Week by week pregnancy guide: Week 13 of your pregnancy

There is a surge in your energy levels and your baby's intestine is functional this week onwards. Read more about the week's developments.

Congratulations, you have completed your first trimester, albeit with some discomfort. The good news is that your nagging pregnancy woes are now behind you and probably there is a surge in your energy levels. Three months into your pregnancy, you are now off the dangers of a spontaneous miscarriage too.

Changes that happen in your body

From now on your waistline would start to increase and your belly would be protruding out a little more than before. If you haven't told anyone yet, your baby-bump would give enough clues now. While morning sickness, nausea and fatigue will now be reducing, you benefit from increased energy levels.

But your pregnancy has a lot in store for you to deal with. This week onwards there is a chance that you might experience some abdominal cramps, especially on your lower abdomen. This is due to the bulging uterus and the ligaments that support it. This is common during pregnancy though not every woman might suffer from it. Sometimes these abdominal pains can become severe and call for medical help.

Heartburn and backache can still keep bothering you. While backache would need some postural corrections from your side, heartburn needs to be dealt with correct eating habits. Your breasts are still gearing for lactation and might also leak during this period. Your breasts might become very sensitive to touch.

Frequent urination will now be in check, but a new annoying symptom to surface would be vaginal discharge. This is the outcome of increased estrogen and blood flow in the pelvic area. The discharge keeps the balance of healthy bacteria in the vaginal area intact and protects the birth canal from infections. Beware if you notice any spotting during your second trimester. This could be an alarming sign, rush to your doctor for an evaluation if you see blood. Also read why you shouldn't neglect spotting during your second trimester.

Your baby's development

An ultrasound at this time would show that your fetus is looking more like a baby now. The eyes are moving closer from the sides of the head, ears move to their position, the nostrils are clearly seen and the fine hair that make the eyebrows are also visible. Still there is a lot of room for development.

The skeletal system continues to harden and bones are now forming in the arms and legs too. Apart from just moving limbs your baby might also start to suckle the thumb. Yes, they can do that while in the womb too! Your baby's intestine is fully functional from this week onwards and the pancreas have also started to produce insulin. As the abdominal cavity grows the intestine too shifts its position in the abdomen.

The vocal cords that have started to form during the previous week are now developed and in place. This week your baby's weight can fluctuate anywhere between 18 to 20gm.

What you should be doing

• Apply moisturizer on your belly, breast and buttocks as stretch marks can start to show up from now onwards. A slower weight gain and keeping oneself hydrated enough can help face this problem better. Remember stretch marks are a common occurrence of pregnancy and remain forever even after the delivery.

• You might be due for the doctor's visit. A nuchal translucency scan or NT scan would be scheduled soon to check on your baby's wellbeing and other genetic defects. Talk to your doctor in case you have any queries regarding the same.

• Reduce stress as it can harm you and your baby more than you can imagine. Read about the nine ways in which you can keep pregnancy stress at bay.

• Include foods from all the essential food groups to ensure that you get all the vital nutrients from natural food sources. Don't forget to chomp on fruits, they can also become your healthy snacking option. At least include three to five fruits throughout the day. Here is the ultimate diet plan during pregnancy for you to follow.

• Avoid having alcohol, other aerated drinks, tea and coffee during pregnancy. For the same reasons quit smoking if you indulge in the same. Also know about the eight drinks that should be avoided during pregnancy.

• Did you know, even healthy drinks like wheatgrass juice can be harmful during pregnancy? Here are 7 foods to avoid during pregnancy.

• Be regular with your daily exercises. Take up prenatal yoga classes to reap its varied benefits. Read about the 9 pregnancy dos and don'ts you should follow while exercising.

• Don't forget to have enough water, sleep adequately and to keep yourself off stress during pregnancy.

If you wish to know what happened to your body while you reached week 13 of your pregnancy, then read:

• The first four weeks of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 5 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 6 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 7 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 8 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 9 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 10 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 11 of your pregnancy
• Week by week pregnancy guide: week 12 of your pregnancy

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You may also like to read:

• Common mistakes woman make during pregnancy
• 7 common pregnancy complaints and how to dodge them
• How to plan for a birth without violence
• How to write a good birth plan

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