Week 13 is here and new developments are taking place with your baby and you. You more than likely are starting to feel much better and your energy level has greatly increased along you’re your appetite. Your body is changing though and you may find that your clothes are tighter this week.
Your Baby This Week
At week 13, your baby is now the size of a peach, and measures about 7.3cm (2.9 inches) long. Rapid weight gain has occurred since last week and now your baby weighs in at 23 grammes (0.8oz). That’s almost double the weight of last week.
Some of the finer details are now developing in your baby. At week 13, those tiny fingers now have their very own fingerprints. If your baby is a girl, the ovaries are fully developed and already have a few million eggs in them. Also, the tiny pancreas is already working, producing insulin which will regulate your baby’s blood sugar.
The growth of your baby’s head has been rapid up until this point. At week 13, this growth begins to noticeably slow down. Up until now, your baby’s head made up about half of the full length of the body. From now until around the 21st week of your pregnancy, the body starts to catch up with the rapid head growth. By week 21, the head will be about 1/3 of the full length of your baby.
Your baby’s face is still changing a bit and becoming more refined. The eyes continue to get a little closer together each week and the ears are still moving into their proper position. Even so, if you were to see your baby’s face at this point, it looks very normal.
Your baby’s intestines, which have recently grown so fast that they are partially contained within the umbilical cord, are now beginning to migrate into the abdomen where they will take their place.
Your Body This Week
Week 13 is a time when most women find that their clothes are just a little too tight for comfort. It’s not exactly time to rub out and purchase a bunch of maternity clothes yet, but a stretchy pair of sweat pants are definitely more comfortable that a pair of jeans at this point.
You probably don’t want to spend a lot of money on clothes that fit right now because you just won’t get to wear them very long. The need for true maternity clothes is just around the corner!
As your weight increases, you may also start to notice stretch marks appearing on your abdomen, waistline, buttocks, and breasts. For most women, stretch marks are unavoidable. Many claim that you can reduce the skin damage of stretch marks during your pregnancy by using topical solutions such as vitamin E oil.
It’s also known that staying well hydrated will cut down the amount and degree of stretch marks. So, make sure to drink plenty of fluids and discuss using a topical solution with your doctor.
Bladder infections are a common occurrence during pregnancy and many women will experience them around this time. To prevent bladder infections, drink lots of fluids and do not hold your urine. Holding your urine is known to allow bacteria to grow. If you do suspect that you have a bladder infection, talk to your doctor before you try to use any over the counter remedies.
Pregnancy Tip
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are mainly found in fish, are an important part of a healthy diet for you and your developing baby. Yet, many women tend to avoid eating fish when they are pregnant because they are worried about consuming mercury. However, the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids far outweigh the risks of mercury ingestion.
It is recommended that pregnant women eat 170 to 340 grammes (6 to 12 ounces) of fish per week to get the fatty acids necessary for baby’s proper brain development.
