Pregnancy Week 14 | Pregnancy Today

Pregnancy Week By Week | Pregnancy Today
How is your baby growing?
Your baby's eyes are now in their proper position at the front of her face. Her eyelids are still tightly fused, but she's already sensitive to light. For the first time in your pregnancy, her body is growing faster than her head, so she's beginning to look more in proportion. She now has fingernails, toenails and hair (yes, even eyebrows). In fact, her whole body is covered with downy fuzz called lanugo, which keeps her warm in the womb.

Your baby's movements are becoming ever more sophisticated. She's practicing breathing, inhaling the amniotic fluid and then urinating it out into the womb. She can also frown, squint and grimace, twist and turn her joints and may even be able to suck her thumb, feet and, bizarrely, knees!

What's happening to you?
Your uterus has popped out above your pelvis, so from now on your doctor will check your baby's growth by feeling your bump and measuring the distance from the top of your uterus to the top of your pubic bone. At 14 weeks, it should measure around 14 centimeters. It'll grow by 1 centimeter a week from now on.

Your heart is working harder than ever to pump blood to your baby. Before you were pregnant, only 2 percent of your blood supply was directed to your uterus, but now it's a huge 25 percent. And your kidneys are working 60 percent harder than ever to deal with your baby's waste products. All this exertion means you'll probably have a raging appetite, but be wary of eating for two. You don't actually need any more calories at this stage of pregnancy than before you conceived. Sorry!

What's normal, what's not?
Constipation is common at this stage, because the hormones that relax your muscles and ligaments to accommodate your bump also slow down your digestive system. A good diet with plenty of fiber, at least five daily portions of fruit and vegetables and six to eight glasses of water will help you stay regular. But if you're seriously uncomfortable and straining to go to the bathroom, seek medical advice. There are several pregnancy-safe constipation remedies to get you going again.

Your to-do list:
Now that your bump is beginning to sprout, it's time for a shopping spree. Maternity wear is (thankfully) a lot funkier than the baggy smocks of old, and you'll probably find it a bit more comfortable than squeezing into your pre-pregnancy skinny jeans, too.

Wow! Did you know...
Lanugo, fine soft hair, grows in swirls and whorls on your baby's body. It usually falls out before birth.