I am 14 weeks Pregnant!

Week 14

How Big is the Baby at Fourteen Weeks Pregnant?
Your baby is 3.4 inches long by pregnancy week 14, and likely weighs close to 1.5 ounces! Every day of your pregnancy week by week your baby is growing more and more proportional.

Your Baby's Growth and Development
By pregnancy 14 weeks your baby's body is growing quite rapidly. During pregnancy week 14 his length is catching up with his slightly larger head. The ears have started their move to the sides of the head, and the eyes continue to get closer and closer together.

During pregnancy week 14 your baby's neck will elongate, and the chin will start to rise up off the chest. Your baby's reflexes will also continue to develop this week. By pregnancy 14 weeks your baby should be receiving their nutrition directly from the placenta. Remember that everything you put into your body can cross the placental wall and impact your fetus. This includes not only things you eat such as food preservatives, but also things that may come into contact your skin, such as house sprays or other cleaning agents. Remember that lotions penetrate the skin, so why wouldn't household cleaners? At this time more than any other time in your life it is important that you make safe and healthy choices with regard to your health and well being.

Anything you eat or inhale could directly or indirectly affect the health and well being of your baby. Eating a healthy diet is vital to the well being of your child. Avoiding alcohol during pregnancy as well as avoiding certain foods is important to ensure a happy, healthy environment for your unborn baby. If you are smoking during your pregnancy please stop now.

One thing that you should never do when pregnant is change a cat's litter box. Doing so could put you at risk for contracting a disease called Toxoplasmosis. This is an infection that can occur via contact with the stool of an infected cat. The risk to your baby is substantial. Cats are often infected from outside sources including rodents. Most pet owners that have had cats for a long time have likely already been exposed to the disease at some time or another in their life, and this will not necessarily result in an increased risk for your baby. However during pregnancy, you do have an excuse to have someone else change the litter pan for the time being. You should also avoid gardening to some extent, as outdoor cats sometimes prefer to leave their stools in the soil of a garden.

If you absolutely must garden or change a cat box, be sure you wear gloves and a mask, and carefully wash your hands after performing any of these higher risk activities.