13 week of pregnancy from conception

What happens to the baby at 13 weeks

The limbs of the unborn child continue to grow, outpacing the growth rate of the head. Hair is actively growing on the top of the baby, the child has eyebrows. At this time, the pigment responsible for the color of the hair begins to be produced in his body, so now they are no longer transparent, but as they will be in life. At this time, sweat glands appear.

By the end of the 13th week, the child’s fingers and toes will form, and nails will begin to form.

The fetus begins to breathe, however, while it is not quite breathing. He draws amniotic fluid into the lungs, and then pushes them back – he trains.

The circulatory system is intensively developing, there are more and more vessels, and they are lengthening. The nervous system develops in the same way.

The brain continues to grow. The convolutions of the cerebral cortex are deepening day by day.

By week 13, the male sex hormone testosterone begins to be produced in future boys, but girls will have to wait a little longer, their sex hormones will appear a little later.

Fetal ultrasound

The first screening, which necessarily involves an ultrasound of the fetus, is rarely performed at week 13. Usually it is prescribed at an earlier date: 9-11 weeks. Nevertheless, the risks of developing chromosomal abnormalities in a child can be assessed even at this time.

Parents during an ultrasound of the fetus at the 13th week of pregnancy can see how their baby bends the arms and legs, clenches his fists. The child already knows all this, since he has developed joints and muscles. With a successful position of the baby, it will be possible to determine its gender.

Although the eyelids of the crumbs are closed, he can feel the light. For example, if you shine a flashlight on the stomach, the child will try to turn away.

Photo life

At 13 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 9,3-10,4 cm long from crown to tailbone and weighs about 50 grams. Simply put, it is similar in size to an orange.

Is it possible to determine from the photo of the abdomen at the 13th week of pregnancy that you are in a position? This is a moot point. In some women, the abdomen is not visible until 22 weeks, in someone from 11, rounded shapes are already noticeable. What does it depend on?

1. From the constitution: in slender girls, the belly is noticeable faster.
2. From the size of the baby: if the child grows at an accelerated pace, and the mother eats for two, then the tummy can be quite round.

In addition, the size of the abdomen may increase not gradually, but in jumps. Noticeable growth usually begins around the 18th week of pregnancy, when the height of the uterine fundus increases by one cm weekly.

– In general, 13 weeks from conception is the period when your “pre-pregnant” trousers and skirts may no longer fasten on the tummy that has appeared. Of course, this individually and directly depends on the condition of the anterior abdominal wall, but most women already notice a new position at this time, – explains obstetrician-gynecologist Dinara Berezina.

What happens to mom at 13 weeks

If the tummy at week 13 can still be invisible, then the antics of hormones usually make themselves felt. In particular, when looking in the mirror, a mother may notice that her nipples have become darker, age spots and freckles have appeared, and a brownish line flaunts in the middle of the abdomen, from the navel to the pubis. For all these changes, you need to thank melanin – a pigment substance. Fortunately, after childbirth, such “decorations” should disappear.

The mother’s well-being at the 13th week of pregnancy usually improves. Doctors know that there are many reasons for this, but the main role is played by human chorionic gonadotropic hormone (hCG), whose levels are finally falling. The hormonal background becomes more stable, and with it the woman’s mood improves, libido returns.

At this time, it is worth starting to talk with your child, read books to him, put on music. The kid already knows how to perceive information, he hears you and talking with him will help develop his speech abilities.

What sensations can you experience in 13 week

At the 13th week of pregnancy, a woman may experience new sensations that she has not encountered before. They are associated primarily with the movements of the baby in her womb.

You can usually feel the first tremors in a couple of weeks, but some are lucky to feel them already at that time. Usually, women who have already given birth notice the movement before.

The movements of the baby are similar to the splashing of a fish or air bubbles, they are easy to confuse with the work of the intestines. Over time, the baby’s tremors will become clearer and more regular, then the mother will learn to follow them. What other sensations can a woman experience at 13 weeks?

1. Nasal congestion due to increased blood volume, it is called “pregnancy rhinitis”.
2. Increased Appetite: The baby is growing and needs nutrients and vitamins.
3. Bowel problems, particularly constipation.
4. Memory problems due to hormonal changes.
5. Sensation of suffocation from the pressure of the uterus on the diaphragm.
6. Increased sexual desire.

Monthly

– There should be no bleeding during this period. Their appearance is a reason to contact your obstetrician-gynecologist. However, you should not panic, because this does not always pose a threat to the fetus and the expectant mother, – explains gynecologist Dinara Berezina.

Sometimes such secretions appear due to the fact that the pregnant mucosa is thinner, it is easier to damage it, for example, during sex. But in this case, bleeding should be weak. If the discharge is abundant, they can indicate a serious danger, for example, placental abruption.

Its main symptoms are:

• drawing pains in the uterus;
• spotting, from spotting to copious;
• regular contractions, pain in which they give back.

If these symptoms appear, call an ambulance.

The placenta can exfoliate for various reasons, but the main ones are:

• high blood pressure (above 140/90 mm Hg);
• smoking;
• scars on the uterus after abortions and surgical operations;
• abdominal trauma during pregnancy;
• drug use.

Bloody discharge during pregnancy can also be observed with infections, vaginal injuries, ectopic and miscarriage.

Stomach ache

Doctors explain that the rapid increase in the uterus in this period causes stretching of its ligamentous apparatus. Many pregnant women feel this as a sharp pain in the lower abdomen and in the groin area. Such pains come on suddenly and pass quickly.

However, pain in the lower abdomen can hint at serious problems, the worst of which is a miscarriage.

Several factors can lead to the loss of a child:

• anemia of pregnant women;
• iron deficiency in the body;
• placenta previa;
• isthmic-cervical insufficiency;
• uterine defects (malformations, tumors);
• rhesus conflict;
• infectious processes;
• multiple pregnancy or large fetus;
• somatic diseases (diabetes mellitus, problems with the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys).

Fortunately, if the threat is noticed in time, you can take action and save the baby. Treatment is usually complex – rest and medication.

Brown discharge

Normal discharge in pregnant women should be white or slightly yellowish, pinkish, mucous, odorless or with a slight sour-milk odor.

But if at week 13 you notice that the discharge has become more abundant or the consistency, color, etc. has changed, this is a reason to see a doctor.

Brown discharge means there is bleeding somewhere. For example, the appearance of such secretions, coupled with pulling pain and heaviness in the uterus, means a possible miscarriage.

With placental abruption, bloody brown discharge is also often observed.

In addition, they can occur due to injuries, infections, or for reasons unrelated to pregnancy, such as tumors and polyps.

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