Week 14 – the boundary between the first and second trimester, or between the first and second half of the fourth month of pregnancy in obstetric terms. The negative symptoms of toxicosis are already behind, the stomach is not yet so large as to restrict the movement and habitual lifestyle of a woman – we can assume that the most pleasant stage of pregnancy is coming.
How does the fetus change at 14 weeks?
At this stage of pregnancy, the fetus is actively moving, making purposeful movements, starting from the walls of the uterus. Its bone system and muscle tissue are strengthened, the skin becomes stronger and denser. The face of the unborn child acquires certain features, the ears move to their permanent place, the cheeks and bridge of the nose are formed. The eyes of the fetus are still closed, they will remain so until the retina completes its development.
Despite the growth of muscle tissue, the fetus is still very thin, its skin is translucent, and there is almost no fatty tissue. The whole body and head of the baby is covered with a protective lubricant, under which there is a gentle fluff – lanugo. These thin hairs hold the lubrication on the body until the moment of childbirth, when the baby will have to slide freely through the birth canal. On the head of the child there is already a soft fluff, and on the face – eyebrows and eyelashes.
Although the respiratory system does not yet function while the fetus is in the amniotic fluid, the diaphragm rises and falls, as during breathing. While the future baby makes training movements, “inhaling” the amniotic fluid.
Fetal parameters at week 14:
Weight – 25 g;
KTP (coccygeal-parietal size) – 8-10 cm;
Body length from heels to crown – about 12 cm;
Thigh length – 1,6 cm;
Transverse (biparietal) head size – 3 cm;
Chest circumference – 2,6 mm;
Heart rate – 120-150 beats per minute.
The fetus reacts to the emotional outbursts of the mother (excitement, stress) with an increase in heart rate, chaotic movements. At this stage of pregnancy, you can find out the Rh factor and blood type of the unborn child, although the bone marrow has yet to work hard, forming the final composition of the blood.
The swallowing reflex has already formed by the 14th week – the fetus swallows the amniotic fluid. His taste is selective, he reacts to the use of sweets by his mother with frequent swallowing movements, and to sour and salty, on the contrary, with more rare sips.
The body of the unborn child began to produce its own hormones, these are insulin and thyroid hormones. The intestines with the rudiments of villi, the excretory system are functioning. At this time, with a good resolution of the scanner, it is possible to determine the sex of the baby, although not entirely accurately.