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Week 13 of Pregnancy

First trimester weeks

Congrats! During the first trimester, you’re getting used to the idea of being pregnant.

Second trimester weeks

As you enter this second trimester, your body will settle down to pregnancy.

Third trimester weeks

You've reached the third and final trimester and will be heavily pregnant by now.

Week 13 of Pregnancy

As you enter this second trimester, your body will settle down to pregnancy.

For most women, any discomforts of early pregnancy start to disappear this trimester. The high levels of pregnancy hormones, which are thought to contribute to sickness, are subsiding, and fatigue should begin to diminish. Meanwhile, your baby floats peacefully in the amniotic sac. As he goes on growing, so the sac will expand to give him plenty of room to kick and stretch. His brain is developing at a rapid rate.

12 Weeks, 5 Days

191 days to go...

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You and your partner will be developing your own special relationship with your baby.

At this point in your pregnancy, you won't be able to feel your baby move but it is still possible to interact and bond with him. Some women feel comfortable talking to their babies, while others don't; do what feels natural for you, whether that is talking out loud or in your head.

Very soon, your baby will be able to hear (see You are 14 Weeks and 3 Days) and recognize your voice and that of your partner, and hear other sounds, such as music. You might want to think of an interim name for your baby. This might be "the bump" or "the bun" or an in-joke between you and your partner. It can be helpful to give your baby an identity because it's difficult to talk about him or her at this relatively early stage, and when you don't know the gender.

If you're still keeping the pregnancy a secret in some quarters, using a code phrase to refer to the pregnancy may be useful in some circumstances.

Activities to avoid in the second trimester

The second trimester is generally when fatigue lifts, and you begin to feel more energetic. This is a great time to continue your exercise program, making good use of your increased energy levels before you are too big and too uncomfortable to move and enjoy being fully active.

While you're encouraged to continue to exercise during the second trimester, there are some high-risk exercises that should be avoided. You should avoid any activity that potentially could cause you to fall, activities that involve a high degree of balance and agility, and specifically exercises that require lying on your back for extended periods, or twisting of the upper body. Changes in your center of gravity can increase the chances of stumbling and falling, risking injury to you and your baby.

The following activities are best avoided during your second (and third) trimesters:

Vigorous exercise at a high altitude (unless you are used to it)
Diving and scuba diving
Road or mountain bicycling
Rock climbing
Skiing, snow boarding, and waterskiing
Ice skating/ice hockey
Horse riding
Bungee-jumping!

Racquet sports You should curtail activities such as tennis and badminton since your changing balance can be affected by quick movements and turns, increasing your risk of falling.

As A Matter Of Fact

At this stage, your baby may squirm if your abdomen is pressed.

He will gradually develop more reflexes: his eye muscles will clench if his eyelids are touched; touching the soles of his feet makes his toes curl; his fingers curl if you touch his palm.