13 Weeks Pregnant

There are subtle changes happening to your shape that only you will notice

Your baby isn’t big enough to give you an obvious pregnancy bump, but you’ll definitely notice your waistline become thicker. At this stage of pregnancy, many women feel re-energized and have a strong sense of wellbeing. Healthy eating is very important, so be clued up about the best food choices. In particular, your body needs plenty of protein; and your baby needs it, too, to sustain her rapid growth.

1.The fundus, the top of the uterus, can now be felt in your abdomen.

2.The ears have already developed their helical pattern, although your baby cannot hear yet.

3.The first hairs of the baby’s scalp and eyebrows often appear at this stage.

4.At 14 weeks the average crown to rump length is 8.7cm (3.4in) and the average weight is 43g (1.5oz).

5.The brain is developing rapidly, and your baby’s head accounts for about half her total length.

6.Facial features are becoming more clearly defined. The eyes and ears have reached their final positions.

By the 14th week of pregnancy, your baby is the size of your fist. Right from frowning, squinting, peeing to probably sucking his or her thumb, your baby is now sprouting hair all over; while for moms those first trimester symptoms might be easing up a bit!

Your baby’s development

Your baby’s brain muscles are developing by now, hence he or she would be twitching, peeing, squinting and possibly be involved in a thumb-sucking job. Not only this, his or her facial muscles are now getting developed with tiny features supporting a number of expression. The kidneys are continuing to secrete urine, which will be stored in the amniotic fluid around him or her – a process that will continue to happen until the baby’s birth. Grasping power must have tremendously increased by now and so has his or her stretching ability. Right from crown to the leg, your baby measures to about 3/5 inches by now, which is equivalent to the size of a lemon.

Gradually, but steadily, his or her body is growing faster than its head, which now comfortably sits upon a little neck, while his or her chin lifts from the chest. Soon, by the end of this week, your baby’s arms will be grown to a proper proportion. So will the legs.

One of the major development about this week is the growth of hair follicles all around his or her body. This coating of hair is called lanugo, which is largely in which your baby is coated in. Largely meant for warmth and keeping your baby toasty, it doesn’t translate into your baby coming out as monkey. But, some babies still might have the fuzz coating at delivery, which disappears soon afterwards. Baby’s liver will also start making bile by this week- a major sign that everything is going as per a proper plan, while his spleen will start to assist in the production of red blood cells.

Your baby has the ability to stand up straight now, growing by leaps and bounds. Unbelievable to comprehend, but your baby is now standing upright, without any such prodding whatsoever. In baby boys’ prostate gland is forming, while in baby girls’ ovaries are moving into the pelvis travelling from her abdomen area.

Other developments include development of a roof inside your baby’s mouth, which will aid in all sort of digestive system activity. Your baby’s intestines are secreting meconium, which is the waste that will constitute of his first bowel movement post birth.

But amidst all this development, you won’t be feeling any tiny punches or kicks, but your little one’s hands and feet are more flexibly active now.

Changes in you

Welcome the second trimester with open arms as this is the period when the energy feels like returning and the breasts will start to feel less tender and sensitive. And thank goodness, that irritating queasiness must have totally abated by now. If that is not the case with you, then do just hang in there as chances are it will soon leave you. But yes, we must mention here that a few unfortunate expectant mothers witness this nausea feeling all throughout their pregnancy.

By the 14th week of pregnancy, the area above your uterus is just a wee bit above from your pelvic bone, a phenomenon that might just push your tummy out a tad. In fact, you would be amazed to know that by now you might be even able to feel the top of your uterus, also called as fundus. Just by pressing right above your pelvic bone, right there in your lower abdomen. How amazing is that, right?

You might also experience an increase in vaginal discharge during the 14th week pregnant phase as your hormones might be stimulating this. All in a bit to keep the growth of harmful bacteria at bay. Any sort of unknown concerns about discharge, such as itching, bleeding or soreness, must be shared with your healthcare provider immediately.

Even though starting to receive the attention of being pregnant and fully feeling pregnant now is quite a feeling of thrill, do take some out to plan your to-do lists in advance. Not to forget, do daydream and relish this amazing time like there’s no tomorrow!

Accompanied by the charm of feeling peppier and a lot more of your real self now, you will also have less and fewer trip to the washroom for peeing. The best part about this week is that you might be running towards maternity boutiques and stocking up on a lot of uber-cool maternity wear.

