12 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect

You are coming to the end of the first trimester, and that is exciting ladies! The 12th week is a milestone for your pregnancy as you have now been pregnant for three months. For most of you, your hormones that had gone berserk may have started coming back to normal.

Also, if you had been keeping this happy news under wraps, it’s about time to spill the beans. As in the last couple of weeks, you may still be only barely showing, but some of you might be showing at least a small baby bump.

Video: 12 Weeks Pregnant – What to Expect

Your Baby’s Growth During Pregnancy – Week 12

Adding to the development of the baby’s organs, your baby’s sex organs may already be showing externally or may show any minute depending on the hormonal activity taking place.

More importantly, your baby will start acting on reflexes such as sucking. Your baby’s kidneys will also be functional as they can now start producing urine. What was previously just a bed for fingers may also manifest as fingernails at the end of 12th week.

What Is the Baby’s Size?

After finding out about the growth of your baby, it’s only natural that you are eager to know about the 12 weeks pregnant baby size.

By this time your baby would be the size of an apricot or a plum. This means that it has grown around 3-3.5 inches from a mere 2 inches at the end of the 12th week. It is also worth knowing that your baby weighs around 28-29 grams or just a mere ounce. More importantly, your baby’s body has developed a digestive system and the bone marrow has already started producing white blood cells.

Common Body Changes

By this time, it should be a no-brainer that your body will again show some sort of a change at the end of your first trimester. The common body changes during pregnancy include a bit of weight gain, maybe around 500 grams or a kilo.

More importantly, your uterus is steadily growing, and your doctor may already be able to feel it in your lower abdomen. Otherwise, you will continue to get curves. Though you may be showing only a hint of a bump, your clothes will most definitely feel tight.

Symptoms of Pregnancy at Week 12

In a saga of rapidly developing baby and mommy bodies, read on to find out more about the symptoms of pregnancy at the 12th week.

• Melasma or an increase in the pigmentation of the skin. This is caused due to hormonal changes that temporarily increase the melanin in the skin.
• Breasts starting to feel sore as they prepare to start producing milk.
• Darkening of the areolas around the nipples due to increased pigmentation.

Besides that, let’s revisit some of the symptoms which you may already have grown accustomed to by now.

• Vaginal discharge: This is usually experienced to protect the vagina against infection.
• Headaches: Many women experience headaches due to the lower blood sugar levels in the blood
• Spotting: A special mention to this because not every instance of spotting means that you have miscarried. Don’t forget to contact your doctor regardless.
• Fatigue: Bouts of dizziness and fatigue can happen suddenly as the blood gets diverted to the baby.

Belly at 12 Weeks of Pregnancy

There should be some accelerated growth in this department, as you should be sporting a bump by the 12th week. Even if it’s not entirely visible, your body will certainly feel curvier and fit snugly with most of the clothes you own.

Even if there is no bump showing yet, your underbelly may certainly feel heavier than what it used to before you got pregnant.

12 Weeks Ultrasound

In a nutshell, your baby has all the correct organs in place, meaning that it’s only a matter of maturation from this point onward. Along with continuing to grow steadily bigger, your baby’s tissues will also grow and mature.

The baby’s brain has developed and will continue to develop in the coming weeks. Your baby can now curl their toes and make some fingers movements, such as opening and closing. Above all, your baby has now grown reflexes so far as to be reacting to your touch or belly poking which of course is visible only in an ultrasound.

What to Eat

This question may have haunted you most of your pregnancy, and for many, the question of 12th week pregnancy food will continue to be bothersome. Nevertheless, your target should be to form a balanced diet, regardless of how averse you may be to food right now. Below is a suggestion that can help you.

• Pick fruits and green leafy vegetables which contain vitamins and minerals.
• Avoid junk food and choose snacks like nuts, yogurt and sunflower seeds. Nutritious and satisfying, they ensure you stay full for longer.
• Don’t forget to add quite a bit of lean protein, most commonly chicken and fish, as it helps the baby’s bones and muscles develop.
• Eat complex carbohydrates as they as essential for foetal development.
• Eat foods with more fibre as they help relieve constipation.
• Try and eat for two, but do not overeat so that there is optimum weight-gain.

Tips & Care

Completing the first trimester of your pregnancy, which may have been painful and difficult for many, nonetheless, reminds you that there is no turning back from this moment on. This means that now it is your responsibility to keep both yourself and your baby healthy and protected. Your lifestyle choices will most certainly reflect on your little baby, which is why it’s important that you take care of yourself above all.

Dos

Below are listed some pointers that should be done during the 12th week of pregnancy.

• Eat frequently to keep your blood sugar in check. However, be careful not to overeat.
• Take care of oral health, especially since your hormones may contribute to gum bleeding.

Don’ts

Below are listed some pointers that should not be done at any point of your pregnancy.

• Don’t smoke as it can increase the chances of respiratory problems for the baby significantly.
• Don’t drink alcohol as it affects the growth of the brain and the cells of the spinal cord.
• Don’t try any extreme slimming options such as starving yourself as it could affect the baby adversely.
• Avoid living in poor conditions such as lack of ventilation, or in places which are too hot or too cold
• Avoid saunas or hot tubs as the body is unable to sweat properly because of an increased blood supply and hormones. This means that the body is unable to lose heat effectively and affects the baby as the body temperature rises.

What You Need to Shop for

Pregnancy shopping at the end of the first trimester is generally not that different from the last couple of months. However, it’s important to invest in good shoes because uncomfortable shoes may add to headaches, interfere with the body’s balance or even contribute to leg cramps and swelling of your feet.

You can go ahead and invest in good parenting books, comfortable stretchy bras, some may even opt for nursing bras as they will come in handy very soon. You may also look into investing in good pair of maternity jeans if you wish to continue wearing jeans but are worried about the fitting of your regular ones. And then there are lovely printed maternity tunics with pockets from Bella Mama. Stock up on healthy food and snacks. Invest in maternity clothes. Don’t forget to buy good oral health-care products. Invest in good lotions and moisturisers. Do consult your doctor and stock up on vitamins that will help both you and your baby.

By the 12th week of pregnancy, you’re well into your second month of pregnancy and the symptoms like headaches and dizziness may make regular work a little tedious. However, many may start experiencing fewer bouts of morning sickness. The good news is that this is probably the last tough week after which many of these symptoms are likely to disappear.

Previous Week: 11 Weeks Pregnant

Next Week: 13 Weeks Pregnant