Week 14

Your Baby's Development
Will your newborn have a full head of hair or just a few downy strands? This week, head hair, including eyebrows, develops. Lanugo, fine hairs that grow over your baby's body and protect the skin, also grows this week and will continue growing until just before delivery.

Reproductive developments also take place this week. In boys, the prostate gland develops. In girls, the ovaries descend from the abdomen into the pelvis. In addition, your baby starts to produce hormones this week because the thyroid gland has matured. Your baby now weighs about 0.9 ounces (25 grams) and is 3.2 to 4.5 inches (80 to 113 millimeters) long.

Your Body
Congratulations - you made it to the second trimester! Your risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced now, so you can breathe a little easier. If you're older than 35 or have a high-risk pregnancy, your health care provider may discuss amniocentesis with you. Amniocentesis is a test that can detect chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Between 14 and 18 weeks, a thin, hollow needle is inserted into the amniotic sac and a sample of the fluid is withdrawn and analyzed. Amniocentesis does carry a very slight (0.5%) risk of miscarriage, so talk to your health care provider about your concerns and the risks and advantages of the test.