Pregnancy Diary

Archive for the ‘Pregnancy Week 13’ Category

Your Baby Growth and Development

Your baby weighs between approximately 13 and 20 grams (1/2 and 3/4 ounce) and is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 inches long. The placenta and baby are about the same weight now.

There is a lot going on with your baby this week. Your baby’s intestines are migrating from the umbilical cord into his or her abdomen. The villi are also forming in the intestines
The liver begins to secrete bile and the pancreas is even secreting insulin! Your baby can smile and his vocal cords are quickly developing, too.All twenty teeth have formed and are waiting under the gums, while your baby has begun to practice swallowing by taking in the surrounding amniotic fluid and passing it back in his urine.He looks more and more human as his eyes move closer together and the ears are beginning to move to what will be their normal positions,and little hairs, known as lanugo, will start to cover their body this week, as their sense of taste and smell are further refined. Their cozy little amniotic sac is also increasing in size and mass as it continues to fill with more fluid.

Your Body During Pregnancy Calendar Week 13

this is the time when they feel their best. The early signs of pregnancy are over and you will find yourself with more energy.
Your breasts may have become noticeably larger. many women are concerned about developing Stretch Marks. although rapid weight gain can aggravate the problem.
If you’ve noticed a sudden increase in your libido during the thirteenth week of pregnancy, don’t be alarmed!
Your body is working very hard right now, so you need to listen to the little clues it will give you, and make sure to get enough rest.Keeping on you’ve carefully adopted a healthy diet, continue to exercise and get ample rest,
you can celebrate the beginning of your next trimester by purchasing some choice maternity clothing to fit your elegantly evolving new shape.
BTW,make appointments with your doctor will now consist mainly of checking your:
• Blood pressure
• Weight
• Fundal Height (growth of the uterus)
• Baby’s heart tones
• Urine

Common Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 13

• Breast Changes: tenderness, fullness, darkening of the areola
• Frequent Urination
• Constipation
• Heartburn or Indigestion
• Headaches
• Stretch Marks

pregnant in week 13 have commonly asked Questions
What is Amniocentesis?
Amniocentesis, also referred to as simply an ‘amnio’, is a test that many women are offered and some take advantage of while pregnant. It is a test that analyzes the amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby while in utero. The amniotic fluid contains cells that match your baby’s and can give your doctor or midwife little clues and hints about your baby.Read more…

Why do I leak urine when I cough or sneeze?
It is thought that about one third of women suffer from stress incontinence. It is the most common form of incontinence. The symptoms are accidental leaks of wee when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift or exercise.Read more…

Is it dangerous if I get chicken pox while I pergnant?
No matter how to try to avoid it, catching infections can happen. And infections during pregnancy can be detrimental to the health of the mother and the child. This is why if you are pregnant or trying to be pregnant, you should know about infectious diseases that may affect you and your baby during pregnancy. Given below is information on some prenatal infections.Read more…

How can I chrolicle my pregnancy?
• When you first get pregnant you think of all the things that you will want to do during your pregnancy. Have a baby shower (or maybe more than one!), set up a baby registry and decorate your baby’s nursery. Have you thought about how you can keep track of the physical aspects of your pregnancy?Read more…

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When you first get pregnant you think of all the things that you will want to do during your pregnancy. Have a baby shower (or maybe more than one!), set up a baby registry and decorate your baby’s nursery. Have you thought about how you can keep track of the physical aspects of your pregnancy?

Taking pictures of your growing belly is a great way to keep track of your pregnancy. It will also be a great beginning to your baby’s scrapbook or photo album. Before you start however there are several things to think of.

1. Pick the perfect outfit.
If you want to showcase your growing belly and how it makes a certain shirt or skirt change shape on your body, wear that outfit for the first picture you take and for all the pictures following. Be sure to get an outfit that will still fit your belly when you are nine months along.

2. Bikini’s.
Some women will chose to wear their bikini or a bra and panties in order to take pictures of their belly. Side by side the naked belly pictures will show every inch, as well as every stretch mark you might get.

3. Decide how much you want to remember.
Because belly pics will show every aspect of your belly, decide how much you want to remember ahead of time. Do you want to see all the stretch marks in 10 years, or would you rather your belly be covered by clothes? Early on the blemishes won’t be there, but by the end the blemishes may be more than noticeable.

