Genitals
Your baby’s genital swelling becomes a penis or clitoris. Its neck elongates and the head raises up, looking more human-like. The womb environment, like a bag of water, cushions the baby from bumps, keeps it at a constant warm temperature and allows freedom of movement. Your baby’s arms are lengthening to become more in proportion with its body. At this stage, it has no layer of fat beneath its skin and looks very thin and wrinkly.
From here on the likelihood of miscarriage occurring dramatically reduces. Morning sickness is likely to have disappeared by now though some women experience nausea throughout most of the pregnancy.
Baby inutero 14 weeks
14 Weeks
Miniatures
All the baby’s organs are perfectly formed miniatures and the features are more discernible. It has eyebrows, a small amount of hair on its head and its heartbeat can be heard by ultrasound. The baby can drink the amniotic fluid and pass its own urine. Measuring about 8cm in length, it would still fit within the palm of your hand.
Heartburn
Your uterus is now the size of a large grapefruit and during pregnancy will increase 20 times in weight. Although you may feel less tired than you were initially, you may continue to experience digestive problems. This is due to hormones slackening the sphincter at the entrance to your stomach. Regurgitated food and acid may rise up causing heartburn. A brown line called the linea nigra may begin to appear down the centre of your abdomen. Caused by the Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) it will fade after the baby is born. Your nipples and the surrounding areola (region around the nipple) will also darken in colour.
15 Weeks
Grasping
The placenta is now fully-formed and functioning and can supply all the oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby via the umbilical cord. One blood vessel takes oxygen and nutrients to the baby and two small veins take waste products back into your own blood system for elimination. If your baby has dark hair, the pigment cells of the hair follicles are beginning to produce dark pigment.
Fingerprints
The baby can now grasp the umbilical cord and suck its thumb. Its fingernails are beginning to grow and its own unique fingerprints have developed. The face is more recognisably human although its skin remains translucent and red in colour.
To cope with the increased amount of blood circulating in your body and your baby’s need for oxygen your heart has increased its output by 20 per cent.