Week 13 Pregnancy: By the 13th week, you have reached the final week of your first trimester. If you are like many other people, you may begin to tell people you are pregnant around week 13, but it's up to you when to give friends and family the news that the baby is on the way.
Learn About: Week 16 in Pregnancy
If you are 13 weeks pregnant, you are in 3 months of your pregnancy. Only 6 months left to see your baby. Your baby is as big as a lemon and it has developed more specific features. Have a look at the complete details about week 13 pregnancy symptoms, baby development, your body, pregnancy tips and so on.
- Key Takeaways of Pregnancy During 13 Weeks
- Early Pregnancy Symptoms Easing
- Your Growing Uterus
- Preparing Breastmilk
- Your Body at 13 Weeks
- Baby Developments at 13 Weeks Pregnant
- Week 13 Pregnancy Symptoms
- Visible Veins
- Increased energy
- Increased sex drive
- Tips for Pregnancy at 13 Weeks
- Get used to the urine test
- Go for cotton underwear
- Eat iron-rich foods
- Eat a good breakfast
- Strengthen your pelvic floor
- 13th Week Ultrasound During Pregnancy
- Can you feel the baby at 13 weeks?
- How does the stomach feel at 13 weeks pregnant?
- Can you see gender at 13 weeks?
- How successful in pregnancy after 13 weeks?
Key Takeaways of Pregnancy During 13 Weeks
Here we are giving some highlights of the 13th Week of Pregnancy.
Early Pregnancy Symptoms Easing
As you are coming closer to your second trimester, you might find that the discomforts of early pregnancy start to ease. The common symptoms such as morning sickness, dizziness, frequent urination and intense fatigue all get better for most women at this stage.
Your uterus is growing to the size of a wood apple. Your doctor can now feel the top of it (the fundus) below your abdomen, above your pubic bone.
You might not be feeling it, but your breasts have started producing colostrum - the first milk your baby feeds on after delivery. For a few women, a little milk leaks during pregnancy.
Your Body at 13 Weeks
Your uterus is now big enough that it's growing up and out of your pelvis. That means you are starting to look pregnant. Doctors recommend you gain weight in the healthiest way possible, which means slowly and steadily throughout your pregnancy.
The important thing is that you have a eat a healthy diet full of a variety of different foods for a healthy weight gain during pregnancy. Eating about 300 extra calories per day more than your pre-pregnancy diet and getting plenty of exercise is needed.
Your baby's belly is not seen at this time. To make room for your fast-growing fetus, your uterus is moving upward and outward. This expansion can cause stretch marks and itchy belly skin.
Baby Developments at 13 Weeks Pregnant
You may notice a baby bump, but your baby is still small. It is growing fast and reaching new growth milestones every week. The new changes are that baby's fingertips are forming and they may even start to suck their fingers.
The veins and organs of the baby are visible through their thin skin. The body is growing making the head better proportioned to the rest. It's now just a third of the baby's body size. The gender detection organs are also developed.
Your baby has become as long as a pea-pod (matar). The weight can be 73 grams and the height may be 6.7 cm from head to bottom.
Week 13 Pregnancy Symptoms
You might notice a few changes in symptoms around 13 weeks. You might be able to get through the day without nausea or feeling the need to nap. But you may be experiencing a few of these 13 weeks' pregnancy symptoms too:
You can see all those blue streaks and spider veins under your skin because you have increased blood flow.
The second trimester is the least symptomatic and most energetic time during the pregnancy. As you start to feel more like yourself and get that energy surge, you are going to knock a bunch of to-dos off your list. Also, if you have found yourself too sick and tired to exercise lately, now it is time to get back to a fitness routine. Exercise will only benefit you and the baby can make labor easy.
If you are one of those lucky pregnant women who feel up for a roll in the hay at 13 weeks, enjoy! You may notice a bit of post-coital spotting during pregnancy at 13 weeks. A little spotting is normal as your cervix is more sensitive. But heavy bleeding is not good, so call your doctor if it's more like a flow. Otherwise, you and your partner can cause your increased sex drive to enjoy some together time before the baby arrives.
