At xiii weeks pregnant, you're in the final week of your first trimester. (Can you believe you lot're already a third of the way through your pregnancy?!)

If yous're like many parents-to-be, you may begin to tell people you're meaning around week 13, but it's upwardly to you when to give friends and family the news that baby is on the way.

Your Baby at Calendar week xiii

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Your sweet fetus has grown to three inches long — about the size of a sweet Georgia peach — and at present her lilliputian body is poised to begin growing at lightning speed. What'southward the rush? Well, information technology'southward got to grab up to that noggin, which makes up half of your baby's torso size at this point. And take hold of up information technology volition. By the time your little star makes her thou entrance, that head will be only one-fourth the size of her trunk.

More large progress this week: The intestines consummate their move out of their storage space in the umbilical cord and into their permanent dwelling in baby's belly. To nourish that tiny stomach and the other systems and organs that are growing like crazy, babe's lifeline — the placenta — is expanding. Information technology weighs just an ounce at present, just at nascency it'll tip the scale at a full two pounds! That'll certain help to explicate your blossoming belly in the weeks to come up.

There are plenty of subtle changes happening this calendar week also: fingernails and downy hair on the body go along to make their appearance. Baby'southward bones continue to harden. And those genitals begin to take on their gender characteristics, only it'south notwithstanding too early to tell by looking whether you've got a bouncing baby boy or girl inside.

The muscles of the chest wall are starting to develop, and though she'southward nowhere near prepare to breathe, she's already practicing up with little breathing movements. And long before baby says her get-go "mama" or "dada," her vocal cords are forming, gearing up for that very anticipated first cry…the offset of many, that is!

At a Glance

Eyes broad shut

While baby'due south optics take arrived, they're not open up. His eyelids are fused shut to protect those tiny peepers as they continue to develop.

The voice

The hope of laughter, cries and very first words start at present with the formation of song cords.

Balancing out

That large baby caput is getting more in balance with the rest of the body. Right now, his head is about half the size of his total frame.

xiii weeks meaning is how many months?

If you're 13 weeks significant, you're in month 3 of your pregnancy. Simply vi months left to go! All the same have questions? Here'southward some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken downwardly in pregnancy.

How big is my baby at 13 weeks?

Likewise being as large as a lemon at present, that head of his is now about half the size of his crown-to-rump length. That's ane reason why your footling ane looks more like an alien from outer space at this point. By the time you give birth, his body will catch upwards, measuring three-quarters of his total size.

Just don't compare your fetus with the fetus next door. Starting in the adjacent calendar week or so, babies begin growing at different paces, some faster than others, some more slowly, though they all follow the aforementioned developmental path.

Baby'due south intestines and vocal cords are developing

What else is going on in in that location? At xiii weeks pregnant, tiny basic are beginning to form in his arms and legs. Considering he can motion them in a jerky fashion, he may be able to get his thumb into his oral fissure soon — a habit that may come in handy for self-soothing when he'southward a newborn.

Your baby'south intestines are also in for some large changes. Until recently, they've been growing in a cavity inside the umbilical cord, but they've just moved into their permanent — and more conveniently located — address, in your infant's abdomen. And to serve your growing fetus' needs, the placenta is also growing, eventually weighing 1 to two pounds at nativity.

Likewise developing this week: your baby'south song cords (the first step toward saying, "I love you, Mommy!"). You patently can't hear him crying or cooing just yet, just you can bet that niggling voice will get a good workout once he's born.

Your Trunk at Week 13

13 weeks pregnant woman

Feeling more than similar yourself?

At present that you lot're xiii weeks pregnant and but a week away from the second trimester, you should be feeling pretty good soon. Afterwards all, the 2d trimester doesn't get its reputation for being the easiest and most comfy of the three for nothing.

Simply if you're non feeling better notwithstanding, don't worry. While most early pregnancy symptoms volition probably exist behind you shortly, some women detect that nausea and fatigue linger into the fourth and even fifth months.

