Fetal development 13 weeks of pregnancy • hello healthy

Embryo growth

How is the development of the fetus at 13 weeks of my pregnancy?

Quoted from the Baby Center, at the age of 13 weeks of pregnancy, your fetus is about 7 cm long (from head to toe). While the weight of the fetus has reached 30 grams.

The placenta begins to produce hormones for the baby

When entering the 4th month or 13th week of pregnancy, your placenta is getting better and serves as a supplier of oxygen, nutrition, and processing fetal waste.

The placenta also produces the hormones progesterone and estrogen which help maintain pregnancy.

At this age, the fetus's eyes can open and close. The fetus in the womb is able to put its thumb in its mouth even though its sucking muscles are still not fully developed.

The baby's intestines and vocal cords are well developed

When you reach 13 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal intestine has a large development.

Quoting from What to Expect, the fetus's intestine has actually grown in the cavity in the umbilical cord (umbilical cord). But only recently experienced a move to a more comfortable place, namely the baby's stomach.

Not only that, the fetal vocal cords also develop at 13 weeks of gestation. These vocal cords will be used by the baby to cry when they are born later.

Changes to the Body

How does a pregnant woman's body change at 13 weeks pregnant?

Not only does the fetus experience development and changes during pregnancy, the mother's body also experiences the same condition. Some of the changes that will occur in the mother's body are:

Leucorrhoea

Leucorrhoea during pregnancy is a normal condition, although it is often bothersome. In the development of the fetus at 13 weeks of gestation, vaginal discharge will increase.

Quoting from What to Expect, leukorrhea (another name for vaginal discharge), is caused by an increase in the production of the hormone estrogen. Not only that, vaginal discharge during pregnancy also occurs due to increased blood flow to the pelvic area.

Although it is uncomfortable, vaginal discharge during pregnancy has a function as a protector of the birth canal from infection and maintains the balance of bacteria in the vagina.

You can use pantyliner to deal with vaginal discharge that is quite a lot at 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Discomfort during sex

In the development of the fetus at 13 weeks of pregnancy, sex cannot be arbitrary. Sometimes discomfort comes from the feeling of nausea or the position is not right.

Talk with your partner about sexual activities that may change from previous habits. The desire to have sex does fluctuate during pregnancy.

How to maintain the development of the fetus at 13 weeks of pregnancy

There are several things that must be considered during the development of the fetus at 13 weeks of pregnancy, namely:

Take vitamins

At 13 weeks of gestation, your doctor may provide nutritional supplements and vitamins to optimize fetal development.

Eating a healthy diet helps ensure that the unborn baby has enough vitamins and minerals. Various vitamins and minerals needed during pregnancy are folic acid, zinc, iron and calcium.

Please consult with your doctor to determine the best way to take vitamins, such as drinking them while eating or drinking together with certain types of drinks.

Exercise caution

Staying active during pregnancy by exercising is important to help the development of the fetus during pregnancy.

However, you need to pay attention to a number of things when you want to continue your exercise routine, such as before becoming pregnant, such as:

Pay attention to how strong your breath is when you talk between exercises
Reduce the intensity of your exercise if you start to feel short of breath, tired, and dizzy
Ask your husband or friends to accompany you while exercising
Choose a mild type of exercise that does not cause severe pain or fatigue

Visit to Doctor / Midwife

What should I discuss with the doctor to help develop the fetus at 13 weeks?

At 13 weeks of pregnancy, you will likely feel short of breath. Mild shortness of breath will only make you feel uncomfortable.

But take it easy because this will not affect the supply of oxygen to the baby.

However, if you have difficulty breathing, your lips or fingers appear bluish, or you have chest pain and an abnormally fast pulse, please consult a doctor.

If it turns out that this is due to a problem in pregnancy, the doctor will immediately take action so that the development of the fetus in pregnancy is not disturbed.

Tests needed to monitor fetal development in pregnancy 13 Sunday

There are several tests that may be done at your current gestational age. But actually, this depends on the doctor and the needs of the pregnant woman.

Here are some possible tests and examinations that need to be done:

Measure body weight and blood pressure
Check sugar and protein in the urine
Check fetal heart rate
Checking the size of the uterus by external palpation
Measure the length from the bottom to the uterus
Check if your hands and feet have swollen veins or varicose veins

Tell your doctor about any symptoms you are experiencing, especially any unusual symptoms during the 13 weeks of pregnancy.

If you have a question or problem that you want to address, make a note so you don't forget to ask it during the consultation.

Health and Safety

How to maintain the health and safety of the fetus at 13 weeks of gestation

If you want to maintain the health and safety of the fetus at 13 weeks of gestation, there are several things that need to be done, such as:

1. Exercise regularly

When your heart rate is more than 140 beats per minute during exercise, you may worry that something is wrong.

The best way to keep regular exercise during pregnancy safe and effective is to listen to your body's own responses. This is important so that exercise does not interfere with the development of the fetus at 13 weeks of pregnancy.

Your heart rate will react very differently to exercise. So, instead of observing your heart rate, use a more objective and accurate assessment.

The goal is to keep exercise intensity at a moderate level, but still challenge the body's endurance.

If you feel short of breath, this is a signal for you to reduce the intensity of exercise and get some rest.

This method allows all women of varying weight to exercise at a safe level without harming the health of both the mother and the fetus in the womb.

2. Limit caffeine

Don't eat too much chocolate, tea, and coffee because all three contain caffeine.

Although there is no evidence to know the amount of caffeine that will harm pregnant women, it is better for pregnant women to limit eating chocolate.

Another reason why you should avoid chocolate is that it can dominate the healthy foods you eat.

As a result, you consume too many calories, leading to excessive weight gain for both the mother and the fetus.

The development of the fetus at 13 weeks of pregnancy has been completely discussed. So, what will the fetus grow in next week?