14 weeks pregnant
14 weeks pregnant
K is for kale
Around the time you're 14 weeks pregnant, your baby’s kidneys are beginning to work, processing any amniotic fluid that they swallow. Their eyelids are developing and tiny nails are appearing at the ends of the fingers and toes. Learn why vitamin K is so important in pregnancy and how you can make sure you and your baby get enough.
Your baby's development at 14 weeks
Moving their own fingers and toes
At roughly 85mm long, your baby is now starting to practise their breathing movements, even though they get all the oxygen they need through the umbilical cord from the placenta. By around the 14th week of your
By around week 14 your baby’s movements will be less erratic as they start to turn and stretch their hands, wrists and legs. They’ll also continue to develop eyelids, fingernails and toenails, and they might even have a small amount of hair on their head. Your baby will also start growing another type of hair, known as lanugo, which forms all over their body and keeps them warm in
Everything is O.K
As part of your healthy balanced diet, it’s important to ensure you’re getting enough vitamin K. While it’s essential for blood clotting and bone health, adults only need a tiny amount – around 0.001mg a day for each kilogram of their body weight. And because your body stores any vitamin K that it doesn’t need immediately in the liver, you don’t need to include it in your diet every day.
If a baby doesn’t get enough vitamin K during pregnancy, they can develop a rare bleeding disorder after birth. So although vitamin K deficiency is rare in babies, most are given a booster injection just after they’re born.
Synthetic vitamin K can be toxic. So instead of taking supplements, include plenty of vitamin K-rich foods in your pregnancy diet to ensure both you and your baby get enough.
Foods that contain vitamin K include:
- Green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage and kale
- Vegetable oils, especially soyabean oil
- Eggs
- Lean
meat - Dairy products
NEXT STEPS
Try these meal and snack ideas to include good sources of vitamin K as part of your healthy, balanced diet:
- Vegetable stir-fry using soya oil
- Spinach and cheese Spanish tortilla
- Coleslaw as a side dish to your lunch
- Spinach salad with grilled chicken
- Smoothie made with milk, a spoonful of yogurt and your favourite berries
Your baby, this week
Discover the science behind your baby's developments, week-by-week
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