13th Week of Pregnancy – Symptoms, Ultrasound

Weren’t the last few weeks some of the most difficult weeks of your life? Well, they are finally over! The most difficult phase of your pregnancy is over for good and things would probably get better from the 13^th week. However, if you are pregnant with twins, you might still have a few more weeks before you start feeling a little better. But do not worry as you are almost there.

But while a number of symptoms like morning sickness might subdue, there can be a few new symptoms like dizziness, increased sex drive, increased energy levels, and more. But know that the trade-off is one of the best deals that you’ve ever been offered in life. A lot of women also have another prenatal visit before finishing the first trimester and you might have one this week.

Whether you’d be having a prenatal visit or not this week completely depends on your doctor. If there is no reason for him/her to believe that you might develop any kind of complications, you might directly be called for the mid-pregnancy visit which generally takes place between the 18^th-20^th week. But irrespective of whether you have a prenatal visit or not this week, there is no reason to panic. This is just a normal procedure. So, what else can you expect from the 13^th week of your pregnancy? Continue reading to find out.

Baby’s Development in the 13^th Week

By the 13^th week, your baby is about 7.5cm from head to bum and is as big as an apple. The fetus now weighs around 25 grams and would rapidly fain in size and weight in the second trimester. The most important development to happen this week eyes the completion of eye development. By the 13^th week, your baby’s eyes have been formed completely. They already have the pigment in them and are fully functional. However, they are still covered with the eyelids for protection.

The vocal cords too are almost done and within a few weeks, your baby would already be able to speak. However, as sound cannot travel through the uterus, you won’t really be able to hear your baby until it is born. The large head is now getting small with the rest of the body increasing in size. The arms and legs are grown exceedingly well and you’d now be able to differentiate many of the body parts when you see your baby in the ultrasound.

As the baby has already started moving the arms, he/she will soon find the mouth and might also start sucking the thumb in a couple of weeks. Yes, this too can be seen in the ultrasound. Even the intestines would go through some serious development this week. While the umbilical cord was home to the intestines until a few weeks ago, it has now taken a permanent space in your abdomen and would soon start working.

Almost every organ has now reached its place and would continue growing throughout the following months. Apart from your baby, the placenta is also rapidly growing to keep up with the nutritional needs of your baby. By the time the baby is delivered, the placenta itself would weight around 1-2 pounds. So, this is another reason why you’d now start gaining a lot of weight.

Physical Changes in Women in the 13^th Week

If you’ve been anxiously waiting to gain the pregnancy weight, the 13^th week is the time when it might actually happen. As the placenta would now be responsible for the growth of your baby, the hormone levels would start falling. But while the symptoms will get better due to falling levels of the hormone, the placenta would grow rapidly and this can quickly make you gain a lot of weight.

If you have an average BMI, you should gain about 25-35 pounds throughout your pregnancy. In the second trimester, the generally recommended weight gain is ½ pound/week. You can talk to your doctor about how much weight you should be gaining on the basis of your BMI. On the outside too, your baby bump would continue to grow along with your breasts. If you haven’t already shopped for maternity wear and nice supportive maternity bras, this can be a great time to do so.

Symptoms of 13^th Week Pregnancy

The symptoms can change significantly for a lot of women in the 13^th week. As the hormone levels start falling quickly, there can be some relief from a number of symptoms. However, there can be a few new symptoms this week. Some of the most common symptoms in the 13^th week are as follows-

Increased energy
Increased sex drive
Visible veins
Round ligament pain
Dizziness
Increasing size of breasts
Indigestion and heartburn
Constipation

13^th Week Pregnancy Ultrasound

A lot of women do have a prenatal appointment before completing the first trimester. This would involve blood and urine tests along with an ultrasound. While the tests are just routine procedures to make sure that you and your baby are completely alright, the ultrasound is what you should be excited about.

As the baby is now as big as an apple and the organs have grown considerably, you’d be able to differentiate between a number of organs in the ultrasound. If the baby is not sleeping which it does for most part of the day, you’d also be able to see the baby moving his/her arms and legs. While the genitals too have grown by now, it is too soon for the doctor to confirm the gender. If you’d like to know the gender of your baby, you’d only be able to do it around the 20^th week.

Tips for 13^th Week Pregnancy

As you’ve now started gaining weight, you should take extra precaution in everything that you do. Even the baby has come a very long way and would continue to grow rapidly in the following weeks. A bit of extra care could make things easier for you as well as your baby. Some tips that you should follow in the 13^th week are-

Consume as much whole foods as possible
Add lean protein to the diet
Exercise regularly
Take the prenatal vitamins
Take good care of your dental health

Conclusion

You’ve almost completed your first trimester and have done a commendable job throughout the weeks. But apart from the symptoms, even your body has now started showing major signs of pregnancy and this calls for some extra precaution, especially when your baby is going through important developments.

Just two trimesters more and you’d have your baby in your hands. Remember that everything that you are going through would be completely worth it when you’d get to see and hold your baby for the first time. With the most difficult part of pregnancy now over, it is just your growing belly, your growing baby and the symptoms now. Try to know as much about the second trimester as possible to make sure that you are well-prepared for the coming weeks.

Pregnancy Checklist at 13 Weeks Pregnant

Shop for maternity wear
You can enjoy sex if you don’t have any history of miscarriage or early labor
Switch to exercises that are highly recommended for pregnant women
Eat whole foods with a lot of fruits and green leafy vegetables are they are packed with vitamins and minerals

Baby’s Development in the 13th Week

Physical Changes in Women in the 13th Week

Symptoms of 13th Week Pregnancy

13th Week Pregnancy Ultrasound

Tips for 13th Week Pregnancy