13weeks
pregnant

Highlights this week

Your baby's unique fingerprints are starting to form on their tiny fingers.

Can't remember where you left your keys? Forgetfulness in pregnancy is common!

As nausea wanes, try to start eating more healthy foods.

Baby development at 13 weeks

Your uterus may be big enough now to show the world that you're expecting, but your baby is still tiny - about the length of a pea pod. Despite their small proportions, you'd see a fully formed baby complete with unique fingerprints if you could look inside your womb now. Read more information on your baby's development this week.

Fingerprints are starting to form
Your baby's swallowing (and peeing) amniotic fluid

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Your baby is as long as a pea pod

length

7.4

head to bottom

weight

How your life's changing

You've got one more week until you're in your second trimester, the fourth to sixth months of pregnancy. That's great news for two reasons. One, your risk of miscarriage has dropped dramatically, and two, many women see early pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness, subside. You may notice a distinct improvement in your libido as the nausea recedes and your energy levels rise. If you've found feeling sick comforting, as a sign that you really are pregnant, you may start to doubt that you're still pregnant when this powerful symptom starts to fade.

Birth is still months away, but your breasts may have already started making colostrum, the first milk that nourishes your baby immediately after birth, before the mature milk starts to flow. Even if your breasts are small, you should still be able to breastfeed if you want to - in this case size really doesn't matter!

See other BabyCenter mums' baby bumps at 13 to 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Your breasts are making an antibody-rich fluid called colostrum
Your morning sickness might fade over the next few weeks

Pregnancy tip: a fruity cure for heartburn

"As soon as I was four months pregnant, my morning sickness vanished. However, it was replaced with chronic heartburn. I found a natural cure - papaya - helped reduce the symptoms. You can buy it from supermarkets and it tastes delicious." -- Alison A.

Things to consider

If you've stopped feeling sick, you may start feeling ravenous. Prepare a fruit salad or a veggie platter so you'll always have a healthy snack around when you need it.

Expecting twins - what difference will this make to your maternity care?

Feeling muddle-headed? Why forgetfulness is common in pregnancy.

It's good to keep active when you're pregnant, but make sure you know when not to exercise.

Why it's always better to know if you've got HIV or AIDS or hepatitis B virus in pregnancy.

Megan Rive

Megan Rive is a communication, content strategy and project delivery specialist. She was Babycenter editor for six years.

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