Women who are expecting a baby are very curious about what happens to their body every week of pregnancy. Indeed, literally every day, the baby grows in size, learns new things, and the body shows its amazing capabilities, flexibly adapting to the growing uterus and fetus. At the 13th week of pregnancy, many expectant mothers calm down a bit and begin to enjoy their position. They are gradually released by the first fears for the baby’s health, toxicosis and other unpleasant symptoms of body restructuring pass, and the risk of miscarriage at this period approaches almost zero. Therefore, experts call the 13th week of pregnancy one of the best periods when women are fully able to feel the happiness of their special situation and share it with their immediate environment.
Briefly about the thirteenth week
The abdomen at the 13th week of pregnancy is not yet noticeable, however, depending on the future mother’s physique, he may already begin to bulge a little, which makes it impossible to wear his favorite narrow pants and skirts. Therefore, many moms in this period go to the first shopping for things that will for the time being hide an interesting situation. However, most women still do not notice any serious changes in their bodies and continue to lead a familiar lifestyle and use all the things from the wardrobe.
It is important that the 13th week of pregnancy is a kind of transitional period. The first trimester ends, full of concern for the life of the unborn baby, feeling unwell and revising life values. We can say that the beginning of the second trimester by most women is perceived as relief, because now they can no longer listen so reverently to their body, in fear of expecting that it can tear off the crumbs. Also, pregnant women at this time have probably already registered with the antenatal clinic, passed their first tests and made sure that everything is in order with the baby. From now on, it will only grow and develop, and not all children do it the same way. Fetal development at 13 weeks of gestation may differ slightly from data from textbooks on obstetrics and gynecology. This nuance can be noticed when communicating with other mothers and comparing the results of the first ultrasound. However, do not worry if your baby is slightly smaller than that of a girlfriend. Most likely, in a couple of weeks he will catch up with him, and perhaps even overtake him.
Since the 13th week of pregnancy delivered to you in the antenatal clinic is obstetric, you should not forget that approximately eleven real weeks have passed since the conception of your baby. Experts say that at this time, pregnancy can be considered days. For example, the 13th week of pregnancy is ninety-one days from the happy moment when the egg was fertilized.
How old is your baby?
Most moms have a special pregnancy calendar and with great pleasure watch how their baby grows every week. The size of the fetus at 13 weeks of gestation is close to 10-12 cm. Also, the size starting from sixty-five millimeters is also considered the norm. The baby weighs about twenty grams, which is what is considered the norm for the specified period. If you compare your baby with a fruit, then in size the fetus at 13 weeks of gestation is most reminiscent of an average peach.
It is noteworthy that from this period the crumb body will grow faster than its head. With each month, the proportions will come closer to those that a newborn baby has.
Features of the development of the child
At the 13th week of pregnancy, the development of crumbs is rapidly. For example, the rudiments of twenty teeth have already fully formed, and the head in relation to the body is approximately one third.
Despite the fact that the skin of the crumbs is still surprisingly transparent, and through it you can see all the vessels and internal organs, it already has its own unique fingerprints that will distinguish it from other people throughout life.
The fetus at the 13th week of pregnancy is no longer just a fetus - it is a boy or girl. It is at this stage that the gender of the child is formed, but not every specialist is able to see it correctly by ultrasound. Therefore, parents usually find out the gender of their long-awaited baby not at the first, but at one of the following ultrasound examinations.
We can say that at this period the digestive and skeletal systems of the fetus most actively develop. A child at 13 weeks of gestation visually becomes like a man. Ears occupy the usual place on the head, eyes move to the nose, and hundreds of small bones are laid in the limbs. The baby’s intestines gradually move into the abdominal cavity, where he will take his final position in a few weeks.
What can the baby do?
The development of the fetus at 13 weeks of gestation is characterized not only by the formation of internal organs, but also by new skills. Also, do not forget that the child at this time improves and psychological reactions, he begins to react very actively to the mood and condition of the mother. He is trying to listen and respond to all external stimuli, the voice of the mother and father, the baby is able to distinguish and classify from many other sounds.
