1. 13th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 13
2. How your baby develops in the 13th week of pregnancy
3. How you feel in the 13th week of pregnancy
4. What investigations are now pending?
5. What special features are there in the 13th week of pregnancy?
6. What you should look out for in week 13 of pregnancy

13th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 13

You and your baby have made it through the first trimester well - and the 2nd trimester officially begins with week 13 of pregnancy. A lot has happened before week 13 of pregnancy: Your baby has been busy developing and the critical phase of pregnancy is now over.

Now the development continues: In the 13th week of pregnancy, the little creature increases in weight and size. At the beginning of the 2nd trimester, the foetus is on average around six to seven centimetres tall. This means that your baby is about as long as a pea pod. The weight is around 18 to 25 grams. A special feature of body growth in the 13th week of pregnancy: from now on, the baby's head grows somewhat more slowly than the rest of the body. This means that the proportions of the little body soon fit together. Until the 1st trimester, the head was always slightly larger than the rest of the body.

How your baby develops in the 13th week of pregnancy

Organs mature - and begin their work

It's not just the body that grows - the organs that have already developed also begin their respective functions in week 13: Now the kidneys, also known as the "sewage treatment plants of the human body", begin to produce urine. From the 2nd trimester, the baby's kidneys contribute to the production of amniotic fluid. The special thing: Until recently, the amniotic fluid consisted mainly of the purified fluid from your blood plasma.

Another organ that starts work in the baby's body is the liver. This starts with the production of bile. Bile is important for the human body to properly dissolve and ultimately digest fat and fat-soluble vitamins. In the 13th week of pregnancy, your baby's pancreas also starts producing insulin. This hormone is of great importance for cell function: it ensures that we can absorb and utilise glucose from our food. Insulin production also helps us to regulate the body's protein and fat balance.

Practical help for you:
Emergency service midwife Katharina explains the most important things about the maternity pass online.

How you feel in the 13th week of pregnancy

It is not without reason that many pregnant women start to relax a little more from the 13th week of pregnancy. However, please note that physical discomfort can sometimes still occur. Specifically, the following applies to your body in week 13:

• The nausea slowly disappears: Many pregnant women initially struggle with nausea, which becomes noticeable in the first trimester of pregnancy. From week 13 onwards, you can breathe a sigh of relief - because now it usually subsides significantly. As soon as the discomfort subsides, it immediately feels more pleasant to do something, spoil yourself - or even plan a trip. Treat yourself and your body to something special now. Now is also a good time to develop your personalised birth plan, for example. You can get support here.
• The sensory organs (smell and taste) change: You may have already noticed in the last few weeks that you perceive odours differently or have a craving for certain foods. You will also notice this change in the current week of pregnancy. This may mean that you want to throw something you normally love to eat out of the window during pregnancy. Don't worry: your body is only signalling to you what you and your baby need now.

• The uterus enlarges: your uterus creates even more space for your offspring, as it now needs even more room. Your baby bump is growing - and in the next few weeks you will be able to see your baby bump. However, you can already see the change in your belly when you stand in front of the mirror. This is because the uterus is already protruding a little above the pubic bone and your belly is already stretching a little at this point.

• Your breast develops and prepares for milk production. The exciting feeling of the first few weeks subsides for most women in the 13th week of pregnancy. However, this does not mean that the breast has stopped developing. Quite the opposite: the breast continues to develop and soon begins to produce colostrum. Some women already notice in this early week what colostrum, the colostrum that will nourish the baby after birth, looks like. Delicate drops can already come out of the breast in this early week. Colostrum is a thick, sticky, whitish-yellow milk. You can use this colostrum as a wonderful nourishment for your nipples. Nursing pads also protect your shirts and blouses from premature milk flow.

What investigations are now pending?

From the 13th week of pregnancy, a special ultrasound examination - the so-called "organ ultrasound" - can be carried out. This is because it is now possible to analyse your baby's organs particularly precisely using sonography. For example, your doctor will perform an echocardiogram, i.e. a "heart echo", or examine your baby's bladder. This detailed diagnosis is carried out to assess the healthy development of the baby. These examinations also include the measurement of the nuchal fold, or nuchal translucency measurement, which is carried out between the 10th and 14th week of pregnancy to rule out chromosomal abnormalities. This is a non-invasive examination from prenatal diagnostics, also known as first trimester screening. Not only is your baby examined, but the mother's blood is also analysed. This supplements the measurement and increases the informative value of the ultrasound scan. It is offered to pregnant women who have an increased risk of genetic malformations. For example, if they are already 35 years old or have a family history of genetic malformations.
You can decide for yourself whether you want to do this examination or not.

Basically, if you have any complaints, it is best to contact your emergency midwife. They will support you, even if you are not due for a special examination in the 13th week of pregnancy. They will provide you with information and reassurance if you feel overwhelmed. You can find out more about your prenatal care by the way here.

What special features are there in the 13th week of pregnancy?

A special feature of the 13th week of pregnancy is that although the sex of the baby has already been determined, it can only be clearly recognised with a lot of luck. Finding out whether the little miracle is a boy or a girl is already possible in the 13th week of pregnancy. Provided that your baby shows its gender during the examination. It is already wriggling and tumbling in its amniotic fluid.
But that's not all: in the 13th week of pregnancy, your baby can already perceive sounds, yawn and open its hand. It may now react to sounds from the environment or to music. The fingerprints of your little miracle in your belly are also fully developed in the current week of pregnancy.

Another special feature: As your uterus continues to grow, you may notice a slight pulling sensation. This is also part of the process - and is initially no cause for concern. By the way, to make you less worried, it is often worthwhile for expectant mothers to deal with the fear of the Labour pains to deal with. This will make you feel safe and at the same time increase your anticipation of the birth of your child.

What you should look out for in week 13 of pregnancy

If you are already 13 weeks pregnant, there are some useful tips to help you enjoy this special time in a more relaxed way. Here they are:

1. inform your environment: Of course, you can keep your pregnancy to yourself at first - and enjoy it with your partner. However, because the critical phase is over and the risk of miscarriage is reduced, the 13th week of pregnancy is a particularly good time to announce the good news. The important thing is that you feel ready - and don't feel any pressure to tell your loved ones about your happiness. After all, the most important thing is still to take good care of yourself and your baby and avoid stress.

2. inform your employer: The Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) guarantees you protection against dismissal and other special conditions at work when you are pregnant. However, for this to apply, you must inform your employer of your pregnancy in good time. You should therefore inform your employer of your pregnancy as soon as possible. Even if you decide to take parental leave after the birth to look after your newborn, your employer is not allowed to dismiss you.

3. treat yourself to the right clothes: Your belly is slowly growing - and it will get bigger and bigger in the coming weeks. As soon as you notice that your trousers are uncomfortably tight or your top is too tight, it's time for cosy alternatives. Comfortable clothing will definitely make you feel better. So avoid anything that makes you feel tight - and make sure that you can move around and sit down easily so that you can enjoy your pregnancy to the full.

4. customise your diet: Now your nutritional requirements increase by around 250 to 300 calories. This means that you should ideally eat a little more to ensure you and your baby are optimally nourished. However, please note: you don't need to eat double portions to ensure that you get enough nutrients. On the contrary: just one wholemeal bread with some cheese and vegetables or two bananas are enough to cover the increased requirement.