14 weeks pregnant: fetal development

From head to bottom (crown to rump), your baby is about 8.7cm and weighs around 43g (Hill 2019). She's roughly the size of a lemon.

Your baby's body is now growing faster than her head. She looks more like a little person, as her neck has developed, and her arms are nearly in proportion with the rest of her body. Her legs are a little slower to lengthen out (Moore et al 2019a, Visembryo nd).

Fine hair called lanugo is starting to appear on your baby's head and body (Moore et al 2019b, Visembryo nd). Over the next six weeks or so, this hair growth will thicken. Lanugo plays a part in regulating your baby's temperature because it helps to bind a protective waxy substance called vernix caseosa to her skin (Hill 2020, NHS nd). Lanugo will start to fall out about four weeks before your baby's due, although you may see downy traces of it when she's born (Hill 2020, Moore et al 2019b).

Your baby is now moving her arms and legs in a more coordinated way (Moore et al 2019a, Visembryo nd). You may have been lucky enough to see her kick her legs or move her arms around during your dating scan or nuchal translucency (NT) scan (Moore et al 2019a). She may even be able to wiggle her fingers by now (Pooh and Ogura 2011).

Although your baby's busy moving around, you probably can't feel anything yet. She can feel you, though! If you prod your tummy gently, she may move around more in response (WebMD 2019).

Impulses darting through your baby's brain mean her facial muscles are getting a workout. Her tiny features rapidly change from one expression to another, from squints and frowns to grimaces (Visembryo nd). She's also beginning to make slow eye movements under her closed lids (Okawa et al 2017).

Find out how your life and your body are changing this week with our guide to 14 weeks of pregnancy.