At thirteen weeks, the baby begins to taste amniotic fluid and express its emotions about their taste. For example, if mom was carried away by spicy foods, then the baby may well begin to frown, swallowing amniotic fluid. After all, she will have a pronounced bitter aftertaste. And if the amniotic fluid is sweet, then he will squint with pleasure and even smile.
On the photo of an ultrasound at 13 weeks of pregnancy, you can see how the baby sucks the thumb. This important skill will help him in the future to find the mother's breast and suck milk, but it is laid precisely at this time.
What happens to the baby at 13 weeks of gestation? He begins to grimace, yawns and hiccups. His movements cease to be chaotic and acquire order. Despite the fact that the baby sleeps most of the time, in those few minutes when he is awake, the child is trying to master the space around him and get maximum information about the outside world.
Well-being of the future mother
Ultrasound at the 13th week of pregnancy partially removes maternal fears about the health of their unborn baby, therefore, after this procedure, many women note some relief in their physical condition. Also, mothers become more calm and balanced, experts also connect this fact with the end of the first trimester and the transition to the second third of pregnancy.
Usually, for this period, women completely forget about such an unpleasant phenomenon as toxicosis. In rare cases, nausea may still persist, but it appears extremely rarely and accompanies the ingestion of certain foods that are very easy to calculate. Many mothers begin to experience a strong feeling of hunger and absorb a huge amount of food at a time, explaining this by what happens to the baby at 13 weeks of gestation, namely, its rapid growth and development. However, this is actually not worth it. If a pregnant woman overeates, then she runs the risk of gaining excess weight, which is difficult to get rid of after childbirth. It can also cause problems even at the stage of carrying the crumbs, so carefully monitor your diet and do not succumb to the irrepressible feeling of hunger.
Many women begin to take their photos at 13 weeks of gestation in order to further compose an interesting photo collage. They feel an unprecedented surge of energy and try to use this potential to the maximum. If you do not have any contraindications, then start playing sports, naturally, choosing special exercises for pregnant women. Long walks will also be useful, they can last more than two hours. It is this duration that is considered the most beneficial for the health of the mother and her baby.
Since the stomach continues to grow at 13 weeks of gestation, women should begin to prevent stretch marks. Do not be lazy to lubricate the skin daily with nourishing creams or special anti-striae products. Pay special attention to the area of the abdomen, hips and buttocks.
In addition to the abdomen, the mammary glands enlarge. From them, colostrum may begin to stand out; it is the first food of the baby after birth. But the body is preparing for its production long before the appearance of crumbs.
Possible pregnant health problems
Most of the women tolerate 13 weeks of pregnancy well, the development of the baby can not but affect the expectant mother, and other problems invisibly replace toxicosis.
A growing uterus increases pressure on all internal organs, which leads to heartburn, flatulence and constipation. Initially, these problems may seem insignificant, but if you do not pay due attention to them, then in the future they will significantly affect the well-being of women. For example, constipation can cause hemorrhoids. He already torments more than eighty percent of pregnant women in the last stages, but due to constipation, the disease can manifest much earlier. Heartburn can be adjusted by proper nutrition. Try to give up spicy, fatty and salty at least for a while. If the heartburn goes away, it means that the diet is corrected correctly and you will have to adhere to it all the following time.
In the photo of 13 weeks of pregnancy, women always look charming and seductive, but many of them complain that it was during this period that they began to suffer severe headaches. Specialists claim that they are associated with spasms of blood vessels, which are forced to constantly distill a large amount of blood. Since taking painkillers at this stage of pregnancy is by no means possible, headaches turn into a serious problem. You can try to solve it only with cold compresses, fresh air and a long sleep. If this does not help you, then consult a doctor. He will tell you which medicine can be used in the most extreme cases.
Also try using the folk method - a decoction of herbs. Chamomile, lemon balm and mint are suitable for you. But it is best to use only chamomile and lemon balm, mint in large quantities can contribute to bleeding.
