
For Dad During Pregnancy
Week 13: Get in There!
If she's talking about the new baby more with her girlfriends and mother than with you, it's up to you to get yourself in the game.If you're feeling left out of the pregnancy process, don't just stand there feeling sorry for yourself — do something about it. Your partner has a lot on her mind (and a lot to get off her chest), and if she's talking about the new baby more with her girlfriends and mother than with you, it's up to you to get yourself in the game. She may not even realize she's leaving you out, or she may not think you're that interested (especially if you haven't acted that interested), or she may be hesitant to "burn out" the topic this early in the pregnancy. Set her at ease by bringing it up yourself. And if you really feel left out (or even if you don't), start looking into your company's paternity-leave policy. This way you'll be sure not to be left out of all the fun after the baby is born.See more tips for dad during pregnancy.
Your Pregnant Body This Week
Week 13 of Pregnancy: Vaginal Discharge
Known in medicalese as leukorrhea (try getting that right in a spelling bee), your perfectly normal new discharge is thin, milky, mild-smelling (or odorless), and can be expected to increase as your pregnancy progresses.Feeling better yet? Now that you're just a week away from the second trimester, you should be feeling pretty good soon (after all, the second trimester doesn't get its reputation for being the easiest and most comfortable of the three trimesters for nothing). But if you're not feeling better yet, don't worry. While most early pregnancy symptoms will probably soon be behind you, some women find that nausea and fatigue linger into the fourth and even fifth months. And unfortunately, for some women, those and other usual first trimester suspects (such as bloating, constipation, headaches, and breast tenderness) can continue to some extent throughout pregnancy.
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Of course, even though the second trimester is known as the trimester of smooth sailing, it doesn't mean you'll be symptom-free in the near future. Far from it. Something else you might have noticed recently is an increase in your vaginal discharge. Known in medicalese as leukorrhea (try getting that right in a spelling bee), this perfectly normal discharge is thin, milky, mild-smelling (sometimes even odorless), and can be expected to increase as your pregnancy progresses. Leukorrhea is caused by the stepped-up production of estrogen (your other pregnancy hormone pal) as well as the increased blood flow to the pelvic area. Its purpose is noble: to protect the birth canal from infection and maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the vagina. Unfortunately, in achieving its noble purpose, leukorrhea can make a mess of your underwear. If it'll make you more comfortable, you can use a panty-liner (never a tampon) to absorb the discharge. But don't take it any further than that. Never douche while you're pregnant. Actually, it's really never a good idea to douche; douching can upset the normal balance of microorganisms in the vagina and can lead to vaginal infections. Douching can also force air into the vagina during pregnancy, which can be dangerous.
Your Baby's Development This Week
Week 13 of Pregnancy: Fetal Growth Rates
Your fetus is now about three inches long, the size of a peach — and half of that length is head. By the time your baby is ready to make his or her entrance into the world, the head will be only one-fourth as large as the body.
Your fetus is now about three inches long and the size of a peach. But don't compare your fetus with the fetus next door. Starting about now, babies begin growing at different paces, some faster than others, some more slowly, though they all follow the same developmental path. Growing at a universally breakneck speed now is your baby's body as it tries to catch up to the head in terms of size. Though your baby's head is about half the size of its body now, by the time your baby is ready to make his or her entrance into the world, the head will be only one-fourth as large as the body. Your baby's intestines are also in for some big changes right now. Up till this point, they've been growing in a cavity inside the umbilical cord; but now they're moving to their permanent (and more conveniently located) address, in your baby's abdomen. And to serve your growing baby's needs, the placenta is also growing. It weighs about an ounce now and will weigh one to two pounds at birth (something else you'll soon be able to blame your weight gain on!).
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Also developing this week: your baby's vocal chords. Because sound can't travel through your uterus (your baby's current habitat), you won't be able to hear any sounds or cries just yet, but oh boy (or girl) — those vocal chords will get a good workout once that baby is born.


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