Pregnancy week by week · trimester 2
🍋 14 weeks pregnant: your baby is about the size of a lemon
At 14 weeks pregnant, your baby is about the size of a lemon and is practising tiny facial expressions. Welcome to the second trimester.
Your baby this week
Your baby is around the size of a lemon, about 8.7cm long. Facial muscles are getting busy, so your baby may squint, frown or pull small faces, even though no one can see them. A fine, soft hair called lanugo is beginning to grow over the body to help keep them warm. The neck is longer, so the head sits more upright. Your baby is also beginning to make urine, which becomes part of the amniotic fluid around them.
You this week
Welcome to the second trimester. Many mums find this the most comfortable stretch of pregnancy, with more energy and less sickness. You might feel hungrier, and your bump may be starting to show. Some mums notice a darker line down the tummy or darker patches on the face; these usually fade after birth. Round ligament pain, a sharp twinge low on one side when you move quickly, is common as your womb grows.
Kind things to do this week
- Move slowly when you stand up or roll over in bed to ease ligament twinges.
- Use a high SPF on your face, as skin can darken more easily in pregnancy.
- Think about whether you would like to find out the sex at your anomaly scan (not every hospital offers it).
Appointments around now
If your dating scan has not happened yet, it should happen this week. Your next routine appointment is usually around 16 weeks.
Questions to ask your midwife
- What should I eat more of now my appetite is back?
- Do I need to change anything at work as my bump grows?
When to call your midwife or maternity unit
Contact your midwife or maternity unit if you have any bleeding, tummy pain that does not settle, or fluid leaking from your vagina. They would always rather hear from you.
OBubba from bump to baby
Follow your pregnancy week by week, free.
OBubba is free through pregnancy, with a weekly update, kick counting and contraction timing. On the day your baby arrives, the same app becomes your baby tracker.
Questions
Does the second trimester feel easier?
Often, yes. Many mums have more energy and less sickness from around now, though everyone is different.
Why do I have a dark line on my tummy?
It is called the linea nigra and is caused by pregnancy hormones. It is very common and usually fades after your baby arrives.
Not sure how far along you are? Use the due date calculator.
Sources
OBubba gives general information. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Your midwife and maternity unit are always the right people to ask, any time of day or night.