In pregnancy week 12, your finger-sucking little one has grown to over two inches in length. The ears and eyes are moving to their actual position on the face. The face is complete with a little chin. Heartbeat can be heard, so make sure on your next visit to ask the doctor to let you listen to your little one's heartbeat, with a fetal Doppler stethoscope.
The kidneys have already begun to produce urine which collects in the bladder. The genitals are taking shape and soon you will be able to see your little one's sex in no time, through the ultrasound. Reflex movements are increasing as the neurons in the brains are multiplying extremely fast. The brain has also started to produce hormones.
This pregnancy week 12 is the last week of the first trimester, and the fetus weighs about half an ounce. Soon the growth will be very fast, and your baby will be a few pounds in weight, and ready to be delivered.
Let's now see how you are changing. This week 12, your uterus will be moving up and out of your pelvic region, and will rest just above the pubic bone. The uterus will increase in size to accommodate your baby, and will grow from a mere 2.5 oz before pregnancy to as much as two lbs by the end of pregnancy.
You may undergo pigmentation, and some pregnant women will find a dark line running down their abdomen, while others may find their freckles darkening in pregnancy week 12 and later. Some women also find brown patches, called the mask of pregnancy, on the neck and face. Protect your skin with some chemical-free sun block. if you have them. But after delivery, it'll slowly disappear. The nipples and areolas may already be darkened, and now the skin around them may darken.
Check with your doctor whether you can use the cosmetics that you used before pregnancy. Some anti-wrinkle creams may have Vitamin A. Although Vitamin A is good for your little one, too much of it can cause jaundice and liver damage.
You may suffer from heartburn this pregnancy week 12, because of the hormone progesterone. It tends to relax the valve found between the esophagus and stomach. This causes some of the digesting food plus the stomach acid, to backflow from the stomach into the esophagus. To prevent this heartburn, eat smaller meals more frequently.
If your uterus at week 12 is bigger than normal, your doctor may suspect that you are carrying twins. If he suspects that, he will take an ultrasound to check. There is greater risk when carrying more than one fetus. However fetal loss is less after week 12.
You may feel it's not safe for you to wear a safety belt, but it can be adjusted so that any serious injury to you and your baby can be prevented in the event of an accident.
Get your partner to participate in the pregnancy. Soon it'll be very real for him too, as he feels your little one, kicking in your abdomen. Plan the redecorating of a room to make it a nursery, but let him do the painting towards the middle of pregnancy. It's better to give it a coat of paint earlier, so that by the time your baby has arrived the room will not smell of paint. Get him to come for your appointments with the doctor, so that he too can see your little one moving during the ultra-sound.
