What does my baby look like at 13 weeks pregnant?

When you are 13 weeks pregnant it means that you have entered the second trimester of pregnancy. At this stage of pregnancy one of the most frequently asked question is what does my baby look like at 13 weeks pregnant. In the 13th week of pregnancy your baby is still tiny but by the end of this week it will start looking more like a human baby with more distinct facial features. Your baby at 13 weeks pregnant has a well defined chin and nose and its eyes are now moving closer together as compared to before when they were set wide apart. Your baby can also open and close its mouth and may even start sucking its thumb at this point. The baby development at 13 weeks pregnant is very rapid and even minute details like the fingerprints are fully developed by now. The pancreas of the baby is formed and also starts producing insulin by the 13th week of pregnancy. This is very important for regulating the baby’s sugar levels afterwards. The baby’s intestines also move further into the body. The size of a baby at 13 weeks pregnant is roughly around 2.9 inches from crown to rump and the baby weighs approximately 50 grams at this point in the pregnancy.  

A baby at 13 weeks pregnant would be roughly the size of peach and its head is still bigger than the rest of the body. The baby’s movements can be measured at this point on an ultrasound but may not be felt by the mother just yet. The ribs of the baby start appearing at 13 weeks of pregnancy and the bones also start replacing the cartilages. Although the external genitalia of a baby at 13 weeks pregnant are almost formed, it may or may not be possible to determine the sex of the baby. Some of the other baby developments at 13 weeks pregnant include lengthening of the muscles, increase in flexing ability and jerky kicking. The finger and toenails are developing and the baby on the whole is growing rapidly. Most of the internal organs and systems are formed by this stage and have started functioning independently. The fine hair called lanugo which covers the baby’s body is also formed and will remain right until birth. All this information can help a pregnant mother stay updated with the growth and development of her unborn child.

Submitted by N on May 26, 2011 at 11:18

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