Sorry, twins moms-to-be, if you are at 13 weeks with twins, you might still be experiencing some morning sickness and fatigue. That's because twin moms can have more of the pregnancy hormone hCG in their system.
If your nausea and vomiting are super severe, definitely tell to your OB. If you can hold down food and liquids but you are still feeling ill, just wait it out a little longer.
Tips for Pregnancy at 13 Weeks
UTI is one thing you can count on at every prenatal visit. By taking a urine sample, your practitioner can test for some of the most common complications that can happen during pregnancy such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and urinary tract infections.
For the most accurate results, start by washing your hands and wiping from front to back. Once you start peeing, catch the urine midstream with the collection cup. You will need about 1 to 2 ounces, so you may want to drink a glass of water before each visit.
An increase in vaginal discharge or leukorrhea is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. It's also usually here to stay while you are expecting, and the amount will likely increase as your pregnancy progresses.
No need to worry as white discharge is perfectly normal and healthy. Just keep the area clean and dry by bathing regularly and wearing breathable cotton panties. If you are concerned about what you are seeing, call your doctor.
Keep track of skin changes
It's not unusual for moles to develop or change right about now, thanks to pregnancy hormones. But it is still a smart move to have them evaluated by your doctor. Always check with your doctor about any skin changes you notice, just to be safe.
When you are making a baby, you are in the blood-making business. Since iron helps generate blood supply, it's a nutrient you will need plenty of to keep your body's and your baby's supply of red in the black.
Up your intake of this vital mineral by eating iron-rich foods such as spinach, dried fruits, soy products, beef, duck, and potatoes with the skins on.
Your practitioner may also suggest a supplement after 20 weeks to keep your iron levels high enough as blood demand steps up.
No more morning sickness, so have a nice breakfast. It's the perfect time to get calcium, protein and the powerful nutrients that come from produce and whole grains. A healthy morning meal can also help you set the tone for nutritious eating for the rest of the day.
When you are carrying a baby at 13 weeks, your body needs all the support it can get. Your pelvic floor can weaken from pregnancy and labor, but you can do Kegel exercises to strengthen the area. They don't take a lot of time or effort, and a routine during pregnancy can pay off with less urinary leakage after you give birth and enhanced sexual sensations.
13th Week Ultrasound During Pregnancy
A 13 week ultrasound can detect the baby's sex, but since it can be pretty tough to make out little boy or girl parts, your doctor will probably wait until the mid-pregnancy ultrasound, when it will be much more obvious, to look and see whether you are having a girl or a boy.
If you have chosen to have prenatal cell-free DNA testing, also known as NIPT, to screen for chromosomal abnormalities, you will be able to find out the sex when you get your results.
FAQs on 13 Weeks Pregnant
1. Can you feel the baby at 13 weeks?
No, you can't feel the baby's movements at 13 weeks of pregnancy. Remember each woman and each pregnancy is different, so you may not feel movements as early as other women. The first detection of movements can happen around 13 to 25 weeks.
2. How does the stomach feel at 13 weeks pregnant?
At 13 weeks, your uterus is growing rapidly. You should be able to feel the top of it just above your pelvic bone. As a result, you may start to experience sharp lower abdominal pains called round ligament pain when you change positions too quickly.
3. Can you see gender at 13 weeks?
The accuracy of determining your baby's gender increases with how far along you are in the pregnancy. The accuracy can become 100% at 13 weeks.
4. How successful is pregnancy after 13 weeks?
Most miscarriages happen in the 13 weeks or in the first trimester of pregnancy. The second trimester is the phase between weeks 13 and 28. The chance of miscarriage in the second trimester is very low.
Conclusion
You have reached 13 weeks means it is the best time to share the big news with your wider circle of family and friends. You can also start to plan At 13 weeks ultrasound, you can know the baby's gender.
Expecting that the data shared here about 13 weeks pregnant is useful for you. Stay tuned to our website to know more latest updates on pregnancy-related articles. Also, check the pregnancy week-by-week guide.