Nutrition for you

• Don’t be susceptible to cold, flu and other such worries by staying healthy: Bodily your immune system is supressed during pregnancy. This happens because your fetus, which is a foreign object to your body, shouldn’t be rejected by your body. Hence, your body is constantly engaging in some or the other germ warfare. It becomes all the more important to follow clean and practice safe hygiene practices, such as washing your hands often, carrying liquid sanitisers with you wherever you go, not sharing your drinks, foods or toothbrushes. And yes, stay away from sick people as the germs might be easily communicated through them.
• Don’t go overboard with exerting and exercising: While you might feel you have been infused with a new leash of energy and you might be bursting with it, don’t go and overdo office work or exercise your abs out! In fact, be smart to take advantage of this situation and indulge in just a light or moderate form of exercise. Exercising at this stage is a great way to quell your risk of gestational diabetes, reason enough to strap on those sports shoes pronto!
• Opt for Kegel exercises: A great way to give extra boost of strength to your lower abdomen is by performing Kegel exercises before, during and even after pregnancy. It not only helps in strengthening the vaginal muscles, but Kegels is also a great exercise for women to given easy births while it also tones the muscles for post-delivery shape up.

Nutrition for baby

• Avoid gaining excess weight: 12th week of pregnancy is one of the most sensitive times to take in more food than usual. Think about just receiving the right and healthy amount of nutrients and not going overboard with empty calories, just in the urge to satiate your taste buds. Avoid late night snacking, junk foods and eating too much of fats and sweets.
• Keep your baby healthy with these activities: Make sure to eat as slowly as possible, as it will help in better digestion of your food. Make sure you aren’t lying down soon after eating, as your food should have a minimum of good half an hour’s time to digest properly. Do not aggravate gas and bloating by gulping in too much of food at one time.

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Common worries

• You might just look huge: As you step into the second trimester of your pregnancy, you are bound to be gaining a little bit of weight. Till the time you are eating small, but frequent meals, and staying on a healthy eating tract, there’s nothing to worry in this aspect. In all probability, you would have added a minimum of 4-5 pounds of body weight every month by now.
• Take caution with contact lenses: If you wear contact lenses, chances are they might no longer fit you during this stage of your pregnancy. This is mainly because the shape of your eyes have changed, and your ability to produce tears have awfully reduced. Do consult with your gynaecologist to inquire about a new prescription or completely ditch those contact lenses and focus on wearing frames for the rest of the pending period of your pregnancy.
• Uterine growth can lead to round ligament pain: Round ligament pain is one of the most common side-effects during this term of pregnancy. This makes you feel achy and you might experience sharp pains on one or both sides of your abdomen. This majorly happens because your uterus, which is supported by thick bands of ligaments running from your groin to the side of your abdomen, is getting pulled leading to a sharp or dull ache in your lower abdomen. This is often more noticeable by you when you turn in bed or when you lie down or cough, putting pressure on your uterus. Best way to get relief from this is put your feet up and rest in a comfortable position, which gradually subsides the pain and strain.
• You might develop moles: In some very unique cases, expectant mothers might get to develop or change the position of moles, a condition which must be evaluated by your gynaecologist.
• A sudden boost in appetite: Now that your morning sickness has subsided, in the second trimester of pregnancy you might rediscover your appetite. But under all circumstances, make sure to eat regularly, eat healthily and snack all throughout the day. This is the only way by which you can stabilise your energy levels and keep your blood sugar levels in check.
• Stuffy nose: High levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body can even boost up your blood flow to your mucous membrane to your body, including your nose which leads to softening up and swelling often. Using a warm-mist humidifier will help you in easing up your breathing!

What do the experts suggest?

“14th week marks the end of your first trimester and you start the journey of your second trimester. Your belly now starts to show noticeably. Mood swings are the highlight of this phase of your pregnancy. Stress and fatigue can cause mood swings and emotional meltdowns in would be mothers. Nausea in particular stops or reduces significantly during the 14th week.

At this time of your pregnancy drink plenty of fluids. Eat smaller meals as it might be helpful for women suffering from nausea. Ginger which is readily available at your places is a great home remedy for a lot of your pregnancy problems. Pay a lot of attention to your diet and incorporate healthy food in your diet chart.”

Dr.Birbala Rai, M.B.B.S., M.S. in Obstetrics & gynaecology, Senior Consultant at PSRI Hospital, New Delhi

Seasonal Pregnancy Care

Summer –In order to avoid sunburn and harsh skin issues, totally avoid mid-day sun and drink a minimum of eight-nine glasses of water in a day. Avoid vigorous outdoor activities and get indoors by the first sign of getting thirsty, feeling light headedness, dizziness, or fatigue.

Monsoon –Bath at least twice a day to keep sweat and grim off. Do make it a point to get your home sanitised right before monsoon. Getting a proper team of pest control to handle this would be a good idea. This will help in killing any sort of mosquitoes, cockroaches, termites and flies. But, under all circumstances totally stay away from pest control smoke as it might interfere with your pregnancy in a not so positive way.

Winter – Plug in a humidifier at home during winter season as it will not allow the dry winter air to play havoc with your nostrils. It will also help in balancing the temperature of your body. The dryness in atmosphere is also a good time to lather on a good quality body lotion. Make sure to go for one that is hypo allergic and unscented.