13 Weeks Pregnant: What To Expect?

July 1, 2019

13 Weeks Pregnant: What To Expect?

It was wisely said, ‘A baby fills a space in your heart that you never knew was empty.’ It’s precious every moment you conceive the baby. You find something new every week that only intensifies the bonding within your womb between you and the baby. Week 13 is not the other way around. In fact, In 13 weeks pregnant, you are filled with a sense of rejoicing as you are about to complete the first trimester and are only a week away from entering the second trimester of pregnancy. No more sickness in the morning; what a relief! So what’s next, ask yourself? Here’s everything you need to know!

Baby’s Growth During Pregnancy – Week 13

If you could see your baby in the 13^th week, she may look like an alien! But don’t worry; there is no alien growing inside you. It is just that the size of the baby’s head is now half the size of the complete length of the baby’s body, hence, making the little one look rather odd. As the fetus develops, it is the head of the baby that grows first and the body forms later.

The development of the baby’s intestines and the vocal cord is another interesting development that takes place in the baby during the 13th week of pregnancy.

In the 13th week, the intestine leaves the umbilical cord and moves to the stomach of the baby for good. Tiny bones begin to form in the arms and legs at the 13th week of pregnancy. The baby is now moving in a spasmodic way, and you may soon feel subtle butterfly movements.

What is the Baby’s Size?

Your baby’s size is three inches from head to toe at 13 weeks pregnant. And it weighs nearly an ounce (28 grams). Your little munchkin is steadily progressing from the size of a lime to the size of a peach or a pea pod. Your little one is now learning to turn her head as well and is able to swallow, yawn, and even hiccup.

13-weeks Symptoms of Pregnancy

You may notice that your symptoms change a little about 13 weeks pregnant. You could actually get through the day without nausea (if not now, in the near future) or feel the need for a nap. But some of these may also be experienced by you:

Visible Veins: Under your skin, you can see all the blue streaks because you have increased blood flow.
Increase in energy: The second quarter is known as the least symptomatic — and the most powerful. You’ll want to knock a bunch of to-dos off your list as you start to feel more like yourself and get that energy surge. Also, if you have been too sick and tired of exercising lately, now is the time to return to a fitness routine. Only you and your baby will benefit from exercise and can make work even easier. It’s worth it!
Increased sex drive: If you’re one of those lucky pregnant women at 13 weeks who are feeling up for a roll in the hay, well… enjoy! During pregnancy at 13 weeks, you may notice a bit of post-coital spotting. Just because your cervix is more sensitive, a little spotting is normal. But it’s not heavy bleeding (such as a period), so call your doctor if it’s more like a flow.

Sorry, to-be twin moms. If you are pregnant with twins for 13 weeks, you may still experience some sickness and tiredness in the morning. This is because twin moms in their systems can have more of the pregnancy hormone HCG. If your nausea and vomiting are too severe, bring it to your OB definitely. If you can hold food and liquids down, but still feel sick, just wait a little longer.

13 weeks pregnant belly

Your uterus is now large enough to grow up and out of your pelvis. That means that you are actually starting to look pregnant. Last but not least, right? You’re a third of the way through and you’re finally in a crowded train to demand a seat! Look from now on more and more pregnant as pregnancy at 13 weeks requires an increase in weight gain. OBs recommend that you gain weight in the healthiest way possible— that is, throughout your pregnancy, slowly and steadily. The guidelines of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) for weight gain are as follows:

If you are underweight (BMI below 18.5):

Your total weight gain recommended for pregnancy is 28 to 40 pounds.
Aim at gaining about one pound (1 to 1.3 pounds to be exact) per week in the second and third trimesters.

If you are weight average (18.5 to 24.9 BMI):

Your recommended total weight gain for pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds.
Aim at gaining about one pound or a little less (0.8 to 1 pound to be exact) per week in the second and third trimesters.

If you are overweight (BMI 25 to 29.9):

15 to 25 pounds are your recommended total weight gain for pregnancy.
Aim at gaining a little over a half pound (0.5 to 0.7 pounds to be exact) per week in the second and third trimesters.

If you are obese (30 and above BMI):

The total weight gain recommended for your pregnancy is 11 to 20 pounds.
Aim at gaining about half a pound (0.4 to 0.6 pounds to be exact) per week in the second and third trimesters.

If you are pregnant with twins for 13 weeks:

The total weight gain recommended for your pregnancy is 37 to 54 pounds.
Aim at gaining about a pound a week in the first half of your pregnancy. In the second half, aim to earn a little more than a pound a week.

Of course, you don’t want to stress yourself about these numbers. What is important is that you eat a healthy diet full of a variety of different foods, eat about 300 extra (nutritious) calories per day more than you did before pregnancy and get plenty of exercises.

13 Weeks Ultrasound

A 13-week ultrasound may detect the baby’s gender, but since it can be quite difficult to detect the boy’s or girl’s parts, your doctor will probably wait until the mid-pregnancy ultrasound (around 18 to 22 weeks) when it becomes much more apparent to see if you have a girl or a boy. If you have chosen to screen for chromosomal abnormalities for prenatal cell-free DNA testing, also known as non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT), you will be able to find out the sex when you get your results. Hey, you might already know at 13 weeks!

Also Read: 12 Weeks Pregnant: What To Expect?