And unfortunately for some women, those and other usual first trimester suspects — such every bit bloating, constipation, headaches and breast tenderness — tin can continue to some extent throughout pregnancy.

Vaginal discharge

Of grade, even though the 2d trimester is known as the trimester of smooth sailing, it doesn't mean you'll be symptom-free in the nearly hereafter — far from it.

Something else you might have noticed recently is an increment in your vaginal belch. Known as leukorrhea (try getting that correct in a spelling bee), this perfectly normal discharge is thin and milky in color, or mild-smelling or sometimes even odorless. Plus, it'll probably increase as your pregnancy progresses.

Leukorrhea is caused past the stepped-up production of estrogen equally well as the increased blood flow to the pelvic surface area. Its purpose is noble: to protect the birth canal from infection and maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the vagina. Unfortunately, in achieving its lofty goal, leukorrhea can make a mess of your underwear.

If information technology makes you more comfortable, utilise a panty liner, never a tampon, to stay dry out. But never douche while you're meaning, which can upset the normal residue of microorganisms, lead to vaginal infections and even force air into the vagina during pregnancy, which can be dangerous.

Sex during pregnancy

With all the extra discharge down there plus your burgeoning belly, you may be wondering whether your feelings about jumping into bed are normal. Endeavor to go with the menses: When it comes to pregnancy sexual activity, anything goes.

Y'all may not be in the mood at all or yous may be upward for sex a lot more than usual. All of it is normal and likely to continue fluctuating as your pregnancy progresses.

Having twins?

Your abdomen'south already bursting out of the seams of your largest jeans and y'all're only finishing up the outset trimester. Could yous exist having twins? Maybe — particularly if you lot accept a history of fraternal twins in your family unit or you're over 35 (or both).

But there are other more likely explanations for your seemingly larger-than-life abdomen. For instance, it could exist that your due date's off and your bigger-than-expected tummy is the result of a bigger-than-expected baby.

Or it could be that yous're merely total of it — gas, that is. Bloating can make a significant abdomen distend well beyond its weeks. Information technology's also possible that you lot're taking the eating-for-two mandate a little besides literally — say, you took everything you ate earlier you became meaning and doubled it, leading to your early on midsection expansion.

To discover out what's really going on in there, check with your practitioner at your next visit. Who knows — you just might have two buns in your oven afterward all. You can't tell from the outside, no matter what your grandmother says!

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 13

Decreasing fatigue

Now that your body has had a trimester to suit to pregnancy, y'all may be starting to feel a piddling less tired these days. Consider channeling your newfound free energy into your workout routine — but don't overdo it! Read More

Nutrient cravings and aversions

If you lot still have a thing for weird foods, don't be too difficult on yourself. Do your best to find healthy foods that appeal to yous and give yourself permission to indulge in small portions of the junk foods you crave. Read More than

Heartburn and indigestion

During pregnancy, the ring of musculus at the top of the stomach relaxes, allowing digestive acids to rise up into the esophagus — causing a burning in the breast. Reduce the hurting past staying abroad from these possible heartburn triggers: alcohol, caffeinated drinks, chocolate, mint, citrus and spicy or fatty foods. Read More

Constipation

Thanks to your hormones, your bowel muscles also relax during pregnancy, which means they'll be less efficient at moving waste matter out of your system. If you find yourself backed upward, slowly outset adding more high-fiber foods to your diet, similar fruits, vegetables and whole grains, along with plenty of fluids, too. Read More

Visible veins

Though you lot may not detect these veins a welcome sight, they're actually a good thing — your increased blood supply is carrying much-needed nutrients to your baby. Even more good news: The vein network fades after you requite nascency. Read More

Faintness or dizziness

Withal plagued by empty-headed spells? Don't become up from a sitting or prone position too quickly since this can trigger calorie-free-headedness. In the issue that you practise showtime to experience faint, immediately lie downwardly or sit with your caput between your knees. Read More

Tips for You This Calendar week

Embrace your sexual practice drive

Your second trimester is effectually the corner, and with information technology frequently comes a heave in sexual practice bulldoze. Enjoy!

