13 Weeks Pregnant
13 Weeks Pregnant
At 13 weeks pregnant, you are about to enter the second trimester. It is sometimes referred to as the honeymoon phase of pregnancy due to the symptoms easing off, but there are still lots of changes happening to your body and this is the stage in which you will probably notice your body shape changing more radically.
It’s also very common for many other people to start noticing your baby when you are 13 weeks pregnant, so this could be the time for many people to start revealing their secret to close ones. In light of this, this week can be very stressful and overwhelming, and there are probably many questions that are whirling around inside your head. This article aims to lessen this stress and provide answers to any queries you may have about being 13 weeks pregnant.
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13 Weeks Pregnancy Symptoms
The symptoms of pregnancy at week 13 may feel different to what you experienced during the first trimester. Many women start to notice that they are over the worst of it, but you will still notice the signs of pregnancy manifesting itself in different ways. Here are the most common pregnancy symptoms for week 13:
- Increased energy
The sudden and radical changes that happen in the first trimester can be quite taxing on your body, leaving you feeling fatigued for long periods of time. As you enter the second trimester, however, you begin to notice an increased amount of energy at your disposal, as your body learns to cope with and adapt to the changes happening to it. - Visible veins
This is a very common pregnancy symptom at week 13. An increase in visible blue veins across the breast is not something to worry about, and it is your body adapting to the needs of your baby. The increased blood supply in your body is carrying vital nutrients to your baby inside the womb.
- Heartburn and indigestion
Despite the symptoms easing off in the second trimester, there are still abundant hormones travelling around your system. Pregnancy hormones – namely, progesterone – has a slowing effect on your digestive tract, which can lead to heartburn, indigestion, and/or constipation. - Changes in sex drive
Increases and decreases in your sex drive are very common throughout pregnancy, due to the rapidly fluctuating hormone levels coursing throughout your body. In the second trimester, it is very common to notice an increase in libido, as you are over the worst of your first 13 weeks of pregnancy symptoms.
Your Body at Week 13
Pregnancy at week 13 is often accompanied by a noticeable baby bump, as the uterus is ever-expanding and growing out of the pelvis. It’s also likely that you start to put on weight when you’re 13 weeks pregnant. Medical practitioners suggest a slow and steady approach to weight gain is the best, recommending around 30 pounds in total throughout the duration of the pregnancy. If you’re expecting twins, your doctor will recommend putting on more weight so that you can sustain their healthy development.
If you feel that your bump is bigger than it should be at this stage, don’t worry, there are plenty of reasons for this. It could simply be the gassiness and digestive problems that are associated with increased progesterone, it could be that you are having twins, or it could be that your due date is slightly off and the development of your baby is further on that first thought.
Elsewhere inside your body, the placenta is growing rapidly in preparation for taking over the corpus luteum in the production of the pregnancy hormones that are vital for a healthy baby.
Baby Size at Week 13
The beginning of the second trimester (which lasts from week 13-14 to week 26) marks the start of period of rapid development for your baby. After being the size of a lime last week, your baby is now the size of a lemon, and will weigh roughly 25 grams.
Bones in the arms and legs will continue their steady development in the fetus at 13 weeks, and your baby’s intestines start moving to their eventual home in the abdomen. Although your baby’s eyes will have started forming, they will remain shut at this stage in order to protect them whilst they are still developing.
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Week 13 Pregnant Ultrasound
Some mothers will have their first scan this week, and when you’re 13 weeks possible it might be possible to detect your baby’s gender, although it is usually more common to check this at the mid-pregnancy ultrasound at around week 20.
An NIPT, non-invasive prenatal testing, can also be scheduled at this point to check for any abnormalities in the chromosomes.
FAQs
In terms of the pregnancy symptoms at week 13, your stomach should start to feel better than during the first 12 weeks, as symptoms ease off. Your stomach may feel bigger, though, as your baby grows bigger every day.
You should expect to have more energy and less pregnancy symptoms when you are thirteen weeks pregnant, and you should also expect to notice changes in your body shape.
You might feel great as you enter the second trimester, as the initial couple of months are over, along with the harsh early signs of pregnancy such as nausea and vomiting.
Your stomach will start to look bigger around this stage, and it will get progressively and more noticeably bigger from here on in.
Tips for Week 13 of Pregnancy
- Buy pregnancy clothes
Purchasing some larger and more comfortable clothes is a must for a relaxed pregnancy. When you are 13 weeks pregnant, you can start planning ahead before your body shape changes start to affect your ability to move around so easily. - Buy baby clothes
Being pregnant can be a daunting and overwhelming experience, and many mothers-to-be find that it can be a cathartic experience to purchase some clothes for their future baby, as they start planning and imagining the powerful bond that connects parents and children. - Eat healthily
As with all other weeks of pregnancy, it is important to maintain a watchful eye over the nutrient intake in your diet. Try to eat a varied and balanced diet and speak to your doctor if you are concerned about missing out on any specific components of a heathy diet.
