The first trimester of pregnancy is the most crucial and risky stage of pregnancy. Despite that, you feel the least pregnant during this stage. The most important steps take place in these first 12 weeks. Due to this reason, doctors recommend 13 weeks ultrasound.
How much are 13 weeks pregnant in months?
The week after first three months or first trimester is 13 weeks pregnant. After crossing the first trimester, there is more stability in pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage in 13 weeks is lower than the first 12 weeks.
Now comes the time for the definitive 13-week ultrasound. The 13-week ultrasound establishes that development of the fetus during the first trimester is complete.
It will help you see many things that you couldn’t see in the earlier ultrasound such as 7-week ultrasound. The reason for this is that now your baby looks less of a fish and acquires more human baby form.
The size of the baby at 13 weeks is large enough to be easily recognized by you. Your doctor might even be able to make out the gender of the baby by 13-week ultrasound.
How big is the baby at 13 weeks?
Baby at 13 weeks is of the size of a lemon. The size of the head reduces and now is much more proportionate. The length of the baby is around 3 inches or less and weighs nearly 28.3g.
During the 13 week ultrasound, you’ll be able to see that your baby’s intestines move inside the body. Your baby will now have twenty teeth.
Undoubtedly baby’s heartbeats will be detected by the 13th week of pregnancy. A 13 week baby will respond to external stimuli, but the size of the uterus is larger than what can allow you to feel it.
What changes occur in the baby at 13 weeks?
During 13 week of pregnancy, the rib cage forms to cover and protect the lungs. The major development during the first week of the second trimester is the formation of ribs and lungs. You will see your baby opening mouth as if gasping air. The muscles of the face also form, and your baby now moves them which appear as expressions.
There is a growth of more hair during this stage of pregnancy. Your baby has tiny hair all over the body. These fetal skin hair fall off after birth. The skin of the fetus is very delicate and allows one to see through it. The vocal cords form and your baby now has unique fingerprints.
Your baby’s bones will start forming other than the rib cage. The excretory system is now active, and baby excretes in the amniotic fluid around. Now your baby has intestines inside the body and bowels formed. The voice box formation starts in the form of vocal cords.
13 week ultrasound
During the 13 week ultrasound, you might see your baby kicking, but you will not feel it. Your baby is only the size of an egg and weighs around 25 gram. Hence, the movements will still not be enough to let you feel them. There are other things that you can see in a 13 week scan such as yawning of the baby. Your doctor will take longer to complete the procedure if your baby takes longer to wake up!
What happens during 13 weeks ultrasound?
Now that your baby is big, your uterus will expand. It is less likely that you need to drink water or get a transvaginal ultrasound. Your doctor will place a device on you 13 weeks pregnant belly and some gel for easy gliding. Some movements over your 13 week baby bump will wake the baby and then the doctor will check for all major signs of 13 weeks.
You can still see through the skin of your baby. This is a reason why you can see the organs developing and blood vessels. You can look at the intestines inside the body of the baby. Other features will become clearer during the 13 week ultrasound.
The heartbeat of the fetus will still be way higher than an adult heartbeat. Sex organs are now developed but still on borderline and difficult to see. During an ultrasound, your baby will show movements of kicking and squishing. You will still not be able to feel anything.
What do you see in 13 week ultrasound?
One of the most beautiful things you see in a 13 week ultrasound is the sucking of thumb by the fetus. Whenever hungry the fetus moves arms and fingers and starts thumb suckling. It is a heartwarming experience for parents to see their baby sucking thumb during 13-week ultrasound!
There are many things that you can expect to see during 13 week scan. However, even if you don’t see some of them, your doctor might tell you reasons to not worry.
- Thumb sucking by baby and opening his or her mouth or even yawning
- Smaller head than the body and a neck which is limp
- Intestines move inside the body of the baby
- Onset of rib cage formation and other bones forming
- Hair on the skin of the baby
- Heartbeat twice as that of adult human being
- Most organs and limbs have formed and movements such as kicking show
- Movement and responsiveness such as squishing
- Sex organs (not always)
- Skin is still clear and allows you to see through
Baby’s Gender in 13 week ultrasound
Baby at 13 weeks ultrasound is too small to show his or her genitals. However, Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing can detect gender at 13 weeks pregnancy.
During13 weeks pregnant ultrasound your doctor can see the sex organs of the baby. If the position favors 13 weeks pregnant ultrasound gender prediction then you’ll come to know whether you have a boy or girl.
But there are many reports that the doctor mistook umbilical cord for a penis. Therefore 13 week ultrasound gender accuracy is highly dependent on chance.
Pictures of 13 week ultrasound boy or baby girl are available but it is difficult until 18-20 weeks to conclusively predict the gender.
Genetic disorders change the fluid composition near the baby, 13 week ultrasound Down’s syndrome allows such diagnosis. Even early pregnancy ultrasound can diagnose Down’s Syndrome.
How long does 13 week ultrasound take?
A 13 week ultrasound will take about 20-30 minutes depending on how easily things can be visualized. If your doctor wants to do other steps like nuchal scan, then it will take longer.
A 13 week 3-D ultrasound gives a clearer picture. Nevertheless, if you intend on knowing the gender of the baby in 13 week ultrasound then it might take longer. Even after that, there is no guarantee that the sex of the baby by 13 week scan is right.
A 13-week ultrasound twin can also take longer as twins are slightly underweight than a single fetus. Visualizing them will take longer as the same space now has two fetuses.
How does 13 week pregnant look like?
During the first trimester, there is the development of organ systems. As you move to 13th week of pregnancy, now you’ll see weight gain and growth of the baby.
There are guidelines for, depending on body weight and other factors, how rapidly and how much weight gain is healthy during pregnancy. After first trimester you gain about 4-5 pounds.
As you don’t have mood swings due to the nasty hormones now you will able to see the pregnancy glow. Your breasts will grow in size and yet you will not be as heavy as a pregnant woman. Blood will rush towards your lips and other regions making you look more appealing than the potato bag during the first trimester.
The desire for sex during pregnancy peaks during the second trimester. The levels of hormone relaxin will also increase, and your joints will loosen. Relaxin will allow other muscles to relax but your energy levels will not be as low as first 12 weeks.
As the uterus grows and fluids fill it the baby bump is now seen externally. The 13 week pregnant belly is the first external change you see. Some people consider this as the right time for disclosing the news to others about their baby.
13 weeks pregnant symptoms
After completing the first trimester of pregnancy you’ll feel better and less ill. The chances of having an early miscarriage reduce drastically. Now your baby is growing rapidly and soon you’ll put up a lot of weight.
Your energy levels will increase and mood swings will subside. The second trimester is safest for getting any treatment such as dental work or dying hair while pregnant.
13 weeks pregnant with twins mothers will still have nausea and morning sickness. Sex during pregnancy seems most appealing during the second trimester. Other 13 weeks pregnancy symptoms include veins showing up. The blue veins that you can see in 13 weeks pregnant belly is because of the growth of womb.
It is only after 13 weeks pregnancy, that most women start looking pregnant. After this stage, you need to reduce the duration of running while pregnant and other exercises.
