13 Weeks Pregnant

In week 13 of pregnancy, your baby is about three inches long from crown to rump and weighs about an ounce. Your baby already has his or her own unique fingerprints. His or her tiny pancreas is starting to produce insulin, which will be important for continued growing later in life. It’s an amazing feeling to know that your fetus already looks like a tiny baby, with an enlarged head. Don’t worry, the body will catch up soon! There are some amazing and sometimes frustrating changes happening to you in week 13 of pregnancy as well.

As your uterus continues to expand with your growing baby, you may feel some pain in your abdomen. This is normal as long as there are no very sharp and intense pains or bleeding. You are finally getting over the nausea, frequent urination and exhaustion that your first trimester brought you. Thank Goodness, right? You will begin to feel full of energy and more like yourself.

In week 13 of pregnancy, you are probably starting to fill out your clothing a little too much. You should purchase some comfortable and loose fitting clothing. Don’t worry, you can save your “little people” clothes for after Baby is here. You may not need maternity clothing just yet, but clothing a few sizes bigger than your regular clothes are a good idea. This will allow you to be comfortable and not constricted.

Around this time, your stomach is beginning to stretch to accommodate your growing baby, and now is when you should start to be concerned with stretch marks. By beginning to apply some type of special lotion or cream now, you can avoid those stretch marks later. Lotions or creams designed especially for pregnant women help your skin to stretch without damage. It will also help with the elasticity of your skin, and prevent “itchy” belly and scars.

You may find that you are still experiencing soreness in your breasts as they expand and grow. In week 13 of pregnancy, you are already starting to make Colostrum. This is the highly nutritional “milk” that your baby will be getting for the first few days if you will be breastfeeding. Soreness in your breasts and darkening of the areolas are natural and expected.