12th Week of Pregnancy - Physical Changes in Women, Ultrasound

The 12^th week is here finally! You are almost about to finish your first trimester and the symptoms would probably won’t be as severe in the coming weeks. The hormone levels start falling after the first trimester is completed and as the hormones fall, so does the symptoms. However, the same might not be true if you are pregnant with twins. You’ll have to wait a few more weeks before things start getting better.

Apart from the symptoms, there is also another big news for you- once the 12^th pregnancy week is over, the chances of miscarriage also fall sharply. So, if you haven’t shared your pregnancy news with others yet, this can be a great week to do so. Especially, if you are a working woman, you should inform your colleagues about the same and start planning your maternity leave. On the inside, all the major organs of your baby have been developed already and the only thing left for them is to grow and get better.

A lot of women start looking for a pregnancy exercise program or support groups for pregnant women around this period. While you might have your partner, family, and friends, you are sure to feel much better when you are around women who are also experiencing the same things as you. So, lot on to the internet and see if any such programs are groups are available close to your home. Some other important details about the 12^th week of your pregnancy are discussed below.

Baby’s Development in the 12^th Week

While all the organs are now growing in full swing, probably the most important thing to happen this week is your baby having reflexes. From 12^th week onwards, your baby would be able to open and close his/her fist, make sucking movements with the mouth and do a lot more with this new found feature. If you go for an ultrasound around the 12^th week, you can see your baby making little movements when you poke your belly.

While the intestines were sharing space with the umbilical cord until now, they’ll now start moving towards their permanent place in the abdomen. The nails which started to grow a couple weeks ago would now get bigger. As a matter of fact, a lot of babies are actually born with pretty long nails. Apart from this, all the other organs like the eyes, ears, etc. would get closer to their actual place and would be there by the end of the week.

Even the genitals would have developed by the end of the week. However, it is too soon to confirm the sex of your baby. The baby has already started swallowing and can freely move the arms and legs. The skeleton would continue to get stronger and the entire body would start taking the normal structure from the curved structure in which the baby was in during the past several weeks.

Physical Changes in Women in the 12^th Week

While the belly started growing a few weeks ago, the 12^th week is the time when people might start actually noticing it. This is another reason which makes the 12^th week the right time to announce your pregnancy. The weight gain would be fast once the 2^nd trimester begins. So, it’d better to stock up some bigger clothes if you haven’t already.

The breasts would continue to grow bigger and the areola would start getting darker. Do not worry as this is completely normal and your breasts are just getting prepared for lactation. As the uterus now starts moving towards the abdomen from the lower part of the pelvis, this could bring relief from one of the most annoying symptoms- frequent urination.

Fatigue is pretty common in the 12^th week but your energy levels would start to improve once you complete this trimester. A lot of women start feeling spells of dizziness around this period as the blood pressure starts falling and the blood flow to the brain reduces. So, avoid getting up too quickly. Better skin and hair are two things that might make you happy around this phase of the pregnancy.

Symptoms of 12^th Week Pregnancy

While the hormone levels would fall after the completion of the first trimester, they haven’t really started falling already. So, there would surely be quite a few symptoms in the 12^th week. A few more would also get added to the list.

Nausea
Dizziness
Fatigue
Headaches
Spotting
Bigger breasts and areolas
Increased vaginal discharge
Low sex drive
Dental or gum-related problems

Tips for 12^th Week Pregnancy

You know you’ve done a great job of sticking to all the best of tips and they sure have helped you until now. With the end of the first trimester just around the corner, there are some more than help.

Avoid overeating
Consume more vegetables and fruits
Do not forget your prenatal vitamins
Use a sunscreen before heading out in the sun
Kegel exercises are known to help
Focus on dental hygiene

Conclusion

The last few weeks have been way too busy and annoying, to say the least. But you’ve successfully navigated through the most difficult phase of the pregnancy and the future looks bright. Once the second trimester begins, apart from the food, you should also start focusing more on your physical activities as they would now directly affect the baby.

If you are yet to spread the good news, think of some innovative way to do so. A lot of women also start taking pictures of their belly from the 12^th week as pregnancy memento. You are sure to find the pictures very amazing once the pregnancy is over. While everything seems alright at the moment, make sure that you instantly get in touch with your doctor if you suffer from symptoms like cramps with bleeding, severe cramps that last for several days, or severe spotting on a daily basis. Try to start educating yourself about the second trimester in order to prepare yourself for the next milestone.

Pregnancy Checklist at 12 Weeks Pregnant

Start making a baby budget
Spread the news if you haven’t already
Schedule the mid-pregnancy prenatal visit
Consult your doctor before starting any new exercise regime

Baby’s Development in the 12th Week

Physical Changes in Women in the 12th Week

Symptoms of 12th Week Pregnancy

Tips for 12th Week Pregnancy