You are now 13 weeks pregnant, which is the beginning of week 14. Your baby measures about 9 cm in length (3.6 inches) from head to toe and weighs approximately 45 grams (1.56 ounces).
During this week, your baby's body grows more rapidly than their head. Their gag reflex now begins to function, which is important for survival after being born and closely associated with their swallow, cough and sneeze reflexes. Your baby's nose and nasal passages are now fully developed.
Did you know? Until recently, scientists did not think unborn babies could smell because this probably depended on breathing air. However, it is now known that the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby passes through their mouth and nasal cavities, possibly triggering their sense of smell. A newborn baby is naturally drawn to the smell of breast milk after birth, even though they have no previous experience of it. It may be that they are cued for this before birth!
What is my body doing at thirteen weeks pregnant?
As you reach your second trimester, symptoms such as morning sickness and exhaustion should begin to abate.
By now, your placenta will be fully developed, but will continue to grow in size throughout your pregnancy. Your baby is connected to it via the umbilical cord, through which your baby gets enough oxygen and nutrients. Yet the placenta also has an important role in getting rid of waste products such as carbon dioxide and producing many of the important hormones needed for your baby’s development. It might not be very pretty to look at (don’t Google image it if you’re still feeling delicate) but it does a truly amazing job for your baby.
This week, you might see the first signs of that baby bump – it usually shows up between 12 and 16 weeks, but this completely depends on your body and your baby. A showing bump can be one of the biggest pregnancy excitements and you can now get ready to announce you’re expecting.
Common symptoms to look out for:
For most women the 2nd trimester is the most comfortable phase of their pregnancy. However, this stage can also bring its own unique physical changes. Occasionally the physical changes of the 1st trimester continue to linger until 14, 16 or even 20 weeks of pregnancy and beyond. However, it is normal to feel concerned if some pregnancy signs disappear while it is too early to feel the reassuring movements of your baby yet.
Growing belly
You may notice your belly beginning to show and that you need to loosen the clothing around your waistline. However, at this stage many women say they just feel 'fat', rather than pregnant. From here on in, your baby grows quite rapidly and in the coming weeks your belly will quickly pop out! You may be able to get away with wearing looser or more elasticised pants and skirts for a while longer, but in the coming weeks you will need to start considering maternity clothing.
If you see your caregiver around this time of pregnancy, they should now be able to feel the top of your uterus (called the fundus), when feeling your belly.
Weight gain
Emotional reactions
Natural therapies
NaturopathyNaturopathy is a lifestyle and health philosophy based on the belief that the body has the ability to heal itself when free of toxins accumulated through poor lifestyle habits. The aim of naturopathy is to stimulate the body's natural defences to promote equilibrium and allow the body to function at its optimum. Naturopaths can also work with other natural therapies such as acupuncture, clinical nutrition, herbal medicine and osteopathy
During this week, your baby's body grows more rapidly than their head. Their gag reflex now begins to function, which is important for survival after being born and closely associated with their swallow, cough and sneeze reflexes. Your baby's nose and nasal passages are now fully developed.
Did you know? Until recently, scientists did not think unborn babies could smell because this probably depended on breathing air. However, it is now known that the amniotic fluid surrounding an unborn baby passes through their mouth and nasal cavities, possibly triggering their sense of smell. A newborn baby is naturally drawn to the smell of breast milk after birth, even though they have no previous experience of it. It may be that they are cued for this before birth!
What is my body doing at thirteen weeks pregnant?
As you reach your second trimester, symptoms such as morning sickness and exhaustion should begin to abate.
By now, your placenta will be fully developed, but will continue to grow in size throughout your pregnancy. Your baby is connected to it via the umbilical cord, through which your baby gets enough oxygen and nutrients. Yet the placenta also has an important role in getting rid of waste products such as carbon dioxide and producing many of the important hormones needed for your baby’s development. It might not be very pretty to look at (don’t Google image it if you’re still feeling delicate) but it does a truly amazing job for your baby.
This week, you might see the first signs of that baby bump – it usually shows up between 12 and 16 weeks, but this completely depends on your body and your baby. A showing bump can be one of the biggest pregnancy excitements and you can now get ready to announce you’re expecting.
Common symptoms to look out for:
- More energy: At last! Now the placenta is taking over, you should feel like you’ve got a bit more of a spring in your step. Consider using this energy and adding some exercise to your routine, but don’t go mad!
- Constipation: We’ve mentioned this before, but during pregnancy those all-important hormones create some unwanted side effects, and this is one of them! Your bowel muscles relax, meaning they are less effective at moving things along, which can leave you feeling pretty uncomfortable. Our top tips? Add some high-fibre snacks to your diet – fruit, vegetables and whole grains are good options.
- Heartburn: Another one that is very common and probably won’t ease up any time soon, during pregnancy, the muscle at the top of the stomach relaxes which allows digestive acid to rise and cause that familiar burning in the chest. Stay away from spicy or fatty foods and keep those antacids handy!
- Visible veins: You might not like them, but these are super important during pregnancy and are a sign of the increased blood supply to your growing baby.
