By pregnancy week 13, your little one's is around 3" long. Wow, that is 1" more than last week, and has increased another 50% in weight and is now 3/4oz. That's a lot of growth in a week. Your baby is well formed and the head doesn't look so out of place as before, and will look proportionate, as soon as the body totally picks up. Even though so much bigger than he was when he first became a fetus, there is a long way to go in the growth department before delivery time.
This pregnancy week 13 your baby's little pancreas is producing insulin that is important to metabolize sugar in the body. Without this hormone a person will be diabetic. The intestines are also moving deeper inside the body. The eyes which were far apart are moving even closer together.
Let's look at how you are doing during pregnancy week 13: Your uterus keeps on growing and as it proceeds you may begin experiencing some sharp, knifelike pain in the abdomen. That is perfectly usual, because the ligaments circling the womb get extended in the upcoming weeks, to fit the unborn baby. The pain caused by the frequent expansion, is called round ligament pain. These are extremely normal by pregnancy week 13; however you may find it appalling if this is your first pregnancy and you have never felt them earlier. They are acute piercing pains in the belly, but you may also experience dull pains in the lower belly. However they last only for a brief time. You may feel them if you stand up suddenly, shift quickly or roll in bed or get up from bed fast.
If you experience this pain and it does not subside and is accompanied with bleeding, vomiting or cramps, you must call your doctor at once. As round ligament pains do not go on for a long time, there may be something else you need to be alert to, so seeing your doctor is a good idea.
To overcome round ligament pain, make sure you stand up slowly from sitting down, and also get up slowly from bed. Keeping your movements slow may help you to avoid the pain, which can be relieved by relaxing too.
In the coming weeks you are going to feel really good, and with more energy. Other than the darkening of the areola, the veins in the breast are also very prominent in pregnancy week 13. You may also find bumps on the breast, but they are nothing to be afraid of. They are perfectly normal, and they are there to help your breasts grow. Your risk of a miscarriage has also reduced, but some women may experience a condition called incompetent cervix, where the cervix dilates too early, which may cause an early, but unsuccessful delivery.
This pregnancy week 13, is the time when you can plan for the nursery, go shopping for your maternity clothes to wear, and also window shop for your baby's things and clothes.
