Week fourteen is often the first week when you really feel the difference. Nausea usually eases off, appetite and energy come back, and everyday life becomes less draining. It is worth using this window for the things you set aside during the first trimester: activity, planning and order in your documents.
What to do in week 14
- Ask at your appointment whether you can return to your favorite activities.
- Put one activity for yourself in your calendar for the coming week.
- Agree at work which documents will be needed in the coming months.
- Check the dates of the classes you want to sign up for.
- Write down the questions that have come up since your last visit.
Feeling better — what changes
The return of energy can be so noticeable that it is easy to overestimate what you can do and return to your pre-pregnancy pace too quickly. Your body is still working at an increased rate, so it is better to increase activity gradually and watch how you respond. If you feel more tired than usual after exertion, take it as a signal to slow down.
- Increase activity gradually instead of going back to old habits all at once.
- Plan breaks during the day — even short ones are enough to recharge.
- Note which kinds of effort leave you feeling good and which leave you worse.
- Remember that a worse day after a run of better days is nothing unusual.
Tip
Put one thing for yourself in your calendar each week — a walk, a swim, a meetup. In the second trimester it is easier to build a habit than in the first.
Returning to food and movement
When appetite comes back, many people make up for lost time and eat in a rush, squeezed between other obligations. It is worth returning to calm, regular meals, and asking your doctor or a dietitian how to put your diet together if you have doubts. If you want to get back to exercising, choose forms you enjoy and confirm at your appointment whether there are any restrictions in your situation.
- Return to regular meals instead of snacking between them.
- Ask at your appointment whether you can return to your favorite activities.
- Choose movement you enjoy — the habit is easier to keep.
- Ask how to recognize the moment when it is worth stopping the exertion.
Planning the coming weeks
The second trimester is a good time for organizational matters that require energy: planning trips, rest, choosing a place of birth or signing up for classes. It is also worth asking at work which documents will be needed in the coming months and preparing them in advance. If you are planning a trip, ask your doctor for general guidance and take your pregnancy record with you.
- Ask at work which documents will be needed in the coming months.
- Check what certificates your carrier requires if you plan to travel.
- Sign up for the classes that matter most to you.
- Agree with someone close on who will help you with practical arrangements.
When to contact a doctor
- • If bleeding, fluid leaking, or severe abdominal pain appears, call your doctor or midwife.
- • Intense headache, visual disturbances, or sudden swelling of the face and hands are a reason to contact the facility managing your pregnancy.
- • In a life-threatening situation, call 112.
Records after the first trimester — what to sort out
The first trimester leaves behind a set of results and reports that is easy to get lost in. Sit down with them once, arrange them in date order, and add any missing documents to a list to complete. Ask the facility for copies of imaging reports if you do not have them, and check that all results are recorded in your pregnancy record. This kind of order proves useful at every later visit and when changing facilities.
- Arrange your results in one folder, in date order.
- Write down which documents are missing and ask the facility for them.
- Check that all results are recorded in your pregnancy record.
- Make copies of test reports — on paper and as files.
- Record the date and place of every test done.
Travel and work in the second trimester
The second trimester is often a good moment for a trip if you are planning one, but it is worth preparing it organizationally. Take your pregnancy record and copies of your most important results, and before you go, ask your doctor for general guidance and where to seek help if a question arises. While traveling, take breaks to stretch your legs and drink regularly. At work, ask which documents will be needed in the coming months and prepare them in advance.
- Take your pregnancy record and copies of your most important results.
- Ask your doctor for guidance before the trip.
- Plan breaks for stretching your legs.
- Check what documents your carrier requires.
- Agree at work on the deadline for submitting documents.
What to ask about at the next appointment
A second-trimester visit is a good opportunity to return to your first-trimester documents and close whatever remained unclear. Ask about results that previously raised doubts, and whether any document needs repeating. Ask for an explanation of abbreviations and values you do not understand — it is worth asking this directly instead of searching for answers on your own. Write the answers down in your own words so you can return to them before the next appointment.
