Pregnancy Calendar – Week Fourteen

At the beginning of your second trimester, your baby is three and one half inches in length (about as long as the palm of your hand) and weighs about one and one half ounces. The torso is growing quickly at this point, and the arms have also gotten longer. The hands and feet, now one half inch long, are more flexible and active. The reflexes have developed, so the baby can respond to stimulus. A light covering of hair (called lanugo) has started to grow all over the baby’s body. The intestines continue to move from the umbilical cord to the body. The lung formation is continuing, and inhaling and exhaling movements can be detected.

You baby has been moving in your uterus for some time, and you may be wondering when you will start to feel all the movement. Typically, women first feel fetal movement between fifteen and twenty weeks of pregnancy. As the baby grows, his or her movements become stronger and easier to feel. Another reason it takes so long to feel movement is because the womb doesn’t transmit the sensation of the baby’s movement to you. You have to wait until the womb has grown enough to touch the wall of the abdomen—then you will feel the movements through nerves in the wall of your abdomen. Feeling the baby’s first movements is called “quickening,” and it is a light, fluttering sensation. It can also feel like bubbles moving around in your lower abdomen and could be confused with gas or hunger pains.

You may be feeling pressure or pain in your back by now; backaches are common during pregnancy. Be sure you have good posture; sit with your back straight and no slouching. Work on strengthening your abdominal muscles, and this will help your back pain as your uterus gets bigger. Ask your doctor or a trainer about safe abdominal exercises during pregnancy, since lying on your back after the first trimester is not recommended. (If you lie on your back, your uterus is on top of major blood vessels, which can decrease circulation to your baby.) You should also get used to sleeping on your side. As the baby grows, lying on your stomach will put too much pressure on the uterus. Many women use a long “body pillow” for support when lying on their side. (For more tips, see: “Pregnancy and Your Poor Back” and “Exercises to Strengthen the Lower Back.”)

A Mom’s Suggestion: Journaling

You may be thinking about what life will be like after your baby is born; this is a topic you may want to write about in your journal.