In this article you will be able to read about everything related to your pregnancy in week 13. You'll learn about the baby's development, how the mother's body is changing and the tips you might need along the way. When you are 13 weeks pregnant, the fetus is the size of a kiwi.

Baby: The unique fingerprint of the fetus is now being formed

The fetus is now about 6 cm long from head to tail and the neck is strong enough for the fetus to move its head. The formation of nerve cells is most intense around this time, up to week 22, and the skeleton, which was previously soft, is now hardening.

Development

The fetus is not yet able to breathe on its own, but gets its oxygen from the blood of the placenta. However, the fetus trains its respiratory muscles by performing breathing movements that cause amniotic fluid to flow in and out of the growing lung tissue. Part of this training, which takes place throughout pregnancy, is that the fetus learns to use its chest muscles, which are an important part of breathing.

This process is important because as soon as the umbilical cord is cut at birth, the lungs have to work. Seconds after the baby comes out during labor, the amniotic fluid is pushed out of the lungs and the baby starts breathing air through the nose for the first time, often with the first cry. In general, newborn babies breathe through their noses instead of their mouths, as this partly enables them to eat and breathe at the same time. It also has a moisturizing and tempering effect on the air inhaled through the nose.

Ears and hearing

There is research to suggest that babies can begin to perceive sounds even now. However, the ears are not fully developed until week 24, and at birth the baby will recognize your voices that it has heard while in the womb. Cozy, isn't it!

placenta

In the placenta, the mother's blood washes over the tiny blood vessels of the fetus as in small pools to allow the blood to be filtered, as the mother's and baby's blood do not normally mix. This is done to protect the fetus from harmful substances, bacteria and viruses.

The fetus has a specially adapted blood circulation in the womb. The heart pumps the blood around, but it does not pass through the lungs in the same way as after birth. Because the fetus doesn't need to use its lungs yet, the blood takes a shortcut through the fetal atrium. Therefore, there is a hole between the right and left atria, then on to the left ventricle and then out into the aorta. The opening closes when the baby is born and takes its first breath. Isn't it cool how it works?

Mom: Pregnant in week 13 - now the biggest risk of miscarriage is over

You are now in the final stages of the first trimester and will soon be a third of the way through your pregnancy. Cheer up!

How hormones affect you when you're pregnant

Pregnancy hormones affect blood volume and blood flow in the body, which is why the lining of your vagina may turn a reddish-purple color, whereas before pregnancy it was more pink. You may also notice that your labia may swell and you may even see a vessel that you had not seen before - this is because there is more blood and fluid in all the blood vessels of the body during pregnancy. As the volume of blood increases, your heart also pumps more fluid and blood around your body. This increases your heart rate and you may feel your heart beating faster than normal, as well as breathing faster.

With the increased volume, the amount of red blood cells is also diluted, which increases the feeling of breathlessness. This can make your usual activities feel heavier than usual. A flight of stairs that wouldn't otherwise leave you breathless can suddenly leave you panting heavily!

Work Environment Act

Some jobs are less suitable or even unhealthy for pregnant women, so you should find out about your rights from the Swedish Work Environment Authority. According to the Work Environment Act, as a pregnant woman you have the right to a work environment adapted to your pregnancy.

Clothing during pregnancy

Maybe it's time to start thinking about maternity clothes now? For some, it will be some time before that need arises, and for others, it is long overdue. Remember that how your belly and the rest of your body reacts to pregnancy varies from woman to woman! The range of pregnancy-friendly clothes may seem small compared to what you are used to. It can feel boring to spend money on maternity clothes when you know that the clothes will only be used for a short period of time... But what many people don't think about is that many of the clothes are ones that you could use after giving birth too! Then it can be nice to use clothes that are not too tight.

Pregnancy pants with high cuffs can be particularly comfortable to wear after giving birth, even bras that are adapted for breastfeeding and have a small extra flap at the back where you button the bra, so that the circumference can increase as the belly grows and can eventually bulge out as high as the bra's underwire. Dresses, sweaters and shirts with buttons that don't fit tightly work great even if you plan to breastfeed after giving birth.

You can also swap with friends in your area, ask around in different communities if anyone wants to sell their maternity clothes or buy clothes in the regular department but go up in size! Some people think it's great fun to have a maternity wardrobe and others not at all. Customize according to your desire and needs.

Tips!

If your regular pants fit but are starting to get a little tight at the waist, you can use a hair tie that you attach between the button and the opening. With a larger sweater as a top, the gap in the cord will not be visible and you can wait a while longer to wear maternity pants.

You can read about week 12 here.

You can read about week 14 here.