Week 14 of Your Pregnancy

At 14 weeks pregnant, you may have a little more energy and be feeling better all around. Learn more about common questions, symptoms, and development for week 14 of your pregnancy.

Pregnancy Journey Week 14

Design By Alice Morgan / Illustration by Tara Anand

At 14 weeks pregnant, you may notice that your energy is coming back and your nausea is finally subsiding. What a relief! Many pregnant people also begin to feel less anxious as the risk of miscarriage decreases greatly by this time. Here is what else pregnant people should be aware of as they head into week 14.

Pregnancy Week 14 Quick Facts

  • At 14 weeks, you’re four months pregnant
  • You have 26 weeks until your due date
  • You're in your second trimester

Your Unborn Baby's Size at 14 Weeks

At this point, the fetus is about 3.42 inches and around 1.5 ounces. That’s about the size of a peach.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 14

By 14 weeks pregnant, it’s common to start getting a little bit more energy and a little less nausea, but some other symptoms may begin to appear (or reappear):

  • Round ligament pain
  • Cramps or charley horses in the legs, especially at night
  • Increasing appetite
  • Varicose veins
  • Stuffy nose
  • Bleeding gums
  • Starting to show
  • Leaky nipples

Around week 14, you may notice that you feel a little more perked up and a little less wilted—especially in the afternoon when the desire for a nap hits hard. That first-trimester exhaustion is real and can impact your work and home life drastically.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that pregnant people need between 8 and 10 hours of restful sleep each night to support a healthy pregnancy and that it is normal to feel fatigued during the early (and late) stages of pregnancy. But, according to G. Thomas Ruiz, MD, OB-GYN at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, this might ease up at 14 weeks.

You may also experience sudden muscle cramps, aka a charley horse, which may strike at any time, including in the middle of the night, interrupting sleep. Researchers still don't know what causes muscle cramps or how to cure them, although plenty of people swear by hydrating with water, rubbing the affected area, or even eating bananas; however, the science is still out on how effective any of these quick fixes are.

For round ligament pain, Olivia Dziadek, MD, OB-GYN, assistant professor UTHealth Houston, recommends Tylenol (acetaminophen) and stretching, though you should promptly chat with your health care provider if you have persistent pelvic or abdominal pain. The ACOG says that acetaminophen is safe for pregnant people but advises that it only be used when needed and that you talk to your health care provider first.

You can thank increased blood flow and changing hormones for those annoying new symptoms such as stuffy nose, bleeding gums, and varicose veins.

Did you know that between weeks 12 and 16, your body is already beginning to make milk? The first stage of milk production is a thick, yellowish fluid called colostrum. If you notice some colostrum leaking from your nipples, don't worry; this is normal, but definitely mention it to your health care provider.

And possibly the most exciting new development: you might start showing this week!

Developmental Milestones

This week, there is a more defined neck, while essential red blood cells are forming in the spleen. Dr. Ruiz explains that, around this time, the baby's sex becomes more apparent (though 90% of his patients already know the sex from an earlier blood test). At 14 to 15 weeks, you can see externally differentiated genitalia via ultrasound, though you might not have the opportunity until your 20-week ultrasound, which is also known as the anatomy scan.

Pregnancy Journey Weekly Reminder

Design by Alice Morgan

Prenatal Tests and Doctor's Appointments

Some physicians are still ordering non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) at 14 weeks, though others do it in the previous three weeks. This blood test identifies increased risks for Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, and other chromosomal disorders. You can do the test or refuse it, based on your preferences, and by talking to your health care provider about the benefits or risks.

If you last saw your health care provider at 10 weeks, you might have an appointment this week, or you might be waiting a few more weeks, as visits are typically around four weeks apart at this stage. At your appointments, your provider will listen for your baby's heartbeat on an external monitor called a Doppler, which is typically a reassuring sign for the medical team and the pregnant parent.

Common Questions at This Pregnancy Stage

Why am I still nauseous?

While nausea commonly subsides in the second trimester, our experts explain it can take a bit longer for some people. For example, Shannon Tripp, a mom of five in Puerto Rico, says, "People always told me nausea during pregnancy would subside after the first trimester, but lingered until about 16 weeks." Her doctor suggested small frequent meals to keep her stomach full and drinking enough water for two.


When should I make a birth plan?

Dr. Ruiz explains the second trimester is a great opportunity for patients and providers to spend time in "counseling," which means having conversations about the upcoming pregnancy weeks and birth. Pregnant people might ask questions such as how to know when to head to the hospital, what symptoms to watch for around the expected due date, and what pain management options are available.

Things You Might Consider This Week

Get ready to make plans with your newfound energy (or, at the very least, lack of exhaustion). Your exhaustion from the first trimester is starting to dissipate for a reason, Dr. Ruiz says. "At 14 weeks, your plasma volume and your blood count have kind of stabilized," he says. "You're so used to the mild anemia of pregnancy, so all that fatigue you had going in the first trimester is not nearly as pronounced at 14 weeks; you've adapted."

You might also feel some decreased anxiety about miscarriage. At the beginning of my second trimester, I had a bit less anxiety after hearing the baby's heartbeat on the Doppler. Experts reassure patients that, though it's not completely gone, pregnancies that have progressed this far successfully are at much lower odds of miscarriage.

Support You May Need This Week

If you are having more round ligament, lower back, or joint pain, you might need to lay down, take it easy, do some stretching, or even go for a simple walk. Your support people can encourage these behaviors so you don't have out-of-control pain.

If you are connected to a trainer, physical therapist, or even your health care provider, you can determine what exercises from the first trimester you might want to modify as your energy picks up a bit.

"I loved to stay active during my pregnancies and generally felt great to continue all the same exercises I did before pregnancy, but after the first trimester, I wasn't sure what core workouts were safe or needed to be modified, so I asked my doctor," Tripp says. "My doctor recommended not laying on my back to do traditional sit-ups after the first trimester as it could contribute to diastasis recti."  

Head over to week 15 of pregnancy

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Sources
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