At 13 weeks pregnant, you're in the final week of your first trimester. (Can you believe you're already a third of the way through your pregnancy?!)
If you're like many parents-to-be, you may begin to tell people you're pregnant around week 13, but it's up to you when to give friends and family the news that baby is on the way.
Your Baby at Week 13
At a Glance
13 weeks pregnant is how many months?
If you're 13 weeks pregnant, you're in month 3 of your pregnancy. Only 6 months left to go! Still have questions? Here's some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.
How big is my baby at 13 weeks?
Besides being as large as a lemon now, that head of his is now about half the size of his crown-to-rump length. That's one reason why your little one looks more like an alien from outer space at this point. By the time you give birth, his body will catch up, measuring three-quarters of his total size.
But don't compare your fetus with the fetus next door. Starting in the next week or so, babies begin growing at different paces, some faster than others, some more slowly, though they all follow the same developmental path.
Baby's intestines and vocal cords are developing
What else is going on in there? At 13 weeks pregnant, tiny bones are beginning to form in his arms and legs. Because he can move them in a jerky fashion, he may be able to get his thumb into his mouth soon — a habit that may come in handy for self-soothing when he's a newborn.
Your baby's intestines are also in for some big changes. Until recently, they've been growing in a cavity inside the umbilical cord, but they've just moved into their permanent — and more conveniently located — address, in your baby's abdomen. And to serve your growing fetus' needs, the placenta is also growing, eventually weighing 1 to 2 pounds at birth.
Also developing this week: your baby's vocal cords (the first step toward saying, "I love you, Mommy!"). You obviously can't hear him crying or cooing just yet, but you can bet that little voice will get a good workout once he's born.
Your Body at Week 13
Feeling more like yourself?
Now that you're 13 weeks pregnant and just a week away from the second trimester, you should be feeling pretty good soon. After all, the second trimester doesn't get its reputation for being the easiest and most comfortable of the three for nothing.
But if you're not feeling better yet, don't worry. While most early pregnancy symptoms will probably be behind you soon, some women find that nausea and fatigue linger into the fourth and even fifth months.
And unfortunately for some women, those and other usual first trimester suspects — such as bloating, constipation, headaches and breast tenderness — can continue to some extent throughout pregnancy.
Vaginal discharge
Of course, even though the second trimester is known as the trimester of smooth sailing, it doesn't mean you'll be symptom-free in the near future — far from it.
Something else you might have noticed recently is an increase in your vaginal discharge. Known as leukorrhea (try getting that right in a spelling bee), this perfectly normal discharge is thin and milky in color, or mild-smelling or sometimes even odorless. Plus, it'll probably increase as your pregnancy progresses.
Leukorrhea is caused by the stepped-up production of estrogen as well as the increased blood flow to the pelvic area. Its purpose is noble: to protect the birth canal from infection and maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the vagina. Unfortunately, in achieving its lofty goal, leukorrhea can make a mess of your underwear.
If it makes you more comfortable, use a panty liner, never a tampon, to stay dry. But never douche while you're pregnant, which can upset the normal balance of microorganisms, lead to vaginal infections and even force air into the vagina during pregnancy, which can be dangerous.
Sex during pregnancy
With all the extra discharge down there plus your burgeoning belly, you may be wondering whether your feelings about jumping into bed are normal. Try to go with the flow: When it comes to pregnancy sex, anything goes.
You may not be in the mood at all or you may be up for sex a lot more than usual. All of it is normal and likely to continue fluctuating as your pregnancy progresses.
Having twins?
Your belly's already bursting out of the seams of your largest jeans and you're just finishing up the first trimester. Could you be having twins? Maybe — especially if you have a history of fraternal twins in your family or you're over 35 (or both).
But there are other more likely explanations for your seemingly larger-than-life belly. For instance, it could be that your due date's off and your bigger-than-expected tummy is the result of a bigger-than-expected baby.
Or it could be that you're just full of it — gas, that is. Bloating can make a pregnant abdomen distend well beyond its weeks. It's also possible that you're taking the eating-for-two mandate a little too literally — say, you took everything you ate before you became pregnant and doubled it, leading to your early midsection expansion.
To find out what's really going on in there, check with your practitioner at your next visit. Who knows — you just might have two buns in your oven after all. You can't tell from the outside, no matter what your grandmother says!
Pregnancy Symptoms Week 13
Tips for You This Week
Your second trimester is around the corner, and with it often comes a boost in sex drive. Enjoy!
What’s more, that spike in libido might have some health benefits for you and baby, since pregnancy sex can speed up postpartum recovery by tightening your pelvic floor muscles and improve your sleep and mood.
But if you have a history of early labor or miscarriage, you may need to abstain. Talk to your doctor about what you're safely able to do.
Your baby's nervous system and spinal cord are among the first things to develop, and folic acid (aka folate) — which is found naturally in whole grains, green leafy vegetables, beans, bananas, broccoli and milk, and added via fortification to breads and cereals — is essential to neural tube development.
The recommended amount of folic acid is 400 micrograms (mcg) before pregnancy and 400 to 600 mcg once you're pregnant. Make sure your prenatal vitamin contains that amount or that you’re getting that much from all sources, including food.
If you've been struggling with constipation, try not to max out at mealtimes. Eating big meals can overtax your digestive tract and cause things to get backed up.
Instead, try eating six mini-meals a day rather than three large ones. You might experience less gas and bloating that way too.
It does a growing baby body good, building strong bones and teeth. But calcium also does your body good, too — helping to maintain solid bone density and prevent osteoporosis later in life, and lowering your risk of preeclampsia now.
So make sure you "got milk" and other calcium-loaded foods, like fortified juice, almonds, sesame seeds, soy products, green leafies, canned salmon and broccoli.
When you're making a baby, you're in the blood-making business — big-time. Since iron helps generate blood supply, it's a nutrient you'll need plenty of to keep your body's and your baby's supply of red in the black.
Up your intake of this vital mineral by eating such iron-rich foods as beef, duck, soy products, spinach, dried fruits and potatoes with the skins on. Your practitioner may also suggest a supplement after week 20 to keep your iron levels high enough as blood demand steps up.
Baby got you backed up? Stop peeling fruit like apples and peaches.
One apple with skin has 4.4 grams of constipation-quelling fiber, while ½ cup of applesauce has just 1 gram. As for apple juice, some drinks may not have any.
As if you didn't have enough pregnancy symptoms to contend with, you're also more susceptible to colds when you're expecting. What's more, many of the medications that relieve cold symptoms are off-limits during pregnancy.
To feel better faster, be sure to drink up — warm beverages, like ginger tea and chicken broth, are particularly soothing, but water and cold juices will help you stay hydrated too.
Gargling with salt water (¼ teaspoon of salt to 8 ounces of warm water) can help ease a sore throat, and eating a few teaspoons of honey may help get rid of a cough.
Reviewed September 30, 2022 From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
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