- Vaginal discharge: Otherwise known as leukorrhea, this thin, milky, mild-smelling or odourless discharge is another perfectly normal symptom, caused by the production of oestrogen during pregnancy. Its job is to protect the birth canal from infection and keep it healthy during pregnancy, so don’t worry about using special wet wipes to clean it away. The downside is it can cause a mess of your favourite underwear, s wear a thin panty liner around this time.
For most women the 2nd trimester is the most comfortable phase of their pregnancy. However, this stage can also bring its own unique physical changes. Occasionally the physical changes of the 1st trimester continue to linger until 14, 16 or even 20 weeks of pregnancy and beyond. However, it is normal to feel concerned if some pregnancy signs disappear while it is too early to feel the reassuring movements of your baby yet.
Growing belly
You may notice your belly beginning to show and that you need to loosen the clothing around your waistline. However, at this stage many women say they just feel 'fat', rather than pregnant. From here on in, your baby grows quite rapidly and in the coming weeks your belly will quickly pop out! You may be able to get away with wearing looser or more elasticised pants and skirts for a while longer, but in the coming weeks you will need to start considering maternity clothing.
If you see your caregiver around this time of pregnancy, they should now be able to feel the top of your uterus (called the fundus), when feeling your belly.
Weight gain
Pregnant women are often concerned about gaining too much weight (or not enough). How much or little weight you gain during pregnancy is very individual and various factors can influence this.
Emotional reactions
As your baby grows and your belly swells, the physical changes of pregnancy become more evident. How you feel about your changing body is very individual but generally everyone goes through some level of adjustment. Your personal concept of your body image and sexuality can also affect your relationship with your partner (if you have one), as well as how they perceive your body.
You may think about the occasional pampering session to help you feel good about your changing body. Perhaps a facial, massage or a weekend away to celebrate your pregnancy!
Other considerations
Belly piercing
You may think about the occasional pampering session to help you feel good about your changing body. Perhaps a facial, massage or a weekend away to celebrate your pregnancy!
Other considerations
Belly piercing
If your belly is pierced you may be wondering what you will do with your jewellery during pregnancy or how to keep the piercing open until after the birth.
Choosing childbirth classes
Childbirth classes can help prepare you for the labour and birth, but are not usually started until after 28 weeks of pregnancy. However, you may want to start looking into these now, as they can book out quite early. Many hospitals offer early pregnancy classes and other sessions on parenting or breastfeeding.
When to stop work or study
If you are working and/or studying, you may start making plans for when you will stop. Depending on your circumstances, this may be several weeks before your baby is due, or you may prefer to continue to as close to the due date as possible. If you are feeling well and coping (or even thriving) with your work or study commitments and your pregnancy is progressing normally, stopping work will essentially come down to your own personal choice. However, bear in mind that sometimes health concerns (for yourself or your baby) could mean finishing earlier than anticipated. Try and stay flexible (and ask your work if they can too) in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Choosing childbirth classes
Childbirth classes can help prepare you for the labour and birth, but are not usually started until after 28 weeks of pregnancy. However, you may want to start looking into these now, as they can book out quite early. Many hospitals offer early pregnancy classes and other sessions on parenting or breastfeeding.
When to stop work or study
If you are working and/or studying, you may start making plans for when you will stop. Depending on your circumstances, this may be several weeks before your baby is due, or you may prefer to continue to as close to the due date as possible. If you are feeling well and coping (or even thriving) with your work or study commitments and your pregnancy is progressing normally, stopping work will essentially come down to your own personal choice. However, bear in mind that sometimes health concerns (for yourself or your baby) could mean finishing earlier than anticipated. Try and stay flexible (and ask your work if they can too) in case of unforeseen circumstances.
Natural therapies
NaturopathyNaturopathy is a lifestyle and health philosophy based on the belief that the body has the ability to heal itself when free of toxins accumulated through poor lifestyle habits. The aim of naturopathy is to stimulate the body's natural defences to promote equilibrium and allow the body to function at its optimum. Naturopaths can also work with other natural therapies such as acupuncture, clinical nutrition, herbal medicine and osteopathy
What you should be doing this week
As your second trimester approaches, you might find a boost in your sex drive! However, it’s worth noting if you’ve got a history of early labour of miscarriage, it’s worth checking with your doctor beforehand.
If you find you’ve been showing for weeks and you’re already bursting out all of your clothes, it might be worth double checking for twins. Yet if your first ultrasound has confirmed there’s only one little bun in the oven, do not worry, this could mean your due date isn’t quite right and you’re further along than you thought, or that you’re full of gas and are just bloated.
As your second trimester approaches, you might find a boost in your sex drive! However, it’s worth noting if you’ve got a history of early labour of miscarriage, it’s worth checking with your doctor beforehand.
If you find you’ve been showing for weeks and you’re already bursting out all of your clothes, it might be worth double checking for twins. Yet if your first ultrasound has confirmed there’s only one little bun in the oven, do not worry, this could mean your due date isn’t quite right and you’re further along than you thought, or that you’re full of gas and are just bloated.
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