Pregnant in week 14? At this stage, the second trimester begins – your baby is growing quickly, and you may notice the first changes in how you feel.

Baby: The foetus is approximately 7.5 cm long between head and tail and weighs around 70 grams. The growth period is substantial right now!

Development
The organs are not fully developed yet but are functional. The previously soft skeleton is hardening to support the growing body. The body is catching up with the head, which is still about half the size of the fetus.

During an ultrasound, you may see the fetus moving its arms and legs, bringing its hands to the mouth, or moving freely. The fetus can also swallow amniotic fluid now!

Heart and Circulation
You can now hear the baby’s heartbeat with a Doppler! The heart, beating and pumping since week 7, directs blood through the heart without going to the lungs, thanks to a shortcut that includes a hole between the heart’s two atria. This hole closes after birth when the baby takes its first breath, allowing normal circulation.

At this stage, the fetus’s skin is thin and transparent, covered in fine hair called lanugo. Eyebrows and scalp hair are also beginning to grow.

Mom: Now your uterus is about the size of a grapefruit and your baby is about the size of a lemon. And when this week is done, you finally enter the second trimester!

Your mood

Have you possibly regained more energy? Try to use your newfound strength for things that make you happy and feel good. For many, social activities and events can feel most delightful during the second trimester that you are now approaching. However, don’t feel pressure, but listen to your body and what exactly you need to feel good.

The heavier you get, the greater the strain on your body. If you have regained your strength, it is therefore a golden opportunity to strengthen your body for what lies ahead. Remember that it can be really heavy to carry a baby – both when it’s inside and when it comes out!

The effect of hormones on skin and hair

Have you noticed smoother skin or shinier hair than usual? It is not for nothing that people usually talk about the pregnancy glow! It is due to the increased amount of blood and the pregnancy hormones in the body which affect the phases and growth of the hair follicles. We actually loose a lot of hair everyday, but not as much during pregnancy, instead it will fall out after childbirth. The hair loss that you will notice later will therefore have nothing to do with nutritional deficiency or breastfeeding.

In addition to skin with a lot of luster, the skin can also be affected by hormonal pigmentation during pregnancy. Many pregnant women get a dark line down the stomach that extends roughly from the chest down towards the vagina and is called the Linea Nigra. Some also get darker skin around the nipples, the darkness usually fades after delivery.

The skin on the face can also be affected by pigment spots, usually called melasma or chloasma. The pigmentation is rarely permanent, but you should be careful with sunbathing as it can trigger the pigment. Feel free to use high sun protection between April and October, but remember that even the winter sun is strong and can cause pigment changes!

Partner: Now there are only a few weeks left until the Anomaly ultrasound. Will you find out the gender?

Whether or not you want to know or let it be a surprise, it may be time to start thinking about which names you like! Plan a date night one evening where you sit down and brainstorm different names – it’s usually a lovely activity to do together during pregnancy!

The most popular names in the UK are:

Girls’ names:
Olivia
Amelia
Isla
Ava
Lilly

Boys Names:
Noah
George
Oliver
Leo
Arthur