Your changing body
You have officially entered the golden stage of pregnancy. You start looking pregnant as your baby is growing fast and occupying more room. Your Uterus has grown quite a bit and feels like a small soft ball. As your baby grows, you also start gaining weight. In addition to the darkening of your areolas, the veins in your breasts become more prominent.
As your Uterus continues to grow, you may start feeling some aching or discomfort in your abdomen, which is often referred to as Round ligament pain. The Ligaments surrounding your Uterus will stretch in the following weeks to accommodate your baby and this stretching often results in this pain and usually presents as a brief but sharp or stabbing pain in your abdomen. If severe, analgesics can be taken.
By week 14, the top of your Uterus is positioned above your pubic bone, which pushes out your stomach. Aside from your growing belly by pregnancy at 14 weeks, you may find yourself a bit hungrier. By this time, you may be facing problems of Constipation.
During this period, your joints and Ligaments become more flexible, which can make you prone to accidents and falls. Be sure that you take things easy. | Your growing baby
Though your baby is growing at a rapid pace, he/she is still tiny and is just around 7 cm in length and 23 g in weight at week 13 and is as big as a shrimp. While your baby’s head is still quite large, his/her body is starting to catch up.
Your little one’s fingerprints are formed on the tiny fingers. Your baby’s liver will start producing Insulin that helps your baby regulate his/her blood sugar later in life. |  |
During the 14th week, your baby’s length starts to match your baby’s weight. The head starts to appear more and more proportional at 14 weeks and beyond. The tiny neck starts to get longer and your precious one’s chin starts forming. Your little one is quite actively kicking and swimming within your body. Your baby should be receiving their nutrition directly from the Placenta. By the end of week 14, your little one will be approximately as long as a lemon of length 8.7 cm and weight 43 g.
As your baby’s brain develops, he/she will start making faces. Your baby can now grimace, frown and squint!
Things to consider - Remember to drink plenty of water and eat foods that contain lots of fiber to help keep your bowels moving and to prevent Constipation while pregnant. Click here to read more on improving Constipation.
- In most cases simply relaxing can relieve Round ligament pain. Be sure you rest comfortable and discontinue any activity that was causing you discomfort. If the pain around the tummy (round ligament pain) is accompanied by cramps, bleeding or vomiting you should call your doctor immediately.
- If you are the proud owner of a kitten, you should avoid too much contact with your pet to prevent toxoplasmosis, an infection that can pose a significant risk to your unborn baby.
Working through pregnancy
If you have a relatively easy pregnancy and your obstetrician has not raised any objections, you can continue working right to the end of your pregnancy. It is not advisable to work if work in an environment where you are exposed to hazards such as radiation, tobacco smoke, toxic chemicals etc., if you have to stand for more than 3 h a day and if your job is physically demanding.
To make yourselves comfortable at your job, you can put your foot up on a stool to relieve pressure on your lower back. Make sure that you take small regular breaks and go for a short walk to escape from work stress. |
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