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You are in the last week of your first trimester at week 12. You will complete your first trimester at the end of this week. Leaving you with six months or about 28 weeks of pregnancy to complete. This week is a big week for your baby because all of their organs are now fully formed, and if you have not been able to hear your baby’s heartbeat, you should expect to hear the that when you go for your next prenatal checkup.
The pituitary gland in your baby’s brain, located at the base of the brain, has begun to produce hormones.
Until week 11, the intestines were in the umbilical cord, but this week, there is enough space in your baby’s abdomen for the intestines to move into.
White blood cells have started production in your baby’s bone marrow; he will be able to fight off all the germs.
The pituitary gland in your baby’s brain, located at the base of the brain, has begun to produce hormones.
Until week 11, the intestines were in the umbilical cord, but this week, there is enough space in your baby’s abdomen for the intestines to move into.
White blood cells have started production in your baby’s bone marrow; he will be able to fight off all the germs.
At 12 weeks, your baby has finally taken on the appearance of a small human. All of the physical characteristics and body parts are present. From now until the baby’s birthday, there’s a lot of maturing and growing to accomplish. Your baby’s skin is fragile and transparent (see-through), and spades hair begins to grow on the skin.
Bones are hardening, including the skeleton, skull, and long bones. Your baby now has ten toes and fingers, and there is no longer webbing. Although your baby’s legs are still short, the arms are now proportionate and have progressively functioning hands. Your body can open and close their fingers and also curl their toes. Fingernails are also starting to grow.
Your baby’s vocal cords are developing, and you can also now listen to your baby’s heartbeat when you go for your scan.
The abdominal organs such as the spleen, intestines, and liver are now formed. Your soon newborn’s liver is producing red blood cells for oxygen delivery and the bone marrow is producing white blood cells for your baby to fight germs. Hormones are being secreted by the thyroid and pancreas gland.
At week eight, your baby’s intestines grew so fast that they protruded into the umbilical. However, his intestines, which had protruded into the umbilical cord due to their rapid growth, are now moving back into his abdominal cavity. The sex organs of your baby are now formed, the lungs keep mating, and your baby is inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid.
Generally, the twelfth week of your pregnancy is a busy one for your baby as there is a lot of growth and changes.
In the last three weeks, your baby has grown almost double its size. Your baby’s present size is about 2.13 inches, more precisely about the size of a lime. Your baby now weighs about fourteen grams or half an Ounce.
As your baby grows bigger, your baby bump grows as well. At week 12, your baby bump looks more pronounced than before. However, for some people, you may only look like you’ve put on weight on your stomach side, without a pronounced baby bump. Don’t worry if you don’t have a bump yet; the size of everyone’s bump differs according to their body system.
At 12 weeks pregnant, you have about 28 more weeks to complete your pregnancy journey.
As you approach the end of the first trimester, the uterus, which is about the size of a lime, moves from the bottom of your pelvis to the front and center of your abdomen. If you’re lucky, this will end one of the early pregnancy symptoms such as frequent urination. Some other early pregnancy symptoms, such as nausea, fatigue, super tender breasts and nipples, food aversions, are also expected to subside now that you’re approaching your trimester.
Food aversion, Nausea and Tiredness
At 12 weeks, there is a chance that some of the symptoms you experienced earlier will stop or reduce. If you are in luck, this will bring an end to one of the most annoying early pregnancy symptoms: the need to urinate constantly. Other symptoms that are likely to stop includes; very tender breasts and nipples, nausea, aversion to some food, and tiredness.
At this week, there is a release of progesterone which allows your blood vessels to relax so that blood can flow to the baby. This is essential for the baby, but causes you to feel dizzy frequently this week and almost throughout your second trimester.
Other symptoms you should expect this week are: occasional headaches and an increased sense of smell, you may still experience fatigue. You may have a low sex drive, you will not need to visit the bathroom as frequently as before, you will have excess saliva. You may drool when sleeping and you may also feel bloated and release a lot of gas.
Food Aversion, Nausea, and tiredness
At 12 weeks, there is a chance that some of the symptoms you experienced earlier will stop or reduce. If you are in luck, this will bring an end to one of the most annoying early pregnancy symptoms: the need to urinate constantly. Other symptoms that are likely to stop includes; very tender breasts and nipples, nausea, aversion to some food, and tiredness.
At this week, there is a release of progesterone which allows your blood vessels to relax so that blood can flow to the baby. This is essential for the baby, but causes you to feel dizzy frequently this week and almost throughout your second trimester.
Other symptoms you should expect this week are: occasional headaches and an increased sense of smell, you may still experience fatigue. You may have a low sex drive, you will not need to visit the bathroom as frequently as before, you will have excess saliva. You may drool when sleeping and you may also feel bloated and release a lot of gas.
Since your body is now growing along with your baby, you should wear loose and free clothes as much as you can. Also, trade-in your normal bras for maternity ones so that you can give your tender breasts some relief. You can also use ice packs for this purpose.
Ensure that you’re drinking water regularly and try not to stand for long periods. If you feel dizzy, try to sit down and open any tight clothing.
Watch what you eat, and try your best not to eat junk foods. You should also start thinking of and trying out exercises for pregnant women. Avoid drinking or eating anything that contains alcohol as alcohol is dangerous for your baby; it can cause birth deformities and abnormalities.
Most importantly, make sure to schedule a visit to your clinic at sixteen weeks and follow your doctor’s instructions.
Stomach Aches:Â Watch out for stomach pain this week. Although the risk of miscarriage is significantly lower, we cannot entirely rule it out.Â
Having stomach pain this week is not totally abnormal, as it can be a side effect of your bloating and gas, but you should be concerned if the stomach pain is severe. Consult your Ob-Gyn if you are having severe stomach pain accompanied with bleeding.
Dizziness:Â Although dizziness is a symptom of pregnancy in the twelfth week, low blood sugar can also be the cause. You might have a low blood sugar level if you are not eating well, so make sure to eat good food.
Infections:Â Also, watch out for infections. Vaginal discharge is a symptom of pregnancy this week, but if your vaginal discharge is pink, brown, green, or yellowish, you should contact your doctor. You may have an infection, or it can even be a sign of miscarriage.
Weight gain:Â Watch out for excess weight gain. You are already gaining weight in this week of your pregnancy, so be careful not to gain excess to avoid complications such as diabetes in pregnancy, high blood pressure, and pre-eclampsia. Eating healthy will help you avoid excessive weight gain.
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