The 13th week of pregnancy — a very comfortable period

You are 13 weeks pregnant —the first trimester with its fears and anxieties is over. Now you are in a quite peaceful period of pregnancy. It’s a time for pleasant thoughts and dreams about the future baby. It’s also the time to plan your new wardrobe.

What is happening in the 13 week of pregnancy?

Your hormones are beginning to «calm down». Mood races are gradually fading, many of your recent anxieties seem absurd. No more nausea and your appetite has increased, frequent urination has also stopped bothering your.

Now the uterus grows into the abdominal cavity and your internal organs begin to shift — this may cause shortness of breath and heartburn. After a long walk you may get the feeling of heaviness in the limbs, fatigue may also be stronger than usual. So walk slowly and get plenty of rest.

If you feel some tension in the abdomen — it is increased tone of the uterus. You need to rest more and consult your doctor..

Your baby’s development in the 13th week

The baby is growing literally by the hour. The size of the fetus at 13 weeks pregnant has already reached 7,8 cm (3 inches). It’s weight is about 20g. A fetus has the size of nectarine in the 13thweek.

Just imagine, by this time the baby has developed all the tooth germs. The pancreas of the baby «learned» to produce the first insulin. The tiny body starts its rapid growth, and soon the head won’t seem unproportionally big in comparison to the body. Despite the small size, the fetus moves all the time. This is necessary for the normal development of muscles and limbs. Only during short sleeps the baby rests.

At this time, bones and muscles of the child are forming. There is also some progress in the development of the digestive system: there, the important villi that will be involved in food processing have formed. At the 13th week, the vocal apparatus of your baby develops and his appearance begins to acquire its features.

Diet at 13 weeks pregnant

Once your morning sickness is gone, you may want to eat literally everything. But controlling your diet is necessary: otherwise you will begin to gain extra pounds — and this is fraught with complications of various kinds.

You can afford sweet, starchy, salty and fried products only in very small amounts. Instead of morning sickness you may begin to suffer from frequent heartburn, so be sure to have the right nutrition.

Wheat bran bread, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables, grains, lean meats — these products should now be put first into your grocery cart.

Pregnant women need to increase their diet only by 300 calories a day. But don’t get hung up on numbers. If you eat healthy food, and your doctor is satisfied with your weight gain — don’t worry about calories.

Now the most essential nutrients for you are protein, iron and calcium.

Protein

Lean meat, eggs and dairy products, nuts, beans and soy products like tofu are irreplaceable sources of protein. Fish is also a good source of protein and omega 3 acids.

Iron

Getting enough iron is especially important to avoid anemia. Iron from animal products is absorbed easier than iron from plant foods. That’s why you must eat lean meat. If you are a vegetarian, eat more spinach and legumes. By the way, vitamin C improves iron absorption, so combine foods rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, strawberries and sweet peppers) with iron-containing products.

Calcium

The baby needs calcium for the formation of bones and teeth. If you don’t provide your fetus with the necessary amount, it will take what it needs from you without asking, and you will lose calcium from your bones and teeth.

Physical changes in your body in the 13th week of pregnancy

The breasts are still sensitive and are growing in size. To get rid of the feeling of «tightness», buy new underwear. Colostrum (breast discharge) may already appear at the 13th week of pregnancy. Some pigmentation on the body is also possible — light-brown spots on the face, darkening of the areola area, dark strip from the navel to the pubis. Pigmentation is caused by hormonal changes, after childbirth it will disappear.

Now your pregnancy is in its fetal period. In this period, congenital malformations are usually not formed. However, drugs and other harmful effects, such as stress or radiation, can destroy some important cells of the fetus at any time of pregnancy. Avoid such impacts.

The risk of miscarriage has decreased by several times! The second trimester is considered the most comfortable. Many couples notice increased sex drive.