Your Pregnancy Week-by-Week - 13 Weeks Pregnant

What's the matter with your child? That head of his is now about half the size of his crown-to-rump length, in addition to being as big as a lemon. That's one of the reasons your baby looks like an extraterrestrial at this point. His body will catch up by the time you give birth, weighing three-quarters of his current age.

However, don't equate the fetus to the fetus down the street. Babies begin developing at varying rates in the next week or so, some faster than others, others slower, but all on the same developmental direction.

You're in the third month of your pregnancy if you're 13 weeks old. There are just 6 months left!

Is there anything more going on in there? His arms and legs are starting to develop tiny bones at 13 weeks pregnant. He could be able to get his thumb into his mouth soon so he can manoeuvre them in a jerky manner — a reflex that might come in handy for self-soothing when he's a newborn.

The intestines of your infant will also undergo significant improvements. They've been emerging in a cavity inside the umbilical cord until recently, so they've recently relocated to their permanent — and more comfortable — home in your baby's abdomen. The placenta is still growing to accommodate the needs of your growing fetus, ultimately weighing 1 to 2 pounds at birth.

Your baby's vocal chords (the first step toward saying, "I love you, Mommy!") are also improving this week. You won't be able to detect any noises or cries because sound can't penetrate into your uterus, so you can bet those vocal chords will get a nice workout once he's born.

You should be feeling pretty fine now that you're 13 weeks pregnant and just a week out from the second trimester. After all, the second trimester isn't known for being the simplest and most relaxed of the three trimesters for no reason.

But don't worrry if you're still not doing well. While most early pregnancy signs will go away rapidly, nausea and exhaustion will continue into the fourth and even fifth months for some women.

Unfortunately, for certain patients, those and other common first-trimester symptoms including bloating, constipation, headaches, and breast tenderness will last through the second trimester.

Of course, just because the second trimester is known as the "smooth sailing" trimester doesn't mean you'll be symptom-free anytime soon. 

Another recent change you may have noted is an uptick in vaginal discharge. This perfectly natural discharge, known as leukorrhea (try spelling that correctly in a spelling bee), is small and milky in colour, mild-smelling, or sometimes odorless. Furthermore, it will almost certainly rise as your pregnancy progresses.

The increased release of estrogen, as well as increased blood supply to the pelvic region, causes leukorrhea. Its goal is noble: to keep the birth canal clean and maintain a safe bacterial equilibrium in the vaginal canal. Unfortunately, leukorrhea will ruin your panties in the process of completing its exalted target.

To stay dry, use a panty liner rather than a tampon if it makes you more relaxed. However, never douche when pregnant because it can disturb the natural balance of microorganisms, induce vaginal infections, and also drive air into the vagina, which is harmful.

You may be wondering if your feelings about hopping into bed are natural, with all the extra discharge and your growing belly. Try to go with the flow: everything goes when it comes to pregnancy sex.

It's either that you're not in the mood at all, or that you're in the mood for a lot more sex than normal. All is natural, and it will most likely begin to change as your pregnancy progresses.

Having twins?

Your stomach is now bulging through the seams of your biggest trousers, and you're just halfway through your first trimester. Is it possible that you're expecting twins? Maybe, especially if your family has a history of fraternal twins or you're over 35. (or both).

However, there are other, more plausible causes for your obscenely big stomach. It's likely, for example, that your due date is off and your larger-than-expected tummy is triggered by a larger-than-expected infant.

It's quite likely that you're only full of it — steam, to be exact. Bloating will cause a pregnant woman's belly to expand well past her weeks. It's also likely that you're taking the eating-for-two concept too seriously — for example, you doubled all you ate before you got pregnant, resulting in your early midsection growth.

Check with your practitioner at your next appointment to figure out what's actually going on inside. After all, you could have two buns baking in your oven. No matter what your grandma says, you can't tell from the outside!