What's happening when you're 13 weeks pregnant? Your sweet fetus has grown to three inches long – about the size of a sweet Georgia peach – and now her little body is poised to begin growing at lightning speed. What’s the rush? Well, it’s got to catch up to that noggin, which makes up half of your baby’s body size at this point. And catch up it will. By the time your little star makes her grand entrance, that head will be only 1/4 the size of her body.
More big progress this week. The intestines complete their move out of their storage space in the umbilical cord and into their permanent home in baby’s belly. To nourish that tiny tummy and the other systems and organs that are growing like crazy, baby’s lifeline, the placenta, is expanding. It weighs just an ounce now, but at birth, it’ll tip the scale at a full two pounds! That’ll sure help to explain your blossoming belly in the weeks to come.
There are plenty of subtle changes happening this week as well. Fingernails and downy hair on the body continue to make their appearance. Baby’s bones continue to harden. And those genitals begin to take on their gender characteristics. But it’s still too early to tell by looking whether you’ve got a bouncing baby boy or girl inside.
The muscles of the chest wall are starting to develop, and though she’s nowhere near ready to breathe, she’s already practicing up with little breathing movements. And long before baby says her first “mama” or “dada,” her vocal cords are forming, gearing up for that very anticipated first cry – the first of many, that is!
Did You Know?
Dry skin and acne are both commonly experienced during pregnancy as a result of the changing hormones. There is no miracle cure and really, the only thing you can do is moisturize & exfoliate daily. The health of your baby wins out over vanity this time: this is NOT the time to use products like Retin-A, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide to fight acne.
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