- Which first-trimester results need repeating?
- Is anything in my records still unclear or undiscussed?
- Which tests await me in the coming weeks?
- What should I pay attention to in everyday life between visits?
- When is the next appointment, and what should I prepare for it?
When to call a doctor or midwife
- • Bleeding from the birth canal or fluid leaking.
- • Severe abdominal pain or pain that is increasing.
- • Intense headache, visual disturbances, or sudden swelling of the face and hands.
In a life-threatening situation call 112 or go to the nearest maternity hospital admission room — do not wait for a follow-up appointment.
Week 14 in detail
Week 14: how your baby is growing — Peach
At fourteen weeks your baby is about the size of a peach (around 87 mm). Facial expressions are developing — furrowing the brow, squinting, sometimes looking almost like a smile. Thumb-sucking has begun, and the kidneys are working more and more efficiently, producing urine into the amniotic fluid.
Development at week 14
- Facial expressions are developing — the first little grimaces.
- Thumb-sucking — practicing the sucking reflex.
- The kidneys produce urine into the amniotic fluid.
Tip
Midwife's tip: the second trimester is the perfect time to start talking to your bump. Your voice is the first melody your baby will remember.
Sources
- NHS — You and your baby at 14 weeks — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/13-to-27-weeks/14-weeks-pregnant/
- Mayo Clinic — Pregnancy week by week — www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week
Week 14: what's happening in your body
Week fourteen is when your appetite usually comes back and morning sickness becomes a distant memory. If you've gained 1–2 kg so far, that's completely normal. It's also worth thinking about your pelvic floor muscles, which will be working hard during birth and postpartum recovery.
Why the pelvic floor matters
- It supports your bladder, uterus, and bowel.
- A strong pelvic floor makes birth and recovery easier.
- Regular training reduces the risk of urinary incontinence.
How to exercise
- Tighten the muscles as if you were stopping the flow of urine — hold for a few seconds.
- Then relax them completely.
- Do sets 3–4 times a day, with several repetitions each.
Tip
Midwife's tip: don't engage your glutes or abs during Kegel exercises — just the pelvic floor. If you're not sure you're doing them right, check in with a pelvic health physiotherapist.
Sources
- NHS — Pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/
- NHS — Your pregnancy week by week — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/
Week 14: Facial expressions — what you can do today
The second trimester is the perfect time to build a pelvic floor training habit. Five minutes a day is enough to build strength that will pay off during birth and in your recovery afterwards.
Your 5-minute plan
- Hold the pelvic floor tight for 5 seconds, then relax for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 5–10 times in a comfortable position (lying on your side or sitting).
- Breathe freely — don't hold your breath.
How to weave it into your day
- Do the exercises while brushing your teeth or on a walk.
- Pair them with your morning or evening routine.
- Set a reminder on your phone.
Tip
Midwife's tip: consistency matters more than intensity. Five minutes a day for the rest of your pregnancy is a huge investment in your body.
Sources
- NHS — Pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/
Medical disclaimer
This article is educational in nature and does not replace advice from a doctor, midwife or other specialist. If in doubt, contact your attending physician.
This week is awaiting medical review: the page is not indexed and carries no ads until the content has been verified by a medically qualified person.
Sources
We base our content on these documents. Every medical claim in the guide is reflected in one of the publications below.
- NHS — Pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/
- WHO — WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience — www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549912
- Ministry of Health — organizational standards of perinatal care — dziennikmz.mz.gov.pl
- Institute of Mother and Child — educational materials — imid.med.pl/pl/
- NHS — You and your baby at 14 weeks — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/13-to-27-weeks/14-weeks-pregnant/
- Mayo Clinic — Pregnancy week by week — www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week
- NHS — Pelvic floor exercises in pregnancy — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/exercise/
- NHS — Your pregnancy week by week — www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/week-by-week/