How’s Baby?

Baby is now 2.5-3 inches long, the size of a jalapeno! Your little one is developing fingerprints now, and they’ll be just as they are. Underneath your little one’s transparent skin, the bones that will one day help Baby stand up big and strong are also under construction and getting stronger, and their vocal cords are developing, too.

Your baby’s lower body growth is also catching up with that of their head, making them look much more like a tiny human (and less like a tiny alien) all the time. When you think about how much their head dominated their little body just a few short weeks ago, it’s clear that your little one is making incredible growth!

What’s new with you?

Congratulations, you’ve reached the last week of your first trimester! Many pregnant folks report the first trimester as being the most difficult, so if you were really struggling with morning sickness and fatigue, you can likely begin to find a bit of relief. Even if physical energy doesn’t come bouncing back right away, most people report more mental energy and focus returning – yay!

One prevalent symptom you might notice in week 13 is an increased sex drive. Unless your healthcare provider recommends pelvic rest for medical reasons, sex during pregnancy is totally normal and safe up until your water breaks. So don’t pass if you are in the mood because you are worried about Baby.

You’ll also probably notice an increase in vaginal discharge, specifically leukorrhea, a milky discharge that protects the birth canal from infection. Unless the discharge comes with color changes, discomfort, a rash, lumps, or a strong smell, it is generally nothing to worry about. You can keep your vulva and vagina healthy by wearing underwear and pants made from natural fibers and changing out of them as soon as they get wet or sweaty. Wash the outside of your vulva with unscented, gentle soap, and avoid douches which can introduce bacteria into your vagina.

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Still growing like wild! Your Baby is now raspberry-sized and about half an inch long. For now, your little one’s head is the most prominent part of their body and looks big and round. And, incredibly, your baby’s brain is growing by about 100 cells a minute! Baby’s lower body is also starting to develop, and the presence of pre-legs and toes are starting to dominate their tail. Their tongue, ears, and eyes are also beginning to develop, and your baby is starting to form the cartilage that will develop and harden into their bones. Other parts of their body are getting more complex as well, including their developing heart and kidneys, teeth, and the little paddles on the end of those arm buds that are destined to become Baby’s hands! You’ll be going gaga over their tiny fingers soon enough.

What’s new with you?

One of the most common and notable symptoms of pregnancy at this stage is the increased need to pee. This is a result of both your growing uterus (now twice its normal size) putting pressure on the bladder, and the increased blood flow needed to sustain Baby’s healthy development. This increased frequency of urination is not likely to end anytime soon. In fact, as Baby grows, you are only going to pee more, and more often.

By now, you’ll probably also notice an increase in the size of your breasts. Breast soreness and discomfort usually come right along with this, so you may want to think about switching up your bras if you feel that you need something more comfortable. Food cravings or aversions are also very common, due to the hormones that are coursing through your body right now. They may even cause acne or extra saliva.

While it’s possible that this could be a rough week in terms of pregnancy symptoms, don’t worry if you’re not feeling any. Some folks just don’t, and it doesn’t mean that anything is wrong. If you are concerned though, you can mention it to your healthcare provider at your first checkup, which is probably coming up very soon.

And if you haven’t decided yet, now’s the time to figure out who you’d like to see for your medical care during pregnancy — whether a midwife, an OB-GYN, nurse practitioner, or a general practitioner — and to set up an appointment. Having a solid support system during pregnancy and afterward is so important.

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Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

How’s Baby?

Baby is now the size of a blueberry, measuring approximately 1/4-1/2 an inch long. This may not seem huge, but just think about how much your little one has grown in the past month, from a tiny collection of cells to the increasingly complex human being-to-be who is currently in the process of sprouting all of their facial features. Your baby’s cute little nose and curious eyes are just starting to form, although right now they merely look like little dark spots on an oversized head. Passages and arches that will grow and develop into parts of Baby’s ears and jaw are forming, and their nose won’t be far behind.

Development of Baby‘s lower body lags behind that of the upper, making them look a bit like a mermaid, and they may already be wiggling their flipper-like arms! Baby is also starting to straighten out from their formerly curled position, and that tail is making its way to its final destination in their back.

