Fetal development in pregnancy week 13:
As you near the end of the first trimester, your baby is almost 3 inches long and weighs about ½ an ounce. At this point you are probably ready for looser fitting clothing, soon you won’t fit into your regular clothes at all.
The baby’s face is looking more and more human. The eyes have moved closer together and the ears are near their normal position on the side of the head. The head now rests on it’s neck as opposed to the shoulders and is still roughly half the entire length of the body.
Right now, your baby’s heart is pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day. At birth about 300 quarts of blood per day are pumped. The liver is making bile and is supervising the activity of the fully working spleen. The spleen removes old red blood cells and produces antibodies. Your baby is able to absorb sugar, or glucose, at this point.
A girl will have about 2 million eggs inside her ovaries at this time, although by birth this number will drop down to about 1 million, and when she older – around 17, she’ll have a mere 200,000 eggs.
The fetus is rapidly acquiring reflexes they will respond to touching the palms by closing their fingers, or curling their toes if you tickled their feet. Sweat glands are beginning to emerge and veins remain very visible, since the skin is still very thin.
Your health practitioner can feel the top of your uterus, or fundus, when they push on your abdomen. You haven’t reached the advanced stages of pregnancy yet, so you are probably still pretty comfortable and many of the early pregnancy symptoms (such as morning sickness) should begin to diminish at this point. At this point in your pregnancy the risk of miscarriage greatly decreases.
Maternal Changes
You deserve a huge pat on the back! You are now entering your second trimester. Pregnancy week 13 is definitely a time to cheer. By pregnancy at 13 weeks your risk for miscarriage drops significantly. Most women who carry to 13 weeks pregnant will continue to carry their baby to term.
This does not mean your risk for miscarriage is completely eliminated. There are rare instances where some women’s risk of miscarriage continues through the 20th week. In some cases a condition called an incompetent cervix is to blame. Women who have an incompetent cervix are not able to carry their baby to term without medical intervention, because the cervix starts to shorten and open before 20 weeks pregnant. This causes the baby to be delivered too early.
Fortunately this is a pretty uncommon problem and once identified, a doctor can perform a procedure called a cerclage to help ensure the cervix remains closed for future pregnancies.
By 13 weeks pregnant while too small for maternity clothes, you are probably ready to move into a pair of sweat pants for a short time. Aside from your growing belly you may start noticing bumps forming on your breasts. These bumps are glands that help the breasts grow and develop during pregnancy. You may also find that your libido and energy start returning at roughly 13 weeks pregnant. Most women consider the second trimester the honeymoon phase of their pregnancy. Take advantage of your increasingly good spirits and energy level and invest in a little comfy lingerie or new bra for yourself. Many women find the increased blood flowing throughout their body heightens their sense of pleasure and ecstasy during intercourse. You might as well enjoy the experience while you can, the second trimester is only a few short months!
Dad
Maternity Clothes
Want to know what many women find the most comfortable to wear during their pregnancy? Why, maternity tees of course! Tops and Tees, found at Destination Maternity, provide all the comfort of ordinary tees with just a little extra room for expansion… something you will need during the next 9 months! Many maternity tees are specially designed with expectant mothers in mind. They may have cute logos that tell onlookers whether you are having a boy or girl (and even twins in some cases!) or other classy pictures. The majority of maternity tees come in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes. You can mix and match plain ones with more dramatic, colorful concoctions.
If you are considering wardrobe essentials during your pregnancy, don’t forget to add maternity tees from Destination Maternity to your list of must haves! Once you have one you’ll find you can’t live without it!
Pregnancy Health Tips
Along with an increased sex drive, however sometimes come misgivings, which can occur in either partner. You may find your partner is eager to have sex with you now that you are feeling better, but he is afraid that intercourse may harm the baby. By and large, sex during pregnancy is safe for most women, provided you do not have a high-risk pregnancy or are at risk for pre-term labor. If you still have misgivings, or if you find your partner is having misgivings, consider bringing him with you to your next appointment so your healthcare provider can help alleviate any concerns you might be having. Often this in and of itself is another way to initiate sexual intimacy.
If you are still having problems connecting with your partner, it is important that you talk with them openly about your needs, wants, desires, and concerns. It is important for your partner to understand that pregnancy can bring on feelings of depression, emotional liability, self-esteem issues, body image issues, and personal feelings regarding control. Try approaching your partner from a non threatening standpoint, and let them know your feelings. You should also work together with your partner to understand their feelings, which will help resolve any sexual difficulties you may be having.
As your belly expands, you will undoubtedly have to come up with new and creative positions to engage in during sexual activity. This can be a fun and entertaining process for both partners. Keep in mind however that while some paratners find the site of their pregnant partners growing and blossoming body very arousing, others are turned off. This is not a reflection of how beautiful you are; all pregnant women are very beautiful, goddesses in fact in the eyes of mankind. The miracle of birth typically makes women more beautiful than at any other time in their life.
If you find that your partner simply cannot overcome their fear of sexual intimacy during pregnancy, or find that your partner is turned off by pregnancy in general, remember that intimacy can still be expressed in many different ways. It is important that you remain close to your partner because you will need them for support and encouragement throughout your pregnancy. There are many forms of sexual intimacy that do not involve intercourse. You and your partner can try a number of things to pleasure one another without actually engaging in intercourse, and find this practice mutually satisfying throughout your pregnancy.
You may also find times when you simply feel too big and uncomfortable for sex. This is another time when communication is very important, so your partner understands that you are not rejecting them, but you simply do not feel like ‘your old self’ at times. Remember when you communicate openly and honestly with your partner, the possibilities are endless. Your relationship will continue to be strong and remain close as long as you remember to speak freely and honestly with your partner, and ask that they do the same throughout your pregnancy.
Twin Tips
Consider joining some online groups to help you through pregnancy. If you wind up on bedrest these groups can be wonderful to help you get through the days and nights to follow. Not to mention the great friendships you can make along the way.