13. WOP

Your baby can hear your voice for the first time in the 13th week and recognize the first color relationships. We have compiled a list of the exciting developments that take place in your body during the 13th week of pregnancy.

Important facts about the 13th week: What you should know

Your baby now weighs about 18 g and is about 6 cm tall – which makes it as big as a mushroom.

The skeleton of the fetus is ossifying. As a result, he can also perceive sounds for the first time, because the ossicles are also developing, making it possible for him to hear. It can also distinguish between light and dark and the vocal cords are formed.

This happens with you

In the 13th week of pregnancy you start into the 4th month of pregnancy. Since your baby is fully developed and is now gaining weight and size, your baby bump is also growing. Therefore, the pregnancy, if it is not already, will be clearly visible to outsiders.

This means that your long-awaited baby bump is finally forming and soon everyone will be able to see what you have known for some time: you are having a baby!

In the first third of pregnancy, most women gain around 2 kg. Since the fetus is now in the growth phase, the weight gain goes faster from now on. On average, women gain about 10 to 12 kg in the next third of pregnancy.

If you deviate from these average figures, don’t worry about it. If your weight develops in an unhealthy way, your gynecologist or midwife will intervene.

The uterus has found its place and is now growing into the abdominal cavity.

You are in the second trimester of pregnancy at 13 weeks gestation. So the pregnancy symptoms of the first third are slowly subsiding. This makes many women feel very well during this time. So it is exactly the right time to become active.

You can go on vacation, relax and let yourself be pampered a bit, or simply enjoy your pregnancy.

Tip for fathers-to-be

You are certainly already full of anticipation for the time after pregnancy. In order to be able to enjoy this time, it is best to inform yourself now about the obligations and possibilities during parental leave. Once all the organizational details have been sorted out, you can enjoy your first encounters with your offspring without stress.

Pregnancy symptoms in the 13th week and what you can do about them

Done: The first 3 months are over. This means not only that the critical phase with regard to the health of the child is over, but also that the pregnancy discomforts will subside.

Stretch marks

Perhaps the first stretch marks will appear due to the growth of the abdomen and breasts. Surely you hope that they will not occur so much with you. You can not prevent their formation, but you can support your skin as much as possible:

Take care of your sensitive skin as early as possible. You can pamper your skin in the abdominal area and on the breasts by massaging it with creams and lotions. This supports the stretching of the skin and provides it with important nutrients.

Please make sure that the care products are suitable for pregnant women and adapted to their special needs. Essential oils such as rosemary or mint are said to have a labor-inducing effect. They are therefore not suitable for this purpose.

Instead, the use of Coconut oil, aloe vera or almond oil is recommended. They increase the elasticity of the skin and are best applied to the still damp skin after showering and massaged in very gently with circular movements.

Abdominal pain

From time to time you may still experience abdominal pain. This is because your uterus is still growing. If you have pain, it is best to take a break and put your feet up.

Warmth from a relaxing bath or a hot water bottle can also ease the discomfort.

If you are still worried about the discomfort, you should talk to your gynecologist or midwife about the pain.

If you experience other symptoms such as bleeding, severe cramps, fever or abnormal discharge, you should see your gynecologist as soon as possible.

Dangerous home remedies that can harm your child

Personal hygiene

During the entire pregnancy, body care products based on chemical substances should be avoided. Among other things, hair dyes or aggressive creams that help against skin blemishes are harmful to the child’s development.

Cleaning products

Many home remedies are mixed with aggressive chemicals to produce the best possible cleaning effect. Rubber gloves should always be worn while using these and care should be taken not to inhale harmful substances

It is better to let your partner or someone else do the cleaning with dangerous home remedies – for your and the child’s protection.

Gardening

As with household chores, preventive measures should be taken to ensure that toxic substances do not come into contact with you and your child. This includes pesticides or other chemical weed killers.

What can be seen on the ultrasound during the 13th week of pregnancy?

The ultrasound shows the bones of the arms, legs, spine, ribs and skull bones.

With a good ultrasound machine and if the fetus is in the right position, even the sex could already be detected. However, this determination is still quite inaccurate. For this reason, the sex is not usually determined until the 20th week of gestation. The important thing is that your baby is doing well, right?

What is the risk of miscarriage in the 13th week of pregnancy?

The first three months and therefore the risky period of pregnancy are over in the 13th week of pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage remains around 0.5% and stays in this range until the 24th week.

To keep the risk of miscarriage low, it is important that you pay attention to your diet and a healthy lifestyle.

In addition, regular check-ups with your gynecologist minimize the risk of miscarriage. Many miscarriages are caused by vaginal infections, for example, which can be diagnosed and treated at an early stage with preventive care.

What happens with the baby

Your baby is about 6 cm tall and weighs 18 g in the 13th week of pregnancy.

Your baby’s organs and body parts are already fully developed in the 13th week. Therefore, from the 13th week of gestation, the baby is dedicated to the growth and maturation of its organs, muscles and skeleton.

Soon the proportions of the body and the head will fit together. Until now, the head was always a little too big for the body. But because the growth of the head is now slowing down, the proportions will soon fit together.

In the 13th week, your baby can hear for the first time and even react to music, because the ossicles ossify in the 13th week. He can also distinguish between light and dark. However, the eyelids will not open again until the 24th week.