These upcoming weeks are some of the most important for Baby developmentally, so if you aren’t on a prenatal vitamin yet, it’s important to start taking one immediately. During this week, Baby’s neural tube is beginning to close,  so it’s especially important to be getting folic acid — from prenatal vitamins, as well as from the rest of your diet — as it can help prevent neural tube defects.

What’s new with you?

A lot of changes are happening!

One big change you might already notice is feeling tired. But not just normal tired. Even though your body hasn’t grown in size much yet, it’s doing a lot of work that can leave you fatigued. Your body is producing significantly more blood than it’s used to in order to get nutrients to Baby, which is an energy expense that may leave you with lower blood pressure and lower blood sugar. The added progesterone coursing around your body could also be tiring you out. If you feel like you can manage, going for a walk, doing some gentle yoga, or engaging in another physical activity that you enjoy might help a bit: the endorphins you release may make you feel less sluggish. And you should listen to what your body needs and rest, nap, or tuck in for bed early as needed.

Your breasts are also likely to be sore at this time, and your nipples may stick out more than normal. This tenderness will probably last through your first trimester, as your breasts continue to grow. This change is completely normal, and is simply a product of increased blood flow to your chest as your body primes itself for breastfeeding.

And if you’re feeling sick to your stomach right now, you aren’t alone — over 70% of pregnant folks experience nausea in the first trimester. During the sixth week of pregnancy over 80% of pregnant folks experience nausea, which often starts in the morning (hence the term “morning sickness”) before dissipating in the early afternoon. However, this term can sometimes be misleading, because nausea during the first trimester is not exclusive to mornings, and that awful feeling could hit you at any point during the day or night. A few things that may help?

Try eating several small snacks throughout the day, avoiding triggering smells, taking your prenatal vitamins with a meal, having food or drinks with ginger, keeping hydrated, and getting plenty of rest. And if you can’t seem to find much relief, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider. And for serious morning sickness or concern for dehydration, you should definitely speak with your healthcare provider.

Something else you should call your healthcare provider about? If you experience spotting or vaginal bleeding right now. While it is common in early pregnancy, it can also be an early indicator of a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.

Speaking of, you’ll probably be choosing a healthcare provider around now, and your first prenatal consultation will likely happen around week eight. There are a few different types of healthcare providers you can use during pregnancy, but the most common are OB/GYNs and Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs). Women with certain risk factors may need to see an obstetrician (OB), but women with no elevated risks are typically able to see CNMs as their primary healthcare provider during pregnancy, as CNMs are able to provide most of the same services that an OB can.

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Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

How’s Baby?

Your sweet baby continues to grow rapidly, measuring just over two inches long, about the size of an apricot.

Right now, Baby is starting to develop reflexes as their brain continues to grow and their body to curl their fingers and toes. Your baby’s nerve endings are developing right along with their reflexes, and at this point, if you poke your abdomen, Baby will respond by wriggling (though you almost certainly won’t feel it). And your wee one’s neck, which they’ve only just started to form in the last few weeks or so, has already begun to straighten as they lift their chin off of their chest.

Baby is just starting to practice breathing by inhaling and exhaling the amniotic fluid that surrounds them, which is made up of mostly water, their skin cells, and their waste. This may seem a little icky, but it’s one of the many incredible ways your little one is preparing for life on the outside.

Pretty soon, your little one’s intestines are going to move into their abdomen. Baby is beginning to form the waste that will become their first poop, a tarry substance known as meconium.

What’s new with you?

The good news? As you move toward the end of the first trimester, it’s likely that many of the more unfortunate symptoms you experienced in the first trimester may be behind you, like fatigue and nausea. You may, though, have a few new symptoms popping up. Symptoms like increased vaginal discharge, headaches, saliva, and flatulence along with a heightened sense of smell are all common symptoms right now.

Heartburn is another notable symptom that causes many pregnant folks a lot of discomfort. This is because the same hormones that relax your muscles to make it easier to give birth also relax the valve that keeps the stomach acid out of your esophagus. Your expanding uterus, which by now has grown to the size of a softball, doesn’t help either. As your uterus grows, it puts pressure on your stomach, which can push acid into the esophagus. Thankfully, there are a number of steps you can take to try and reduce your heartburn. You can eat nutritious food in smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, and take your time when eating. You can also avoid food and drink that increases heartburn for you (for many people this can include spicy foods, caffeine, greasy or fatty foods, acidic foods like citrus or tomatoes, and carbonated beverages), and avoid lying down right after eating or eating shortly before going to sleep. And while staying hydrated is important and you should be drinking water throughout the day, some people find it helps to drink water between meals but not during meals. It may take some trial and error to find what works for you, but hopefully some of these will help. And don’t feel that you have to go through it alone — speak to your healthcare provider if your heartburn is persistent so they can help you find some relief.

