You've successfully reached the end of the first trimester! Excited much? You should be because you've made it through the hardest phase of the three and would soon enter the relaxed babymoon phase. Let's first dive into the changes you would notice while you are 12 weeks pregnant.
Baby Development:
Your baby is now size of a lime
Baby at 12 weeks measures about 2 to 2¼ inches. The 12-week fetus is now the size of a plum with most of the body systems fully formed. Kidneys have started forming urine. This week, the eyes of the baby will move nearer to each other. Your baby's vocal cords will form during this week. Baby’s bone marrow begins making white blood cells. 12 weeks pregnant ultrasound may be suggested by your doctor to determine the number of babies and overall health of the baby. The 12-week ultrasound also determines any fetal abnormalities. You'll be able to hear your baby's heartbeat for the first time during this scan. A nuchal translucency scan is a common 12-week scan performed to identify chromosomal abnormalities by measuring the size of the nuchal fold at the back of your baby's neck. In the NT scan, a normal range of nuchal thickness at 12 weeks is of 2.18mm.
Body Changes
12 weeks pregnant belly may be more pronounced and may vary depending on the woman’s size and shape. As your blood volume has increased in your body, you may find that your gums are more sensitive and bleed. Some women would notice a dark vertical line running from the navel to the top of the pubic area. The dark line is the result of hormones and would vanish once the baby is delivered.
Find your due date/Calculating your due date:
Unless you've been tracking your ovulation, for a health practitioner to exactly know when you ovulated and conceived is hard to say. Most women ovulate about two weeks after the first day of their period. So, to calculate a standard timing, most health practitioners calculate the due date from the first day of your last menstrual period.
12 weeks pregnant symptoms:
Apart from the regular early pregnancy symptom like nausea, you might have these symptoms to go along with:
Here are a few number of common symptoms a woman may notice throughout her Pregnancy Symptoms Week 12.- Weight gain
- Skin pigmentation called melasma
- Darker areolas around the nipple
- Tender breasts
- Excessive saliva
- Clearer complexion
- Feeling re-energised
- High libido
- Bleeding gums
- Dizziness
- Bloating
Tips for You This Week
You can support your body to prepare for pregnancy by following the tips below:Let physical health be taken care of by a healthy diet and emotional health through journaling. Invest in loose-fitting clothes and supportive non-wired bra. Avoid alcohol and smoking. stay away from treatments like permanent hair colouring which involves the use of harsh chemicals. Say no to hot tubs and no to heavy lifting.