Pregnancy Week 14: Warding off sniffles and snuffles

In Week 14 of your pregnancy you are now well and truly into the second trimester and hopefully feeling a lot less nauseous and some of your energy should be returning.

Your Baby in Week 14 of Pregnancy

While they are growing in leaps and bounds now Baby is also spending a lot of their time leaping and bounding, almost literally. Although you will not feel any movement for weeks yet Baby is on the go a great deal . The movements Baby is making at the moment are not the jerky twitches that you will feel in the last trimester either; these are fluid and smooth as Baby is literally stretching and ‘testing’ their growing muscles.

A few years from now you will probably, at some point, find yourself reminding your child to sit and stand up straight and stop slouching. At the moment that is not a problem though as another thing that Baby is doing is improving their posture, beginning to use their longer neck to keep their head – and back – straighter.

Another new development in Week 14 is that a silky, downy coat of hair called lanugo begins to sprout all over Baby’s body. It is there for warmth but as they begin to accumulate fat later on, this ‘fur’ will no longer be needed and will usually almost completely shed away before Baby makes their debut in the world. Occasionally, if a Baby is born early some of the lanugo is still visible, but it quickly drops away.

Your Body in Week 14 of Pregnancy

With much of the nasty pregnancy sickness gone, and a temporarily reduced need to run to find the loo every few minutes, you may be feeling much better than you have in a long time. Most women by now are also ‘showing’ to a degree that most people who see them realize that they are expecting. Many ladies say that they finally , at this point, begin to really ‘feel’ pregnant, instead of just ill and lethargic, and can begin enjoying the process for a while.

Possible New Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 14 of Pregnancy

Pregnancy aches often begin to crop up from now on, especially in the expanding area of your lower abdomen. Many women experience a tight feeling that can be uncomfortable at first and nagging back pain can begin to become a bit of a nuisance as well.

As you gain weight spider, and even varicose, veins may begin to appear, not only on your legs but on the breasts as well. Many of them will go away after you give birth but making sure that you wear a good, well fitting and supportive bra and do not sit in one place for too long can help keep them at bay.

Pregnancy Tips for Your Fourteenth Week – Warding off Sniffles and Snuffles

The body’s immune system’s natural reaction to foreigners in its midst is to attack and attempt to destroy the intruders. Because Baby is exactly that, Mother Nature suppresses the immune system of a pregnant woman so that that does not occur.

This is great – and essential of course – for Baby but not so good for you. A weakened immune system leaves you vulnerable to all kinds of colds and flus and other infectious diseases.

To counter this you do now need to begin engaging in a little germ warfare. Plenty of handwashing is a must, do not share food or drink with others and do not feel bad if you have to avoid sick people like the plague! If you do get sick, consult with your OB as soon as possible.

Making sure that you are getting plenty of Vitamin C and zinc helps boost your natural defences as well. In addition to the Vitamin C you are getting from your prenatal vitamins make a conscious effort to include Vitamin C rich foods in your diet.

Citrus fruits, strawberries, melon, kiwi, mango, papaya, broccoli, red cabbage, tomatoes and bell peppers are all excellent sources of naturally larger doses of Vitamin C. You will also boost your natural stocks of zinc in your body when you eat turkey, beef, pork, well – cooked oysters, live culture yogurt, wheat germ products , oatmeal, and eggs.

Topic for Discussion in Week 14 of Pregnancy – Do You Want to Know?

At your next ultrasound you will very likely be asked if you want the sonographer to let you in on Baby’s big secret; are they a boy or a girl? This is something that you should discuss as a couple before you head to that appointment.

There are a lot of advantages to knowing your Baby’s sex ahead of time. You can buy gender appropriate clothing and nursery items, you can cut the work involved in coming up with a name in half and you can satisfy everyone else’s curiosity as well if you like.

There is no rule to say however that you have to know, just because this is now something that technology can do for you. There is a lot to be said for the element of surprise in the delivery room as well and anything you can buy before Baby is born can also be bought after they arrive. In the end the decision should be yours as a couple and yours alone.