Pregnancy Week 12

How big is your baby? Your baby is now measuring about 5.4cm, which is 2.13 inches and weighs about 14grams, which is about 0.49 ounce. Your baby’s development Few Few new structures are formed during the course of this week but those thatare already forming will continue to grow and develop.   At your 12 week check up you may be able to hear the sound of your baby’s heartbeating with the aid of a doppler, which is a special listening device. It magnifiesyour baby’s heart beat so that you and your partner can hear it. If you dont hearthe heart beat then dont be alarmed. There may be some situations where you wonthear the heart beat, such as if the placenta is lying accross the from of the stomach. Your baby’s skeletal system now consists of mainly bone as ossification has occurredin most of the bones already. Also the fingers and toes have separated and evenalready have nails which are now growing. Even scattered rudiments of hair are presenton the body. The external genitalia are also beginning to show signs of either the male or femalesex, and although your health care provider may hazard a guess at the sex, thereis still a good chance of him/her being wrong.   Your babys digestive system is now developed enough that it is even capable of producingcontractions strong enough to push food through the bowels and is even able to absorbglucose. The base of your baby’s brain, know as the pituitary gland, is also beginning tomake hormones this week. Your development By the end of 12 weeks your uterus will be too big remain completely in yourpelvis and you may feel it above your pubic bone. Your pubic bone is also know asthe pubic symphysis. At this stage you are starting to feel better as most of the early symptoms of pregnancy begin to disappear, especially morning sickness. You may notice that you are getting bigger in places other than your stomach,such as your breasts. During your pregnancy you may begin to notice some changes in your skin. In manypregnancies women develop a dark line from their belly button down. This dark lineis known as the linea nigra. You shouldnt be surprised if you dont develop this,as not everyone does.

Occasionally women also develop dark patches on the face and neck, and this is calledchloasma, or the mask of pregnancy. However thesewill disappear or get lighter once your pregnancy is over. During pregnancy you may need to be cautious with fats and sweets, unless your healthcareprovider has specified that he wants you to take these in during your pregnancy.Most fats and sweets are high in calories, but low in nutritional value, so eatthem sparingly. There are healthier ways to quench your pregnancy cravings with some handy junk food fixes.