Your 14-Week-Old Baby – Development & Growth

Last Updated: March 18, 2022

Baby’s first giggle and chuckles! Let’s talk about the harsh truth behind postpartum hair fall, how to deal with hair loss, and how to not obsess about something so normal. The little one is now using up bottles at a pace faster than before. As your baby achieves milestones on milestones, let’s also have a look at the best bottle racks to make your life simpler, shall we?

Your baby's fourteenth week after birth

At 14 weeks old, your little one will already be spotting the difference between a real, actual thing/person and a photograph or a virtually available thing/person. Though your baby will not be able to communicate the difference to you in their voice yet, you can expect to witness a lot more giggles, smiles, coos, and responses when you are available physically around them v/s when you are on a video call with them or show them a picture of someone not physically available. Your baby will also now develop more sense of self and will probably enjoy looking at themselves in the mirror, often smiling at themselves as they peek into the mirror.

What’s more? Your baby’s vision and eyesight as well as the understanding of colors will now be more advanced which means that your baby can now literally see the world in all colors. Your baby will also start enjoying music and melody that they earlier didn’t care much about and will perhaps show signs of intrigue when you sing them a lullaby to sleep. They’ll also, perhaps, display their social nerves by interacting more with visitors at 3 and a half months old!

Your 14-week-old baby's development and physical growth

With an increased awareness of self and in between manifesting a personality for themselves, there’s a lot happening with your 14-week old baby to take note of.

1. Your baby's senses

Having only recently developed an awareness of their limbs in the previous week, your baby will tend to display a heightened curiosity to explore their body. Typically, babies are noticed to be enthralled by their toes and feet to an extent they are on a constant mission to reach the toes with their mouth!

2. Your baby's energy levels

As a growing infant, by the 14th week, your baby will also tend to show a high energy level which means that they’d perhaps sit still only when asleep!

3. Your baby's reflexes

At week 14, your baby will gain complete control over their head and will develop a bi-dextrous grasp enabling them to consciously reach out for things around them. They’ll also now start reaching out for your face, wanting to touch it every time you go closer. Their communication skills in the form of constant coos, giggles, and laughter will develop too.

4. Your baby's developing social skills

Once into week 14, typical babies get rid of stranger anxiety and start responding to visitors at home. Most babies will not mind being held by unknown people, however, be wary to not put them into the hands of strangers if they’re hungry or sleepy.

5. Your baby's eye color

At 3 and a half, most likely than not, your baby will get rid of the eye color they were born with and you may notice a transitioning eye color. In most cases, babies with dark eyes don’t tend to lose color or become lighter, while on the other hand, babies with a light eye color like a pale blue or a caramel brown might display a change to deeper shades of blue and brown respectively.

Your 14-week-old baby's health

Tests and Vaccinations

There are certain tests and vaccinations you’ll need to be prepared to take your baby for at 14 weeks old. Ensuring timely administration of vaccines is very important because not only does it aid a healthy, high-immunity baby but also protects your baby from a fatal illness. The DPT/IPV/HIB triple vaccine for diphtheria and polio and the third dosage of the PCV, rotavirus vaccine are typically given at this time. It should be noted that your baby may run a fever as a result of the vaccinations and though it may feel like a big deal, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. You may want to reach out to a doctor only if the fever is accompanied by vomiting and/or if the temperature goes above 100.5 degrees.

Postpartum baby tips: Week 14 after birth

Here’s what you should be looking out for when taking care of your baby three and a half month into birth-

1. Feeding your baby

By now, you should ideally have a feeding schedule for your baby in place. Bringing in the discipline at this point is crucial because you may, otherwise, find your baby reaching out for their bottle or your breast (in case you are breastfeeding) for milk at random times of the day; even at inconvenient times when you’re already in the middle of something. Since your baby’s feed is now increasing and gaining an order, it may be a good idea to use milk storage bags to store the baby’s food ready for when you’re not around. Your baby will also like to engage with you a lot at this age and so, it may be a good idea to use accessories like a baby bottle drying rack and baby wipe warmer to cut down your time spent on handling chores and using that time to bond with the baby.

2. Sleeping patterns

Though your baby’s feed may be in control by now, it may not so necessarily be the case with their sleep as yet. Your baby will need more restorative energy and so might nap as well as wake up for food at random times. you may also meet mammas who may boast about how their baby has already adapted to an orderly sleep schedule but this is when you need to understand that all babies have varied physiological needs causing them to behave differently. Try and ensure that your baby gets to sleep comfortably for a long stretch at least once in the day so as to make sure their sleep-aided growth and development are not hindered.

Final Thoughts: Dealing with postpartum hair loss

As a new mother, while you try and make sense of most things, struggling to get your life back to normalcy, be prepared to deal with terrifying hair loss at around 3 months postpartum. The gorgeous and luscious locks that you were so obsessed with during pregnancy will now go back to their usual self as your body’s hormonal balance comes back to what it was pre-pregnancy.

Having said that, there’s nothing to be quite worried about as this rapid hair loss will not last forever and your hair will return to the pre-pregnancy growth cycle in another couple of months. If you still have a reason to believe that your hair loss is abnormal and that you are losing a little too much hair than anticipated, it may be a good idea to double-check with your doctor for assurance.

FAQs- Your 14-Week-Old Baby: Development, Growth, Health, Postpartum, New Baby Tips & Recommended Products

1.What is the red reflex eye test for babies?

Your doctor may recommend having your baby's eyesight tested by checking them or a red reflex, which, in simple words, a flash of red that reflects back from your baby's retina when introduced to a beam of light (like that from a torch). This red reflex that looks very similar to red-eye in photographs is checked to rule out any possibilities of cataracts in the baby's eyes.

2. Can I give water to my 14-week old baby?

Giving water to a baby at 14 weeks is not recommended as they must already be attaining enough hydration, nutrition, and calories they need for healthy development from breastmilk or from formula milk (breastmilk, especially, is naturally 88% water, anyway!). Water will not only make your baby full creating a possibility of aversion to milk but will also add no value to their dirt whatsoever. Giving water to a baby is recommended only at around 6 months after birth when you introduce them to solid foods.

3. What should I expect from my 14-week old baby?

While most babies tend to show progressive development in the form of beginning to manifest a personality of their own, laughing, cooing, being more responsive and perhaps learning to clap, it is important that you, as a parent, do not get too carried away with what is considered 'normal.' Not all babies are the same and while most will achieve all of these milestones by the 14th week, your baby may genuinely be a late bloomer and it does not mean that they will be a late bloomer for life. Try and not compare your baby to other babies, trust the process, engage with your child and reach out to your doctor for double assurance.

Reviewed By-

Nimrat, Pediatrics

Dr. Nimrat S Sidhu is a practicing pediatrician for about 5 years now and holds an MD pediatrics degree. She was the topper of her batch, has always had a keen interest in her core medical field, and is specially trained for neonatal resuscitation.

On behalf of the editorial team at Parenthoodbliss, we follow strict reporting guidelines and only use credible sources, along with peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and highly respected health organizations. To learn about how we maintain content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

Sandra Janet Louis

Sandra was introduced to the art of writing 10 years ago and has not looked back ever since. She enjoys writing poems, short stories, and also has an ongoing virtual novel - The untold story. Apart from writing, she is expressive, creative, and a believer. In addition to this, she sketches, is a kitchen gardener, a coffee lover, and enjoys cooking and baking new recipes - if you can’t find her elsewhere she’s for sure busy listening to soft music while aggressively cleaning!

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