Week 14 of Pregnancy

First trimester weeks

Congrats! During the first trimester, you’re getting used to the idea of being pregnant.

Second trimester weeks

As you enter this second trimester, your body will settle down to pregnancy.

Third trimester weeks

You've reached the third and final trimester and will be heavily pregnant by now.

Week 14 of Pregnancy

There are subtle changes happening to your shape that only you will notice.

Your baby isn't big enough to give you an obvious pregnancy belly, but you'll definitely notice your waistline become thicker. At this stage of pregnancy, many women feel re-energized and have a strong sense of well-being. Healthy eating is very important, so be clued in about the best food choices. In particular, your body needs plenty of protein, and your baby needs it, too, to sustain her rapid growth.

13 Weeks, 4 Days

185 days to go...

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Your baby today

Whether your baby's legs are crossed or uncrossed, it is very difficult to tell from an ultrasound at this stage whether your baby is a boy or girl: male and female look too similar to reliably tell them apart.

Your baby's central nervous system, including the brain and the spine, now has all its basic components.

The core development of your baby's central nervous system has taken place, and it will now progress further using four overlapping processes. The number of nerve cells increases and their positions alter during migration-a process by which cells move to their final locations and develop specific functions. The connections between individual nerve cells become more organized, and the fibers become insulated. The growth of the nervous system now enters its most active phase. Reflecting this, the head accounts for half of the entire length of the baby. Both the nerves and their supporting cells increase in number. Although most of the nerve cells are produced during pregnancy, the supporting cells continue to increase in number during your baby's first year. The supporting cells assist in the migration process, which is largely completed by 22 weeks.

Ask A... Doctor

Can I continue jogging?

There's no reason why not if you were a regular runner before you became pregnant, but take it easy-now is not the time to run a marathon!

You need to avoid becoming overheated so don't run on hot days and drink plenty of water, regardless of the temperature. Wear a good sports bra to support your growing breasts. Whenever you can, run on soft surfaces, such as grass, to reduce the stress on your joints, especially your knees.

Jogging is a good aerobic activity during pregnancy in the early months, but is only advised if you're used to jogging. Don't take it up as a new activity in pregnancy.

Focus On... Nutrition

Perfect pork

Pork is an excellent source of protein, vitamin B6, and zinc-which are all essential nutrients for pregnancy. Pork has a reputation as a fatty meat, but this is not deserved; it is probably due to the fact that some cuts can be fatty, such as spare ribs, bacon, and ham, but many cuts of pork have less saturated fat than beef.

The key to eating healthily is to look for the leanest cuts. These usually have the word "loin" in the name, such as tenderloin or top loin chop. A serving of pork should be approximately 3 oz (85 g).

Pork is healthy and delicious, and quick and easy to prepare. Sprinkle some salt on lean pork chops, grill, and serve with some apple sauce on the side; your craving for something both salty and sweet can be met in a healthy way. Always make sure that the pork is prepared on a separate cutting board than other foods and thoroughly cooked to reduce your chances of getting a food-borne illness (see Cooking with care).