13 Weeks Pregnant
At 13 weeks pregnant, you are finally into your second trimester of pregnancy. With improving general health and zooming energy, you are all set to start enjoying your pregnancy. Some people call this trimester as the Honeymoon period, which is the best of the three parts of this lovely 9 month journey.
Your baby at 13 weeks is almost 2.9 inches tall and weighs approximately 22 grams, the size of a peach, that’s your fruit of the week!
How Your Baby is Growing This Week?
At 13 weeks, your little baby is growing at a steady speed. If you could see through your abdomen, this is how your 13 week fetus would look like. A large head measuring half the size of the entire body, thin transparent skin with organs and veins visible, moving about in the amniotic fluid, flexing arms and legs. It’s a pretty sight to even visualize that this lovely creation is happening right inside you this very moment.
Bones and muscles are getting stronger day by day.
Fingerprints are beginning to form on those little fingers which will give your 13 week old baby an individual identity.
Salivary glands begin to function and the mouth makes sucking motions, to practice for feeding after birth. The jerky limb movements help your little one and he/she might be able to bring the thumb to the mouth and start sucking. The first complete movement of his life and this very action will help the baby to soothe itself as it initiates the sucking reflex.
The skin and hair follicles continue to grow.
The intestines are growing and moving to their permanent location that is the abdomen. All vital organs have formed and they are now beginning their functions – like the pancreas begins insulin production, the kidneys begin urine formation, etc. The urine formed is excreted into the amniotic fluid surrounding your 13 weeks fetus.
The placenta is also growing in size and is functioning in full force to sustain and nourish the baby.
Changes in Your Body at 13 Weeks Pregnant
Now that you are in your second trimester you will have a 13 weeks pregnant belly, your little bump begins to be visible. With nausea and vomiting on the decline, you are getting your energy back and beginning to feel more normal. The only bad news is that the fatigue and tiredness which has given you a temporary break will be back in the third trimester. Since each pregnancy is different from the other and unique in its own way; depending on your body type and to some extent your genetic tendencies, some ladies may continue to experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting and breast tenderness well into their fourth or fifth month. Such severe cases of vomiting are diagnosed as “Hyperemesis Gravidarum” and require appropriate treatment.
Your uterus is growing upwards and so it may push your belly button towards the outside.
There is a change in the amount of vaginal discharge in pregnancy. Hygiene habits play a very important role here. Remember to keep your private parts clean and dry at all times. If the discharge is too much, you may use a thin pad or panty liner. The two most important things to AVOID in pregnancy are use of tampons and douching – which is cleaning the vagina by pushing water inside. This will disturb the normal vaginal flora and can increase the risk of pre-term labor.
Your sex drive may begin to get back to normal around the second trimester but in case of any doubt, it is best to consult your caretaker especially if you have had a previous miscarriage or bleeding in the first trimester.
By this time, someone might have surely asked you this as to how many months pregnant are you, and your confused mind must have started converting 13 weeks in months. Well it is roughly 3 months.
Week 13 Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms
When you are 13 weeks pregnant, you have actually stepped into your second trimester and will experience, some if not all the following 13 weeks pregnant symptoms:
- Decreasing fatigue
- Bloating
- Increasing appetite
- Stretching pains (round ligament pain)
- Enlarged breasts
- Sore nipples
- Heartburn and acidity
- Increased vaginal discharge
- Constipation
- Increased smell sense
- Visible bluish veins
- Protruding belly button
- Mood changes
- Visible baby bump
- Back pain
- Itching of skin over belly (due to stretching of the skin)
Back pain, pelvic pain and joint pains occur around this time due to hormone relaxin which causes relaxation of the muscles and joints of the body.
Diagnostic Tests and Ultrasound Results in Week 13 of Pregnancy
A 13 week ultrasound will show your baby as a moving little figure inside a black space that is the amniotic fluid.
The heart rate will be checked and measured, it is normally twice the rate of the mothers heart rate. FHR – Fetal Heart Rate ranges from 140-160 bpm (beats per minute). It may sound like the fast galloping of horses.
During your pregnancy at 13 weeks, your baby is growing at a fast rate. The length will be measured and accordingly the due date will be calculated.
Also, during your 13 weeks ultrasound, the placenta is checked for its position, size and whether the blood flow to the placenta is adequate.
Pregnancy Health Tips
- Since everything you eat and do will affect your baby, you need to be careful about what you consume. Avoid smoking, alcohol and other toxic substances completely.
- Take your pre-natal vitamins like folic acid, iron and calcium regularly along with maintaining a healthy diet.
- Regular walking and mild exercise is good for keeping constipation at bay.
- It’s a good idea to join antenatal classes or pregnancy yoga groups, which will help you cope with the changes better as it will give you a chance to interact with other expectant mothers.
- Avoid tight fitting clothes which will put a pressure on the growing abdomen and make you uneasy. Buy loose fitting cotton comfortable clothes.
- Heels (high shoes) are best avoided especially if you already have a backache. Flat and well covered shoes are the best choice for you.
- The best sleeping position at this time is on your side – preferably left side.
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