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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.

13 Weeks Exactly

189 days to go...

ultrasound of human fetus at 13 weeks exactly

Your baby today

This 2D black-and-white ultrasound scan is similar to the scan you may see and may be given. The baby is the white area, and the amniotic fluid is black. This type of scan is the best way to measure your baby's length at this stage.

Your hormones have done all the hard work to establish your pregnancy and as they settle down, so should your nausea.

Morning sickness usually subsides around the start of the second trimester. It's believed that the rapid hormonal changes required to establish and maintain the pregnancy in the early stages may cause the sickness. By this stage your pregnancy is well established and your baby's major internal organs and support system are fully formed, so these hormone levels start to stabilize. This may be why the nausea passes. Furthermore, there is a theory that nausea is the body's way of protecting your baby from harmful substances in the early crucial stages of development, so you become naturally adverse to alcohol and junk food, for example.

If your nausea and sickness hasn't begun to subside by this stage don't worry since for some women it does continue into the second trimester. See your doctor if you are concerned about your level of sickness.

Ask A... Mom

My partner hasn't wanted sex at all since I've become pregnant. Will he ever desire me again?

Yes! Although it's difficult, try not to take his reluctance to have sex personally. When I was pregnant, my husband didn't want to have penetrative sex, and most of his fears centered around harming the baby or me. This was made worse by the fact that I'd taken a long time to get pregnant, and was also having a difficult pregnancy, with lots of nausea and sickness.

We spoke to our doctor and she was able to reassure my partner that he couldn't harm the baby in any way by having penetrative sex. She also told us that it wasn't uncommon for either partner to experience a reduced sexual desire in pregnancy for a variety of reasons. Although many women experience an increased libido at this stage of pregnancy, the same may not be true for their partner.

It's important that you talk to your partner to find out his fears and explain your own thoughts and feelings. Don't let this issue cause an argument between you. Each couple is different and you will need to talk to each other to find your way through this problem.

You may also find it helpful to talk to someone who isn't so closely involved, such as your doctor or a trusted friend.

As A Matter Of Fact

Your immune system weakens during pregnancy to stop your body from rejecting your developing baby.

This, unfortunately, makes you more prone to colds and bugs. As an added burden, pregnancy hormones can worsen a stuffed nose and nausea.

13 Weeks Exactly

189 days to go...

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