You are 14 weeks and 5 days

You may get some compliments, because at this stage you're likely to look glowing with good health.

177 days until your due date

Pregnant women are often described as "blooming" or "glowing," especially in the second trimester. The ideal is thick, shiny hair and perfect skin with a healthy blush.

Your skin looks better thanks to estrogen (hormones can have positive effects too!) and the extra blood supply: all the blood vessels just under the surface give you a healthy glow, or at least stop you looking pale and tired. Your skin glands also make more oil, giving a healthy sheen.

Your hair may look thicker too, because less falls out during pregnancy and it grows faster. After the birth, it may seem to fall out more than usual as you lose the extra hair built up over nine months: normal loss is about 100–125 hairs a day, but after the birth it can be 500.

If you don't feel you look the picture of health, you may just not see it yourself, especially if you're still adjusting to pregnancy. But if you look pale and feel tired, see your doctor, because you may be anemic and need more iron.

Explainer

The second-trimester glow

In the second trimester, thick, glossy hair, rosy cheeks, and fewer pregnancy discomforts may make you look as though you're glowing.

This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.