Week 14: Baby's Expressions
Your baby's face is becoming more expressive, and the brain is sending signals to facial muscles. Baby might even be sucking their thumb!
Medically reviewed by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN
Nursing Informaticist · United States Navy Nurse Corps · Last reviewed
Your baby is the size of a...
🍋 Lemon!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓Facial muscles are working — baby can squint and grimace
- ✓Baby may begin sucking their thumb
- ✓Body is growing faster than the head now
- ✓Lanugo (fine hair) covers the body for warmth
- ✓Liver produces bile; spleen produces red blood cells
- ✓Thyroid gland is producing hormones
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Increased energy and improved mood
- •Less nausea — appetite returning
- •Round ligament pain with sudden movements
- •Stuffy nose (pregnancy rhinitis)
- •Thicker, more lustrous hair
- •Increased libido for some women
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
By week 14, the uterus has risen out of the pelvis and you can usually feel the top of it (fundus) at or just above the pubic bone. Your provider will start measuring fundal height at appointments — once you're past 20 weeks, fundal height in centimeters should roughly match your gestational age in weeks (within 2 cm). It's a crude but useful screen for growth issues. This is also the window when many people start sleeping on their side; the textbook recommendation is left-side preferred, but recent evidence suggests either side is fine before the third trimester. The real concern is back-sleeping in the third trimester, where the weight of the uterus on the inferior vena cava can reduce return blood flow. Don't sweat it now. Round ligament pain and an occasional pulling sensation when you sneeze or change position are both normal. Continue 400 mcg folic acid (more if your provider has prescribed extra), and add 250-300 extra calories per day if your pre-pregnancy BMI was normal.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Vaginal bleeding — call
- !Severe persistent abdominal pain — call
- !Burning with urination, fever — call
- !Severe headache that doesn't respond to acetaminophen and rest — call
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Round ligament pain when sneezing or changing position
- ✓Stuffier nose (pregnancy rhinitis)
- ✓Faster hair and nail growth
- ✓Higher libido for many
✅ To-Do This Week
- Start doing Kegel exercises to strengthen pelvic floor
- Plan your babymoon trip if desired
- Begin researching pediatricians
- Invest in a good pregnancy pillow
- Start taking bump photos weekly
- Increase protein intake for baby's growth
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?How is the baby's growth rate?
- ?Is it normal to feel pulling sensations?
- ?Can I still exercise at my current intensity?
- ?When will the next blood tests be needed?
- ?Is hair dye safe during the second trimester?
- ?Should I start counting kicks yet?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Committee Opinion No. 762: Prepregnancy Counseling. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(1):e78-e89.
- [2]CDC. Folic Acid: Recommendations. 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- [3]ACOG Committee Opinion No. 804: Physical Activity and Exercise During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;135(4):e178-e188.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...