Discharge and pain in the thirteenth week of pregnancy: the norm and problems
Many women are concerned about abdominal pain in the 13th week of pregnancy. They begin to worry about a possible miscarriage, although most often the discomfort is associated with a sprain that holds the stomach. Similar pains appear on both sides of the abdomen and do not cause serious inconvenience. They are characterized as short-term and often arise after a long walk in heels.
But if the pains resemble those that occur during menstruation, and do not go away for a long time, then we can talk about an increased tone of the uterus. In this case, it is urgent to go to the doctor and report painful symptoms.
Often in the thirteenth week, women notice an increased amount of vaginal discharge. Normally, this is due to an increase in the volume of fluid in the body of the expectant mother, but such secretions should differ in a slight sour smell or not at all. Their color is almost transparent or slightly whitish. If the discharge becomes thick and curdled, then perhaps we are talking about thrush. In pregnant women, it manifests itself often and sometimes it is necessary to treat it two, or even three times in nine months.
Serious attention should be paid to secretions mixed with blood. They should alert the expectant mother and become a good reason for an unscheduled visit to the doctor or even call an ambulance at home. Blood, as well as increased body temperature, can indicate a miscarriage or other serious health problems of a woman.
The diet of the expectant mother: the necessary products and features
What happens at 13 weeks of gestation with the baby and his mother, you already know. And therefore, you can easily decide on those products that are necessary for the future crumb for development.
First of all, the baby’s emerging bone system requires a large amount of calcium. His body perfectly assimilates from cottage cheese, so this product should be on your table almost daily.
It is also necessary to provide yourself with a large number of vegetables and fruits. Preference should be given to those species and varieties that are grown in your area. They will have more vitamins, and the likelihood of nitrates is just minimal.
If you can not do without bread, then go to those species that contain bran and cereal crops. Typically, such bread is baked from wholemeal flour, which has a beneficial effect on the digestive system.
To develop the fetus and provide it with the necessary building material for cells, a woman should regularly eat lean meat. First of all, it should be chicken breast, fresh veal and turkey. In small quantities and very rarely tolerated pork. However, you should not get carried away with this meat.
Try to exclude sweets and flour from your daily diet. Such delights should be allowed no more often than a couple of times a month and then in small quantities. Passion for such foods leads to weight gain, blood sugar, and digestive upsets. Therefore, if you are used to just such a diet, then the thirteenth week is exactly the same period that allows you to change your eating habits.
Ultrasound at 13 weeks of gestation
Some mothers at this time only register with the antenatal clinic, while others, on the contrary, have already passed all the tests and are in some kind of calm. Be that as it may, but it is by the end of the first trimester that women are sent to the first elective ultrasound examination. The specialist will be able to accurately tell what happens at 13 weeks of pregnancy with your baby and whether it is in order.
Most of all, the doctor conducting the study is interested in the exact gestational age, the location of the fetal egg and the presence of multiple pregnancy. These factors are extremely important, because focusing on them, the local gynecologist will guide you throughout the entire term.
The doctor also evaluates the condition of the uterus, the attachment of the placenta to it and the motor activity of the fetus. The screen clearly shows how the baby moves, bends limbs and tumbles. In parallel, the first ultrasound allows you to determine the presence or absence of anomalies in the development of the child. Of course, if something seems suspicious to the doctor, then this is not a sentence for your pregnancy, but just an excuse for a more detailed and in-depth examination. Because of the fear of the unknown and prejudice, in no case should you give up ultrasound. In addition, a photo of an ultrasound at 13 weeks of gestation may be the first photo in your baby's album, which you will later be touched by the whole family.
Some useful tips
As you already understood, thirteen weeks is a great time for mom and her crumbs in the tummy. But it is necessary to carry it out with benefit, and experienced women are advised to do the following things during this period:
- start shopping for the baby, since right now it’s not hard for you to move around yet, and shopping will create a good mood;
- Find the most interesting and suitable physical activity (swimming, gymnastics, yoga or Pilates);
- watch the color of urine - a bright color indicates a lack of fluid in the body, which is bad for the health of the pregnant woman and her baby.
Expecting a child is a special time that a woman should remember with positive emotions. Therefore, she should have the appropriate attitude and carefully monitor her health.