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Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

How’s Baby?

Congratulations, it’s a fetus! With all of their major body parts, organs, and organ systems in place, Baby has developed past the point of being an embryo, and is now officially called a fetus. Your little one — now just over 1 ½ inches long, about the size of a brussel sprout — is even looking more and more like a grown person every day! If your baby is a female, their ovaries are beginning to develop too. And they’re also growing hair follicles and fingernails. Another exciting development? Baby’s formerly connected fingers and toes are losing their webbing, and they’re using their little hands to explore their face and mouth. Not only is this super cute, it also helps them develop the physical coordination they’ll need once they’re born. This movement is too small for you to be able to feel yet, as is all the hiccuping and moving around your baby may be doing.

What’s new with you?

Are any aggravating symptoms still hanging around? Thankfully, by the end of this week many folks report that their nausea has subsided. If it doesn’t, there is a chance you may have hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a condition affecting 1% of pregnant folks that causes severe vomiting throughout the pregnancy. If you’re in that 1%, there’s a good chance that your symptoms will peak around now. If you think you might be affected by HG, instead of trying to treat it yourself, be sure that you talk to your healthcare provider. If keeping down fluids and getting nutrition are really difficult for you, your provider might recommend nutrients and fluids by IV.

For folks not dealing with these challenges, week 11 might be when you finally start feeling better as you transition toward your second trimester, which is often much kinder on you. The placenta is becoming increasingly functional and has amped up its hormone production, giving your body a much needed break that will hopefully increase energy levels and minimize mood swings. During the first or second trimester you might also notice the appearance of the linea nigra, a dark but harmless vertical line that runs from your pelvis to your belly button. Just make sure that you apply pregnancy-safe sunscreen to your stomach (and the rest of you!) if you are out in the sun, as sun exposure can make it last longer.

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Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team

How’s Baby?

Baby is now the size of a kumquat, almost 1 ¼ inches long. Your little one is also beginning to develop tiny human features, like a teeny tiny bit of hair, the buds of baby teeth, and joints that bend. And if your baby is a male, their testes are just beginning to produce testosterone. Your tiny dancer is starting to move around enough that it will likely be visible in an ultrasound scan, which your healthcare provider may perform at your next appointment (if this hasn’t already happened). Baby’s digestive system is also functional by this point, transporting food matter to the bowels in preparation for that first poop after being born. How exciting!

What’s new with you?

You are now a quarter of the way through your pregnancy! Hopefully, this means that any common early pregnancy symptoms you may have been experiencing — like morning sickness, fatigue, or mood swings — should be lifting. You may also start to notice changes in your body’s shape or weight gain. Your healthcare provider will track your weight gain as one way to monitor your progress and health. That being said, if you have a history of disordered eating and/or find weigh-ins triggering, you can request that your provider adjust how you are weighed or how often your weight is checked during pregnancy. You have the right to feel comfortable with the healthcare you receive — during and after pregnancy.

As far as pregnancy symptoms go, you might start to notice more visible veins due to the extra blood being carried to Baby. In fact, the total blood volume in your body may increase 30-50% during pregnancy. (If you have a history of cardiovascular problems, this is something your healthcare provider will watch closely, as the increased blood volume can strain the heart.) You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge around this time, which acts as a way to protect your baby from infection. If the discharge is whitish, thin, and odorless, that’s totally normal. However, discharge that is tinged yellow or green or has a thick or uneven texture could be a sign of infection, and this is something to speak with your provider about right away.

During this time, you might be waiting for your NIPT or other genetic screening test results. You may be eagerly awaiting news of your baby’s sex through NIPT as well! There are several methods to screen for conditions, including Down syndrome, congenital heart defects, and other chromosomal differences, so don’t worry if this hasn’t taken place quite yet.  These tests are optional and may or may not be fully covered by insurance. Talk to your provider about genetic counseling and screening — they’re there to be your expert guide through all the ins and outs of pregnancy.

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Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team