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Week 14 How Big Is Your Baby? The crown-to-rump length is 3.2 to 4.1 inches (80 to 93mm). Your baby is about the size of your fist and weighs almost 1 ounce (25g). How Big Are You? Maternity clothes may be a τmustφ by now. Some women try to get by for a while by not buttoning or zipping their pants all the way or by using rubber bands or safety pins to avoid having to wear maternity clothing. Others wear their partner's clothing, but that usually works for only a short time. You're going to get even bigger. You'll enjoy your pregnancy more and feel more comfortable with clothing that fits comfortably and provides you room to grow. How your body responds to this growth is influenced by previous pregnancies and the changes your body experienced then. Your skin and muscles stretched to accommodate your uterus, placenta and baby, and that changed them permanently. Skin and muscles may give way faster to accommodate your growing uterus and baby. This means you show sooner and feel bigger. How Your Baby Is Growing and Developing As you can see in the illustration on page 126, by this week your baby's ears have moved from the neck to the sides of the head. Eyes have been moving gradually to the front of the face from the side of the head. The neck continues to get longer, and the chin no longer rests on the chest. Sexual development continues. The external genitalia are more developed, and it is becoming easier to determine male from female by looking at external genitalia. Changes in You Skin Tags and Moles Pregnancy can make skin tags and moles change and/or grow. Skin tags are small tags of skin that may appear for the first time or may grow larger during pregnancy. Moles may appear for the first time during pregnancy, or existing moles may grow larger and darken during pregnancy. If a mole changes, it must be checked. If you notice any changes, show it to your doctor! How Your Actions Affect Your Baby's Development X-Rays, CT Scans and MRIs during Pregnancy Some women are concerned about tests that use radiation during pregnancy. Can they hurt the baby? Can you have them at any time in pregnancy?
I remember getting a call from Lucy, who was in the emergency room. She had fallen in her driveway and hurt her ankle. The doctors wanted to do an X-ray; she wouldn't let them until she checked with me first. There are valid medical reasons for X-rays, but in each case, the need must be weighed against the risk to a pregnancy. After talking with the emergency-room personnel, we determined Lucy could have her ankle X-rayed if her abdomen was shielded with a lead apron. No known amount of radiation is safe for a developing baby. Dangers to your baby include an increased risk of mutations and an increased risk of cancer later in life. Some doctors believe the only safe amount of X-ray during pregnancy is none. Researchers are becoming more aware of the potential dangers of radiation to a developing fetus. At present, they believe the fetus appears to be at greatest risk between 8 and 15 weeks gestation (between the fetal age of 6 weeks and 13 weeks). Problems such as pneumonia or appendicitis can and do occur in pregnant women and may require an X-ray to treat properly. Discuss the need for X-rays with your doctor. It is your responsibility to let your doctor and others involved in your health care know you are pregnant or may be pregnant before you undergo any medical test. It's easier to deal with the questions of safety and risk before a test is performed. If you have an X-ray or series of X-rays, then discover you are pregnant, talk to your doctor about the possible risk to your baby. He or she will be able to advise you. Computerized tomographic scans, also called CT scans, are a form of very specialized X-ray. This technique combines X-ray with computer analysis. Many researchers believe the amount of radiation received by a fetus from a CT scan is much lower than that received from a regular X-ray. However, these tests should be undertaken with caution until we know more about the effects even this small amount of radiation has on a developing fetus. Magnetic resonance imaging, also called MRI, is another diagnostic tool widely used today. At this time, no harmful effects in pregnancy have been reported from the use of MRI. However, it is probably best to avoid MRI during the first trimester of pregnancy. Dental Emergencies Dental emergencies do occur; emergencies you might face include root canal, tooth extraction, a large cavity, an abscessed tooth or problems resulting from an accident or injury. Any of these emergencies can occur during pregnancy. It might be unwise to postpone treatment until after your baby is born. If you have a dental problem, contact your dentist and your physician before doing anything else. It may be helpful for your dentist and doctor to talk before any decisions are made.
Dental X-rays are necessary sometimes and can be done during pregnancy. Your abdomen must be shielded with a lead apron before X-rays are taken. If possible, wait until after the end of the first trimester to have any dental work done. Avoid gas or general anesthesia for a dental procedure during pregnancy. Local anesthetics are OK, and so are many antibiotics and pain medications. Be sure to consult your healthcare provider before taking any medications. A serious dental problem, such as an abscess, must be treated. Problems that could result from not treating it are more serious than the risks you might be exposed to with treatment. You Should also Know Partner Involvement Some men get jealous of all the attention given to the woman and her developing baby. New maternity clothes, baby toys and equipment, and conversations with friends or family often center around the pregnancy, making him feel left out. Make him feel he is an important part of your pregnancy. It's important to involve your partner in the miracle that is happening. He can be a big support to you. It helps if you make him feel part of what is going on. Take him to your prenatal appointments. Ask him to help you plan your meals. Taking Others to Your Doctor Visits Take your partner with you to an appointment with your doctor. It's nice for your partner and doctor to meet before labor begins. Maybe your mother or the other grandmother-to-be would like to go with you to hear their grandchild's heartbeat. Or you may want to take a tape recorder, and record the heartbeat for others to hear. Things have changed since your mother carried you; many grandmothers-to-be enjoy this type of visit. It's a good idea to wait until you have heard your baby's heartbeat before bringing other people. You don't always hear it the first time, and this can be frustrating and disappointing. Previous Week > Contents > Next Week
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