13-6-2009 - 13 Weeks Pregnant

My mood while writing this blog: Ok

Finally you have entered the first week of your second trimester. It is a time to celebrate for most women because the risk of a miscarriage reduces considerably once you reach this far in your pregnancy. You are most likely to carry your baby through the entire pregnancy quite safely after this. You will also start feeling remarkably better after this stage and the nausea and fatigue experienced by you in the previous stages will soon vanish. Physically also you will feel more active in spite of your increasing size. Your baby is growing slowly now as the formation of all the internal and external organs is complete. The size of the fetus is small and there is sufficient room in your uterus for the fetus to expand. By this time the morning sickness symptoms will vanish for most women and the appetite will begin to increase as the baby is quickly absorbing all the nutrients and nourishment from the mother.

Along with feeling sick this week we got to see you agian with a special machine. At exactly 13 weeks 4 days pregnant we saw you inside your mommy's tummy. You were moving about and looked very strong. We saw such long arms and legs and were able to count every finger and toe and they were all there. We were so happy. The ultrasound was scheduled just because they wanted to check on mommy and baby. Your measurements were perfect. Also, mommy had some special blood tests taken to make sure you were developing as a healthy fetus. We keep looking at the ultrasound pictures and smiling. You have brought a lot of happiness to your mommy.

The baby is now around 2 1/2 to 3 inches long and weighs about .7 ounces. By the end of the 13th week the baby looks like a tiny fully formed baby. The baby’s head is quite large as compared to the rest of the body so after this stage the body starts catching up. The baby’s eyes come closer than before as before this stage the eyes rested along the side of the baby’s head. The baby’s intestines also start moving further into the body after this stage and the little pancreas start producing insulin which will be vital for regulating the sugar levels later in life. The bones of the baby are changing from being soft and flexible to becoming harder. The baby starts making creeping and climbing movements which cannot be felt due to its tiny size in the womb. Fine whiskers of hair start appearing on the baby’s upper lip and eyebrows. The placenta is fully functional and supplies the baby with oxygen, vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins. It also removes the carbon dioxide and waste materials by filtering them through the placental tissues. The blood vessels of the baby and the mother even though separate remain incredibly close together. The placenta remains larger in size than the baby and allows most substances from the mother’s blood stream to cross over into the baby’s blood stream. This includes alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, medications, drugs and viruses which can affect the growth and development of the baby. The baby will pass its first bowel motion called meconium which is a black-green, tar like substance at this stage.