Baby’s Developments
Week 13 starts the second trimester of your pregnancy. The crucial part of the pregnancy is now over since the process of organogenesis (forming of the internal organs) is now over and all that remains is for your baby to mature and grow. An interesting fact is that a female foetus has about 2 million eggs in her ovaries as of now. But this will only be 1 million at the time of birth and will decrease with age.
The kidneys of the foetus are fully formed and functioning and it passes urine regularly. The spleen of the foetus has started to develop and it is now producing bone marrow. The foetus would even have its unique fingerprints. The risk of miscarriage, which is high during the first trimester, drops drastically during the second trimester.
Changes in the Mother
Most of your difficulties, such as frequent urination and nausea, would disappear but you may feel a slight discomfort in your tummy such as a pulling sensation. This is caused by your uterus stretching. Stretch marks may also appear on your stomach, thighs and breasts.
Tips for This Week
Buy a good moisturiser and lather on a thick layer on your tummy, thighs and breasts everyday. This will make your skin supple and help it to stretch without leaving stretch marks. These moisturisers need not be artificial ones. Olive oil and coconut oil are both known for reducing the occurrence of stretch marks.