4. How much of your body do you want to show?
Remember that as your pregnancy progresses and you gain weight, most of the time you don’t only gain it in your belly. Many times you will gain it in your face, your behind, your legs and your thighs. Some people will want to see the full change, others will want to forget. Whatever you decide, go with it for your first picture and follow through with it for the rest.

5. Use props.
Maybe you go out immediately and buy the baby’s first stuffed animal or you want to detail your progress with a tape measure. Knowing that some of your baby’s first pictures will be with that stuffed animal, you can take pictures of yourself holding the animal, or as your belly gets bigger you can have the animal “holding” the belly. You can also get a picture of the tape measure around your belly so that you can record the inches you grow not only on paper but on film.

Use your imagination when it comes to photographing your pregnancy and your belly growth! The sky is the limit and nothing is out of line. After all, you will only be pregnant THIS time once, and all pregnancies are different so you will never be able to get these exact shots again. And with all the FREE print offers these days that include free shipping and free online storage, be sure to take as many shots as you can.

It is thought that about one third of women suffer from stress incontinence. It is the most common form of incontinence. The symptoms are accidental leaks of wee when you laugh, cough, sneeze, lift or exercise. Stress incontinence regularly occurs during pregnancy, due to the hormone relaxin, which softens the muscles, but often goes after the birth. However it is also particularly common in the five years after childbirth as this can weaken the muscles and it is also more likely as we age.

Stress incontinence is caused by a muscle at the bottom of the bladder, which doesn?t stay closed when it should and therefore leads to leakage. Also, premenstrually, the hormones can affect the pelvic floor muscles and make the symptoms worse. Obesity and constipation can put added pressure on the muscles and increase the chances of stress incontinence. The menopause often weakens the pelvic floor and therefore increases the possibility of such problems. Smoking and health conditions that make you cough can also make stress incontinence worse, since the coughing can weaken the muscles. Giving up smoking is recommended for those with stress incontinence.

One solution to this problem is pelvic floor exercises. These involve tightening and releasing the muscles around the anus and then around the vagina on a regular basis. I do this when waiting for a bus or in a queue at the shop, at least it feels like I am doing something useful with my time!!

This exercising can also be done by the use of vaginal cones which are inserted in the vagina and are held there by the pelvic floor muscles. You tense the muscles up to hold the cone in place initially for one minute. There are varying size cones to be used as the muscles get stronger and the period of time can also be lengthened. I have never tried this so I do not know what it is like. If necessary there is also medication and surgery that can be used to help the problem, but for most people it is just a bit of a nuisance and nothing more serious.

Amniocentesis, also referred to as simply an ‘amnio’, is a test that many women are offered and some take advantage of while pregnant. It is a test that analyzes the amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby while in utero. The amniotic fluid contains cells that match your baby’s and can give your doctor or midwife little clues and hints about your baby.

Amniocentesis is normally performed when a woman is between 15 weeks and 18 weeks pregnant. To perform amniocentesis your doctor or midwife will hook you up to an ultrasound machine and then insert a needle through your belly into the uterus and remove approximately 2 tablespoons of fluid to test and analyze. An amniocentesis can also be performed when you are 37 weeks or later in order to check your baby’s lungs and determine if they are mature enough for the baby could breathe on his own outside of the womb.

Amniocentesis is normally performed on women who are at high risk for a various number of reasons. These reasons might include

* Advanced maternal age (35 or older)
* Diabetes
* Previous children with medical problems at birth
* Abnormal triple screen results
* RH factor

Not only can amniocentesis determine if your baby is healthy or has any medical problems, but it can also unmistakeably determine the gender of your baby. For couples who want to know, ahead of the birth if they are having a boy or girl, is a pleasant and exciting plus to the amnio.

Amniocentesis is not done as a routine procedure during pregnancy because it does carry some risks. About 1 in 200 pregnancies will end in a miscarriage caused by the amniocentesis procedure. Therefore, an amnio is only performed when previous tests or ultrasounds suggest that there is a possibility of a severe medical problem. Even when this possibility exists, some women exercise their option of not having the test, and wait till their baby is born to deal with any problems he may or may not have. If you are not sure which choice is best for you, talk to your doctor or midwife.