Your baby at week twelve of pregnancy
Your baby is now around four cm in length, with a compact, fully formed body, approximately the size of a lime.
At twelve weeks, the extreme development of new body parts is almost at an end, your baby is pretty much fully formed! The focus now is the development of the muscles as they strengthening.
A lot more development is yet to come all throughout your little one, both externally and internally, as he or she builds the strength and size needed for when they arrive in the outside world. The next twenty eight weeks are known as the maintenance phase, where organs continue to perform gentle work, for example the fetal digestive system has started to contract and gently flex its muscles, in preparation for your baby to digest milk in twenty eight weeks.
Your baby even has layer of fine hairs all over their body now, and they will start to wiggle their fingers and toes and wriggle around more now they have more developed muscles. Your baby’s reflex to touch will have developed and your baby may move in response to your hand on your tummy, although your little one is still too small for you to be able to feel this yet!
Your body at week twelve of pregnancy
Hopefully you will be starting the say goodbye to morning sickness and constant exhaustion as you near the second trimester of your pregnancy, although the invasion of hormones may be rendering you quite emotional still.
The bad news is that you may be about the experience a whole new set of symptoms. Dizziness can be a problem in the second trimester because your blood vessels are relaxing and widening to carrying more blood to your uterus and growing baby, reducing blood flow to your brain. This low blood pressure can render you light headed, especially if you sit up too quickly.
You may well now show a small pregnancy bump as your uterus rises above the pubic bone and higher up your body. This will relieve some pressure on your bladder lessening the urge to visit the bathroom so frequently and you will feel less bloated and more ‘pregnant’!
What you may be feeling at week twelve of pregnancy
At week twelve of pregnancy you will probably have the beginnings of a visible baby bump rather than just feeling bloated. If you haven’t told people your pregnancy news already then you may wish to now. Your mood swings should begin to settle and your pregnancy feel more real to you now that you have a baby bump and if you feel more relaxed to tell people.
Common symptoms at week twelve of pregnancy
- Nausea or vomiting – which should lessen now
- Frequent urination – will also subside as the uterus rises
- Tender or tingly breasts
- Fatigue
- Dizziness may increase due to low blood pressure and possibly low blood sugar
- Irritability or unexpected emotions should be settling down
- Heartburn or constipation
- Food aversions or cravings
- Increased hunger
Tips for week twelve of pregnancy
- At around week twelve you may be offered tests to determine the health of you and your baby and to screen for any genetic defects. This can be confusing and will vary from region to region and family to family depending on your medical history. Some tests are standard and some are on request. Talk to you doctor about what is best for you and about any worries you may have.
- Start doing your kegal exercises (exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor) which is great for your pregnancy and birth as well as your recovery after delivery.
- Share your news with friends and family!
If you have any symptoms that concern you it is important to consult your doctor as soon as you can.