13 Weeks Pregnant

Pregnancy week 13 is the last week of the first trimester! Your baby is growing well and you will now be past the danger zone of a miscarriage. While miscarriages may still happen, they are more likely to happen before pregnancy week 12.

Your Baby at 13 Weeks Pregnant

The development continues and he or she will start to look like a small human now. The body is starting to grow so it is in proportion with the head. However, your baby is still relatively small and just about three inches in length.

The arms and legs will be developing more now. By 13 weeks pregnant, the limbs will be getting longer and the muscles will become stronger. You won’t likely feel anything but your baby will be happily kicking and punching away. There is still plenty of room inside so it is likely that your little one will be doing flips.

The amniotic fluid continues to increase. Your little one will breathe this in and urinate it out in later weeks of pregnancy. The amount of fluid will keep increasing until 32 weeks pregnant.

Changes in You

Your organs will be moving upwards now so the biggest change at pregnancy week 13 will be that you are showing more. You won’t need to wear maternity clothes yet but you will find that your regular clothes are getting tighter. To get longer use out of your jeans or anything with a button, use a rubber band to fasten the button.

Symptoms at 13 Weeks Pregnant

While the majority of your first trimester symptoms will have gone now, there are some symptoms that help you remember you are pregnant. However, it is likely that you will have more energy from now, so enjoy it while it lasts.

Breast changes are common at this time. You may find that your breasts start to get larger and the areolas are much darker. There is no definite reason for the latter but it is thought it is to help your baby find the nipple when he or she is born as the eyesight is poor. You may also notice small white bumps around the areolas. These are completely normal and nothing to worry about.

Do you feel some pain in your stomach, similar to period pains? This is common and nothing to worry about as long as it only lasts for a few moments at a time. It is known as round ligament pains and is extremely common when you change positions quickly. It is most common on the right side but there are some women who will feel it on both sides. The pain varies from a dull ache to a sharp pain when moving.

Swollen or bleeding gums are very common at this stage. Your body has a lot more blood in it now and it needs to go somewhere. Dentists find it difficult to determine whether the bleeding is due to pregnancy or is the first sign of normal gingivitis so it is important to look after your teeth and brush them regularly. If it is pregnancy related, then you should find that the swollen gums die down after the birth.