What's more than, that spike in libido might have some health benefits for you and baby, since pregnancy sex can speed up postpartum recovery by tightening your pelvic floor muscles and amend your sleep and mood.

But if you have a history of early labor or miscarriage, y'all may need to abstain. Talk to your doctor near what you're safely able to exercise.

Keep taking your prenatal

Your infant's nervous system and spinal cord are amid the first things to develop, and folic acid (aka folate) — which is found naturally in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, beans, bananas, broccoli and milk, and added via fortification to breads and cereals — is essential to neural tube evolution.

The recommended amount of folic acid is 400 micrograms (mcg) earlier pregnancy and 400 to 600 mcg once y'all're pregnant. Brand sure your prenatal vitamin contains that corporeality or that you're getting that much from all sources, including food.

Watch portion sizes

If you lot've been struggling with constipation, endeavour not to max out at mealtimes. Eating big meals tin can overtax your digestive tract and cause things to get backed upward.

Instead, try eating six mini-meals a day rather than three big ones. You might feel less gas and bloating that way too.

Get enough calcium

It does a growing babe body good, edifice stiff basic and teeth. Merely calcium also does your body good, as well — helping to maintain solid bone density and foreclose osteoporosis later in life, and lowering your take chances of preeclampsia at present.

So make sure you "got milk" and other calcium-loaded foods, like fortified juice, almonds, sesame seeds, soy products, green leafies, canned salmon and broccoli.

Eat atomic number 26-rich foods

When you're making a baby, you're in the blood-making business — big-time. Since iron helps generate claret supply, it'southward a nutrient you'll need plenty of to go on your body's and your baby'southward supply of red in the blackness.

Up your intake of this vital mineral past eating such iron-rich foods as beef, duck, soy products, spinach, stale fruits and potatoes with the skins on. Your practitioner may also advise a supplement later on week twenty to go along your fe levels loftier enough every bit blood need steps upward.

Don't peel some of your fruit

Baby got you backed up? Cease peeling fruit like apples and peaches.

Ane apple with peel has iv.4 grams of constipation-quelling fiber, while ½ cup of applesauce has just 1 gram. As for apple tree juice, some drinks may non take any.

Fight off a cold

As if you didn't have enough pregnancy symptoms to contend with, you're also more than susceptible to colds when you're expecting. What'due south more, many of the medications that relieve cold symptoms are off-limits during pregnancy.

To feel ameliorate faster, exist sure to drink upwards — warm beverages, like ginger tea and chicken goop, are peculiarly soothing, but h2o and common cold juices will aid you stay hydrated likewise.

Gargling with salt water (¼ teaspoon of table salt to 8 ounces of warm water) can help ease a sore pharynx, and eating a few teaspoons of beloved may help get rid of a cough.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author ofWhat to Wait When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such equally peer-reviewed studies, bookish enquiry institutions and highly respected health organizations. Larn how we keep our content authentic and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

  • What to Wait When You're Expecting, fifth edition, Heidi Murkoff.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Exercise Twins Actually Run in Families?, March 2019.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Much Atomic number 26 Do You Need During Pregnancy?, May 2020.
  • WhatToExpect.com, How Much Calcium Practice You Demand During Pregnancy?, May 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Medications During Pregnancy: What'south Safe and What's Not?, March 2021.
  • WhatToExpect.com, Why Are Prenatal Vitamins So Important?, April 2020.
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  • Mayo Dispensary, Fetal Development: The 1st Trimester, June 2020.
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  • American Higher of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Vulvovaginal Wellness, June 2020.
  • American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Multiple Pregnancy, February 2021.
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  • UpToDate, Placenta Previa: Management, May 2021.
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  • National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements, Folate, March 2021.
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