Pregnancy: weeks 13 to 16

You have entered the second trimester of your pregnancy. Out of the ‘danger zone’. The chance of a miscarriage has become much smaller. It is now also visible to the outside world. Slowly a small belly starts to form. At the end of this period the baby is already 15 centimeters long! The baby is actually completely ‘finished’. Yet he would not yet be able to survive outside the womb. That is why it is important that the child continues to mature in the coming months. You may experience some ligament pain. This is because the tires have to carry more and more weight.

Week 13

Week 13 of pregnancy. You’re out of the danger zone! In the thirteenth week you had at least one ultrasound with the midwife, on which you could see a beating heart. In the thirteenth week you can announce the big news to family and friends. It is also good to discuss it with your employer in advance. If necessary, a replacement can be arranged during your maternity leave. You may also want to work less after giving birth. Think about childcare in advance.

You may notice that hormones are running through your body. You may occasionally have fits of crying, or you may not feel like having sex at all. This is all very normal.

Week 14

This week your child’s face is completely formed. He can already fully open and close his mouth. He can also move his fingers. He can even thumb his thumb! The baby still has a lot of room in your belly. This way he can still swim around.

When you look at your stomach, you can already see a small bulge. This is probably not yet really visible to the outside world. The bulge you see now is the uterus. It is now about the size of a tennis ball.

The hormones can also change your appearance. For example, you may suffer from pimples on the face. Other women, however, do not suffer from this at all and actually have beautiful smooth skin. The same applies to the hair on the head. Some women get a thick head of shiny hair, while some have to make do with a dull head of straw.

Week 15

During this week the baby becomes stronger. This is because he is constantly busy in your abdomen, and this develops his muscles. The baby has grown considerably again, it is now about 11 centimeters long. Although the child is fully developed, he would not yet be able to survive in the outside world. He is still dependent on your uterus, which he must feed on. It is important that the child continues to ‘mature’ in the remaining weeks so that he is ready to live independently.

You may experience severe abdominal pain in the fifteenth week of pregnancy. Do not worry! This is so-called ligament pain. The ligaments on which the uterus hangs are taking on more and more weight.

Week 16

In the sixteenth week of pregnancy, the baby is already 15 centimeters long. He now weighs about 120 grams. So you could already notice a slight weight gain. The baby is now completely covered with soft downy hairs to protect him. At the end of pregnancy, these hairs become loose and end up in the amniotic fluid. The baby swallows these hairs, and they will make up the baby’s first stool after birth. Babies born prematurely sometimes still have some downy hairs on their faces.

Another visit to the midwife is probably planned for this week. In this phase of pregnancy you will visit the midwife every 4 weeks.

read more

1. • Pregnancy: weeks 1 to 4
   • Pregnancy: weeks 5 to 8
   • Pregnancy: weeks 9 to 12
   • Pregnancy: weeks 17 to 20
   • Pregnancy: weeks 21 to 24