Pregnancy Week 14

Written by Lone Parenting Advisor

Pregnancy week 14 is the starting of the second trimester of pregnancy, which is the second three-monthly stage of pregnancy.

The new lease of energy and happiness will improve in week 14 of pregnancy and should give you a glow to your skin and a bounce in your step.

Sudden nosebleeds or gums bleeding when brushing teeth may continue this week as the changes to the level of the hormone progesterone is still taking place in the placenta.

Clothing around the waistline may still be a little restrictive and the need to loosen clothing as the stomach tightens up may be a wise choice for your own comfort. Little body shape changes will be more noticable to you and the feeling of being fat is normal as an expectant mothers in week 14 of your pregnancy.

In the fourteenth week of pregnancy it is possible that you may notice the baby moving around within your tummy and this should feel like small flutters.

Foetal Development

The foetus should weigh approximtely 55 grams now and will be measured around 9cm in length due to more rapid growth.

The rapid growth of the foetus will become more evident from week to week now as the major developments of organs etc have taken place and the advanced growth is due. The head of the foetus will continue to grow that little bit more than the rest of the body of the foetus. The midwife upon examination of your tummy will have no difficulty finding the fundus when feeing your tummy, the fundus is the medical term for the top of the uterus.

The foetus will now have fully developed the gag reflex and growth of the nasal passages at week 14 of pregnancy are almost completed.

The bowels are fully advanced now, but the meconium will still be produced in the bowels as tiny amounts. Meconium is the bowel movement producing faeces.

Ossification of the bones of the foetus is an ongoing process. Ossification means that the soft cartilage bones are growing harder and stronger from the centre.

Ultrasound

The crown to rump length of the foetus is about 8 - 9cm in length at week 14 of pregnancy.

The doppler device will definately be used to measure and monitor the heartbeat of the baby with much clearer results at week 14 of pregnancy.