Baby Development
The Week 14 edition:
Who‘s making faces at you? It’s your baby. They have learnt to suck, chew, frown, squint all at one go! The baby’s chin no longer rests on the chest, it is trying to kick, can you feel it? If you can’t, don’t worry, most first-time mothers may not be able to feel it. Some of you may think that you are having gas or butterflies in your tummy! You will now be able to hear your baby’s heartbeats through the handle held doppler or a fetoscope when you go for your prenatal visits. With the size of a lemon, your baby weighs 42 grams and measures about 8.89 cm from top to bottom.
Here is a comprehensive list of everything your baby has been up to this week:
- Your baby can move its limbs, fingers and toes.
- As the neck continues to grow, the chin no longer rests on the chest.
- Can perform actions like sucking and swallowing.
- The vocal cords have been formed.
- Your baby can urinate.
- Their heartbeats can be heard with dopplers.
- Some hair may be seen growing on its head and the brows region.
- With the facial muscles developing, your baby is becoming increasingly expressive!
Mother
Track your growth at Week 14:
Welcome to the second trimester! You have a renewed sense of energy in you, do you feel it yet? The onset of this phase marks the end to all frequent nauseating tendencies and vomiting. If it doesn’t then ask your care provider what to do, you may need to look at your micronutrients, you may be critically low in them. While the first trimester is all about getting by and adjusting to the fact that you are pregnant, the second trimester is a good time to focus on your nutrition. The breasts continue to grow and you may feel stretching and growing pains in your lower abdomen whilst your bump appears. Know that its your round ligaments which support your uterus. Consider taking prenatal exercise classes. Do clean your teeth gently as bleeding and inflamed gums can get tedious.
Here is a list of symptoms you may see this week:
- Is that a bump? Yes, it is, your uterus is gradually growing upwards and outwards.
- Your breasts feel less tender
- You feel more energetic. This is because the rapid growth of your placenta slows down considerably by the end of the first trimester.
- Round ligament pain starts as a result of the growing belly. You may feel itchy and tugging, pulling sensations around your abdomen.
- Varicose veins may occur. This is seen predominantly in your leg region. If they do, wear compression socks
- You will experience insatiable hunger. Eat colourful foods to get those micronutrients- vitamins and minerals, you need lots more proteins and fats.
