
To lighten the situation, you can just try window shopping for your baby now. The market has so many special things for babies, that even imagining using them will itself lift up your mood to skies. As you have enough energy now, you can afford to spend it on some relaxing useless activities, just for fun.
If you are a working woman, it is high time that you announce your 14th week pregnancy. You can then enjoy all the attention or concessions you may get from your understanding colleagues. It is also important for you to plan about your future as a working mom. Make sure the working environment is not harmful for you or baby either physically or mentally.
If you are travelling quite often, make sure it is safe for you. Avoid shortcuts that can be bumpy and cause unwanted trauma to your baby.
Maintain your health with good hygiene and nutritious food. Eat food that will give a boost to your immunity. Even though visiting your sick relative in hospital is very nice gesture on your part, it is good to be a mean relative until you are pregnant. No goodwill is worth a nasty infection for you when you are pregnant. Keep your distance even from your husband, if you have doubt that he may carry some infections. Better safe than sorry.
Continue with your Kegels, as you need strong pelvic muscles all throughout your pregnancy. Find out if there are any Pregnancy Yoga training centers nearby. They could be very helpful to you. Though there are many tutorial videos available, it is best to do the exercises under a well experienced trainer during your 14th week of pregnancy.
Don’t forget to spend some alone time communicating with your baby. The experience can be one of the most pleasant you will ever experience in your whole lifetime.
Tips for Dad-to-Be:
Sit down for a serious discussion with your partner about the changes that will be taking place in your life soon enough. There will be things like maternity leave, baby names, and nursery for your baby when she arrives and many other important issues that should be sorted out. Do it whenever you have time.
If your partner decides to be a working mom, you should tell her how you can be supportive to her. Also, be frank about your own limitations. Castles in the air serve no purpose.
Remember to follow all the tips carefully and will take care for the changes to take place in your body when you are 14 weeks pregnant.
