Second trimester · Pregnancy week by week
Week 14 of pregnancy
Baby is the size of a lemon. About 3.40 inches, 43g.
Welcome to the second trimester. Black women are diagnosed with gestational diabetes 50% more often than white women per the Hedderson 2012 paper — early-trimester glucose tracking matters. Source
What's happening with the baby
The fetus can make facial expressions, suck its thumb, and hear muffled sounds. Lanugo (fine hair) grows on the body. The neck is becoming more defined. Sex organs are visible on ultrasound.
What's happening for you
Many women feel noticeably better — the second-trimester 'honeymoon' begins. Appetite returns. The bump is more visible. Some women experience nasal congestion (rhinitis of pregnancy) or bleeding gums.
Common (normal) symptoms this week
Increased energy, returning appetite, occasional dizziness, mild back ache, round-ligament pain, gum sensitivity, nasal congestion, increased vaginal discharge.
Call your OB or 911 if
- Severe abdominal or one-sided pelvic pain with bleeding — possible ectopic pregnancy.
- Heavy vaginal bleeding (soaking a pad in an hour) with cramping.
- Fainting, severe dizziness, or shoulder-tip pain — ectopic with internal bleeding is an emergency.
- Fever over 101°F with chills or pelvic pain.
- Severe vomiting that prevents keeping any fluids down for 24+ hours (hyperemesis).
Why this week matters for Black families
The second trimester is when the standard prenatal-care path diverges most sharply by demographic. The 20-week anatomy scan, the preeclampsia-prevention conversation, and the gestational-diabetes screening all happen here. Black women have higher rates of gestational diabetes, fibroids that complicate pregnancy, and a documented risk of missed preeclampsia diagnoses because early symptoms (headache, swelling, vision changes) are dismissed more often (per Bryant 2010 Obstet Gynecol PMID 20567176). If you have any of these symptoms, name them and ask explicitly: 'Has preeclampsia been ruled out?'
What to do this week
Schedule the second-trimester anatomy scan (typically at 18–22 weeks). Ask about gestational diabetes screening (typically 24–28 weeks but earlier if high-risk). Continue prenatal vitamins and aspirin if prescribed. Begin pelvic-floor exercises.
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References
- Hedderson 2012 — Gestational diabetes by race/ethnicity, PMID 22617594
- ACOG Practice Bulletin 190 — Gestational Diabetes.
Last medically reviewed: .
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