October 12, 2024

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12 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Development, Symptoms & Signs

12 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Development, Symptoms & Signs

This is a big week for your baby: Your little one’s key body systems and vital organs have formed, including those that will help fight off germs and make eating food possible.

Meanwhile, at 12 weeks pregnant and with the second trimester in sight, your baby bump may be looking a little more pronounced. If not? Don’t worry. It will soon enough!

Your Baby at Week 12

At a Glance

The big move

The big move

During week 8, your baby’s intestines were infringing on umbilical cord space. But this week, they’re completing the move back into the abdomen.

Future grandparent?

Future grandparent?

Your baby’s pituitary gland at the base of the brain has begun producing hormones, meaning your little one could give you grandchildren one day.

Germ fighter

Germ fighter

Your baby’s bone marrow is making white blood cells, so she’ll be able to fight off all those germs passed around the playground.

12 weeks pregnant is how many months?

If you’re 12 weeks pregnant, you’re in month 3 of your pregnancy. Only 6 months left to go! Still have questions? Here’s some more information on how weeks, months and trimesters are broken down in pregnancy.

How big is my baby at 12 weeks?

By now your baby weighs a full half-ounce, with a crown-to-rump length of 2 to 2¼ inches: about the size of a lime.

It may be hard to believe if you’re not really showing yet (though plenty of women do look pregnant at this point), but your baby has more than doubled in size during the past three weeks.

Baby’s digestive system begins working

This week marks a turning point for your baby. At 12 weeks pregnant, the Herculean task of developing new bodily structures is nearing an end, as most of your baby’s systems are fully formed — though there’s still plenty of maturing to do.

Now comes the maintenance phase, during which your fetus’ systems continue to evolve for the next 28 weeks and the organs get to work. For one thing, the fetal digestive system is beginning to flex its muscles — literally — as it starts practicing contraction movements, a skill your little peanut will need after birth to push food through the digestive tract.

Baby’s in germ-fighting mode

The bone marrow is busy making white blood cells — weapons that will one day help your baby fight infections once she’s out of your safe haven and in a regular play group. And the pituitary gland at the base of the brain has started producing the hormones that’ll enable her to make babies of her own in a few decades or so.

Your Body at Week 12

baby size at 12 weeks pregnant

The end of some pregnancy symptoms

As you near the end of your first trimester, your uterus, now about the size of a large grapefruit, begins to migrate from the bottom of your pelvis to a front-and-center position in your abdomen.

If you’re lucky, this will bring an end to one pesky early pregnancy symptom: the constant urge to urinate.

Also slated to diminish somewhat now that you’re on the cusp of your second trimester are some of those other early pregnancy symptoms: nausea, super tender breasts and nipples, food aversions and fatigue.

Your 12 weeks pregnant belly

At 12 weeks, your baby bump may be more pronounced and show to the outside world. But it’s just as likely that while your clothes may be getting a little tight, you won’t yet have a noticeably pregnant belly at this point. 

Whatever the case may be, know that your 12 weeks pregnant belly is completely normal, whether it’s on the bigger, smaller or invisible side. Baby bumps can vary widely depending on the woman’s size and shape and whether this is a first or subsequent pregnancy.

So don’t fret if your bump at 12 weeks doesn’t look like your pregnant friend’s at the same stage. All bumps are beautiful! If you’re not showing yet, you will be in time, and if you are showing quite a bit, that’s fine too. You can always talk to your practitioner if you have any concerns.

Dizzy spells

Once you hit your second trimester, there’s a new pregnancy symptom that may be added to the mix: dizziness. And guess who’s to blame? Yup — it’s your old friend progesterone again, which causes your blood vessels to relax and widen around 12 weeks pregnant, increasing the flow of blood to your baby (again, good for baby), but slowing the return of blood to you (as always, not so good for mom).

What that means for you is lower blood pressure and reduced blood flow throughout your body, including to your brain. These factors can contribute to that light-headed, dizzy feeling — especially when you get up too quickly — which is why slow and steady wins the race here.

Another cause of dizziness during pregnancy is low blood sugar levels, which can occur if you’re not eating regularly. So don’t try to run…or even walk…on empty.

