Every week of pregnancy excites you and you have reached the 14th week of pregnancy. You are wondering what awaits you and your baby during pregnancy week by week. So, what happens in the 14th week of pregnancy? Can you feel the movements of a 14-week baby?

Yeditepe University Hospitals Gynecology and Obstetrics Department Head and IVF Specialist Prof. Dr. Erkut Attar answered the questions.

How Big is a 14-Week Baby?

The fetus has a head-to-butt length of 8.7 cm, weighs around 43 grams, and is the size of a small peach.

Baby Development at 14 Weeks of Pregnancy

Your baby's body is growing faster than its head, its neck has formed, and its arms are almost as long as its torso. The legs grow more slowly at this stage. Fine hairs called lanugo, similar to the hair on a peach, begin to grow on your baby's head and body and will continue to grow and thicken for another 4-6 weeks. These hairs fall out about 4 weeks before birth, but it is possible to see their remnants after birth. The purpose of the hairs is to help the protective substance called vernix caseosa, which forms in the following weeks, to adhere to the skin and regulate the baby's body temperature.

Can Baby Movements be Felt?

During this week, the fetus can move its arms and legs in a more coordinated way. You will not be able to feel these small kicks. The facial muscles are also developing and can make different facial expressions, but not in a controlled way. The eyes also begin to move slowly under the eyelids. The kidneys start to produce urine.

Can 14 weeks reveal the gender?

The sex of your baby becomes clearer during these weeks, even if it is not certain. The red blood cells of the fetus also begin to form in the spleen during this week.

Image of a 14-15 Weeks-Old Baby

1 Question | 1 Answer about Pregnancy

• Are personal care practices dangerous? (For example, hair coloring, manicure, pedicure, applying moisturizing creams, making masks...)

Dyeing hair during pregnancy, and using products containing various chemicals, actually exposes the mother to many agents that can have a toxic effect on the body. Although there are no adequately proven studies, it is thought that these products may accumulate in the body and damage fetal tissue, which is the most sensitive structure. Therefore, if it is necessary to use these products, it is recommended to use them after the 12th week, when the fetal effect may be less. During activities such as pedicures and manicures, there is the possibility of infections such as hepatitis and HIV, which are transmitted by blood in society. When such infections occur during pregnancy, they can adversely affect the fetus and cause congenital infections or neonatal infections. Laser hair removal applications can be performed during pregnancy. Laser is a technique that uses light energy. The resulting electromagnetic radiation is different from X-rays used in roentgen and cannot travel through tissue. The beam only affects the area where the procedure is performed, for example, the face, and its area of effect is limited to a few millimeters. Therefore, it cannot reach or harm the baby in the womb. However, it is still appropriate to leave such applications after 3-4 months of pregnancy.