Your baby now notices when you or someone else touches its belly. It now reacts to bumps thanks to the root reflex, which also makes it look for your breast after birth.

The root reflex is also called the search reflex. It occurs, for example, when the baby touches your cheek. As a reflex, the baby turns its head in the direction of the touch and expects to find the breast or bottle there. The reflex serves the search for food and the intake of food, as well as self-protection.

Isn’t it nice to know that not only you and your partner connect at the moment of touching the belly, but that your baby also perceives this contact?

How your baby develops in the 13th week of gestation

The skeletal bones of the fetus are now changing from cartilage to bone. But they won’t be fully ossified until they are in their teens. Once they are fully ossified, you are fully grown.

The bones of the skull have protectively wrapped around the brain by the 13th SSW. However, they too will not ossify properly until after birth and will not grow together until then either. The brain is still growing and therefore still needs a lot of space.

Without the flexibility and malleability of the skull bones during birth, it would not even be possible to deliver the baby naturally.

The head is the largest part of the body. In order for it to fit through the narrow birth canal, it is important that the bones of the skull are relatively soft and flexible. They push against each other and in some cases the bones of the skull even push several millimeters over each other.

During the 13th SSW, the fetus’ vocal cords also develop. It also develops such control over its muscles that the fetus can frown and also yawn.

This is important now

Additional examinations are still possible (prenatal diagnostics)

During the first major check-up between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy, your gynecologist will have informed you about possible prenatal diagnostics. These can detect hereditary diseases in your baby.

Some of them, such as nuchal fold measurement or chorionic villus sampling, can only be performed up to the 14th week of pregnancy.

The nuchal fold measurement is a non-invasive prenatal diagnostic test and helps to estimate the risk of certain genetic disorders and diseases such as trisomy (Down syndrome) or a heart defect. It is not very informative on its own and it only allows to estimate a probability of a disease .

Often an amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling is done afterwards.

Chorionic vill us sampling can detect diseases based on altered chromosome structure, such as trisomy or other hereditary diseases. It involves inserting a puncture needle through the abdominal wall or a thin catheter through the vagina into the placenta to remove a small amount of tissue for examination.

Amniocentesis will not take place until between the 16th and 20th week of pregnancy, if at all. It also enables the detection of hereditary diseases. A needle is used to remove some amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac, which is then examined.

These two prenatal diagnostics belong to invasive procedures because they require entering the body. This is different from the non-invasive nuchal fold measurement, which is performed with ultrasound. Therefore, they are usually performed only if abnormalities are found in the neck fold measurement.

This is how you can support your body in the 13th SSW

Eating for two

The need for nutrients increases somewhat during the 13th week of pregnancy. But that doesn’t mean you have to eat for two. On average, a woman needs about 1,900 kcal a day. From the 13th SSW, women have an average calorie requirement of 2,200 kcal per day. By the end of pregnancy, this rises to 2,500 k cal.

This means that you do not have to eat for two. It is enough if you change your diet just a little to the energy requirements needed for the development of your child.

In principle, the approximately 300 kcal that you need more in the second third of pregnancy can be covered, for example, by a cheese sandwich or a sandwich.

It is still important to eat a healthy and balanced diet to support the development of your baby.

Take time for yourself

From the 13th week of pregnancy, the best time of pregnancy begins for many expectant mothers. The risk of miscarriage decreases to a minimum and the pregnancy discomforts subside. Therefore, from now on the good news can be announced and the pregnancy announced.

The next three months can therefore be super used to take time for yourself or your partnership and perhaps take a nice vacation. The time is just right to let the soul dangle and enjoy the pregnancy so right. You should also continue to avoid stress and therefore plan enough time in the day to relax and come down.

Be sure to get enough sleep and make sure to balance stress with other activities such as light exercise, wellness or time out with a nice book.

Midwife Tip

From the 13th week of pregnancy onwards, you will feel better and better physically, because the complaints from the first months of pregnancy will subside and your body will have adjusted to the pregnancy.

Now is therefore the best time to plan a vacation with your loved ones and enjoy the best time of your pregnancy.

You can become really active again, or simply let your soul dangle.

Just as you like!

FAQ

How do I know everything is okay in the 13th WOP?

The complaints of the early period of pregnancy subside in the 13th week. If you feel physically well and have no complaints, then everything is actually fine with the pregnancy. However, if you are unsure, your gynecologist and midwife are always there to help you.

How big is the fetus in the 13th WOP?

The fetus now weighs about 18 g and is 6 cm tall – making it as big as a mushroom.

What happens in the 13th week of pregnancy?

In the 13th week of pregnancy, the skeleton of the fetus ossifies and it can perceive sounds. In addition, the pregnancy discomforts from the first third of the pregnancy subside and you feel physically better again.

How big is the belly int the 13th week of pregnancy?

In most women, a small baby bump is already clearly visible in the 13th week of pregnancy. It may be that your normal pants no longer fit. The pregnancy is also slowly becoming visible to outsiders.

What month am I in at 13 weeks gestation?

In the 13th WOP you are in the 4th month of your pregnancy.

WOP 13 video

Emily takes you through her 13th week of pregnancy and gives an update about her pregnancy.






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