Here’s a quick tip: If you feel dizzy or faint, lie down or sit with your head lowered between your knees, take deep breaths and loosen any tight clothing — like that button on your jeans you struggled to close in the first place. As soon as you feel a little better, get something to eat and drink.

Low sex drive

Your best friend says being pregnant has seriously boosted that good old libido — but you aren’t feeling any friskier. What’s the deal with your decreased sex drive?

Hormones hit every woman differently, meaning a spike in sex drive for some and a damper on it for others. Pregnancy symptoms can also stand between you and a good time — after all, it’s hard to get in the mood when you’re queasy, tired or constipated (or all of the above and then some!).

Rest assured, whatever you’re feeling is normal. Just stay emotionally connected with your partner and remember that many women have ups and downs in sex drive throughout pregnancy. So you may be in for a warmer spell soon.

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 12

Increased sense of smell
Increased sense of smell

Fewer frequent bathroom trips
Fewer frequent bathroom trips

Occasional headaches
Occasional headaches

Fatigue
Fatigue

Bloating and gas
Bloating and gas

Excessive saliva
Excessive saliva

Tips for You This Week

Know your workout no-no’s

Here’s a quick list of some things to avoid during your pregnancy workouts:

  • Don’t exercise on your back after the first trimester.

  • Try not to hold your breath while you work out.

  • Steer clear of jerky or twisting motions, which could further strain your already stressed-out joints.

  • Be careful about moves that challenge your sense of balance or risk any sort of trauma to your abdomen.

You’ll soon have less oxygen available for exercise, so stop when you get tired and avoid getting overheated. Now isn’t the time to do bikram or “hot” yoga.

Photograph your bump

Is your pregnant belly ready for its close-up? Someday you’ll enjoy looking at pictures or videos of your baby bump — and so will your child.

Once a month, document your changing figure. Start now (if you haven’t already) and take photos regularly until you deliver. Later, you can put your “bumpies” into some kind of pregnancy album — you’ll be glad you did.

Snack before exercise

One of exercise’s big benefits is that it burns calories. Card-carrying baby-builders like you, though, get the pleasure of replacing those calories with some healthy pregnancy snacks.

So 30 minutes before you exercise, hit the fridge for a light snack and a drink. Follow up your workout with an encore snack.

Bananas and orange juice are great options because they contain plenty of potassium, an essential nutrient that’s lost when you perspire, plus they supply quick energy. Add a little protein for staying power like a hard-boiled egg or a cheese stick.

Start budgeting for baby

Having a baby was never cheap — but thanks to inflation, a middle-income family may now spend an average of $18,270 on a child each year.

Here’s a range of what you may spend on baby on some of the bigger ticket items:

  • Car seat: $80 to $400

  • Stroller: $100 to $1,000

  • Bassinet: $70 to $650

  • Crib: $125 to $350 or more

  • Baby monitor: $25 to $400

  • Diapers for the first year: $510 to $930

  • Formula for a year: $1200 to $1500

Don’t stress about buying everything all at once. Some (or all) of them can go onto your baby registry, if you have one.

And for anything that doesn’t make the cut, just try to save a little at a time — say, by cutting back on restaurant meals or canceling some monthly subscriptions you no longer use regularly.

Go for loose styles to manage tummy upset

Nearly half of pregnant women will have heartburn, bloating and other tummy troubles — and for some, it may last all nine months. 

You can put out the fire by wearing looser or stretchy clothes, like empire-waist maxi dresses, drawstring pants and lightweight sweaters. Anything that’s too tight around your waist can constrict your tummy, fueling the burn.

Stay hydrated

Drink up — it’s more important than ever to stay hydrated, so plan on adding an extra glass of liquid for every half hour of activity. And no cheating … it should be an 8-ounce glass.

Stick to water when possible — sports drinks contain too many ingredients you just don’t need. Take in even more fluids in warm weather or when you’re just plain sweating a lot.

Don’t skip all seafood

For the pregnant set, not all fish are created equal. While you should avoid high-mercury fish like tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico, shark, swordfish, orange roughy, bigeye tuna, marlin and king mackerel, don’t steer clear of all good-for-you seafood.

Fish is one of the best sources of DHA (a healthy omega-3 fatty acid), so try to eat two to three servings of well-cooked shellfish, canned light tuna, salmon (wild-caught is best), or cod a week.

From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.

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