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Pregnancy Week 13

Pregnancy Week 13

Your Baby's Development This Week

The baby continues to develop externally to look more human-like. For instance, the head goes from being ½ the length of the body to 1/3. The neck is lengthening and baby’s chin no longer rests on the chest. Baby’s growth is now a more individual thing, with growing patterns varying greatly. The baby is now in effect practicing inhaling and exhaling. A fine downy growth of hair covers the baby now and will grow until approximately the 26th week of pregnancy. It protects the baby’s skin from the amniotic fluid. The placenta provides all nourishment for the baby now. Roughly the size of a peach, the baby is about 3 ¾ inches long and weighs about 1 ¼ oz.

Pregnancy Symptoms You May Feel During Week 13

This week you stand at the threshold of the next trimester, and as such you can look forward to what is typically the honeymoon period of pregnancy. However, that is not to say you are symptom-free. You may be experiencing leg cramps, caused by the increase of estrogen. Try to not sit for extended periods of time without little breaks. While sitting stretch out your legs and do little circles with your ankles.

Another symptom making an appearance is the vaginal discharge, leucorrhea. This thin, milky mildly odorous, discharge helps protect vagina from infection but will require you to wear panty liners now probably up until delivery. Never use tampons or douche during pregnancy. Douching is actually never a good idea, and during pregnancy it can increase risk of infections by upsetting the balance of bacteria, and can force air into birth canal, which is dangerous.

Your breasts are probably less tender now, but larger and lumpier, as the milk ducts are growing in preparation for breast feeding. Colostrum, the pre-milk substance can be expressed during the second trimester, and is a light yellowish, sticky consistency.

Stretch marks may start forming on breasts and abdomen, characterized by their pink or reddish streaky appearance. Up to 90% of women experience them, and avoiding rapid weight gain may help alleviate them. Also possibly of help, lotions containing vitamin E or alpha-hydroxy acid. Exercise may help as well. Take comfort in knowing, stretch marks will fade and turn a much less noticeable shade of silvery white after you give birth. Always check with your doctor before using any special medicated creams as they may contain drugs that will be absorbed into the blood stream via the skin.

Visit With the Obstetrician

You may very well be feeling more amorous these days as the morning sickness lifts, and your breasts are less tender. Also those pregnancy hormones may jumpstart a formerly stuck libido. In most cases, couples can continue a healthy sex life right up to delivery, however there are a few conditions that will restrict sexual activity. If you or your partner feels anxious about whether it’s really safe or not to have sex, you should definitely speak to your doctor to ease your concerns. Some conditions that may require you to abstain include unexplained vaginal bleeding, placenta presenting in a very low position, or placenta previa, problems with the cervix, particularly an incompetent cervix or dilating cervix, risk of premature labor, sexually transmitted diseases, water has broken, or history of multiple miscarriages. The ruling out of sex needs to be made by a doctor, and be sure to ask what specifically is forbidden, is it penetration of the vagina by anything, is orgasm permissible? You should forget your modesty and get the needed information. Don’t assume, ask.

Preparing for Baby

Now that you will be feeling better for awhile, generally speaking, this will be a good time to work on the nursery. Incorporating your ideas and plans into the actual room will be a great outlet for your energies. Just check with your doctor before using paints or chemicals, and take care with climbing ladders or lifting heavy items.

Pregnancy Lifestyle

With sex during pregnancy, expect the unexpected. You may find, especially in the second trimester that your libido goes off the chart. However, your man’s might be equally supercharged responding to yours, or looking at your blossoming figure, or he might be overwhelmed by the changes. It’s important for couples to find ways to maintain closeness and intimacy whatever their sexual diet may consist of during pregnancy. It’s also vital they communicate their desires, fears and needs with one another to avoid trouble, like hurt feelings or anger. If sex is off the menu, temporarily or longer, be sure to find other ways to connect physically. Back or foot rubs are great, so are kisses and hugs. Just make that closeness a priority.

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