12 weeks pregnant: doubts? All you need to know!

At 12 weeks gestation marks the end of the first trimester. In this week of gestation, the already formed embryo begins to be a fetus. Throughout this trimester, the future baby will mature and develop enormously. Around this week, the pregnant woman will have to do several tests to check the health status of the fetus.

Here we explain how your body evolves at 12 weeks of pregnancy  and how your baby is growing. We help you to clarify all your doubts about the development of the fetus and guide you on possible solutions for different disorders and discomforts typical of pregnancy, such as nasal congestion during pregnancy.

Symptoms that the mother presents at 12 weeks of pregnancy:

The belly starts to show and, with each passing day, it is more difficult to disguise. The uterus enlarges to accommodate the fetus, so a pregnant woman’s belly will be noticed! In the twelfth week, you may feel uncomfortable, because your usual clothes are too small.

If you notice that they squeeze you a lot, it might be time to buy maternity clothes. Your body’s constitution changes outside: pelvis, hips and waist widen to fit the baby in the womb, so it’s very important that you feel comfortable so you don’t suffer stress .

How it changes from the inside at 12 weeks gestation:

Blood flow increases blood in the blood vessels and hormones produce more sebaceous glands. That’s why your skin will look fresher and healthier. However, increasing fat production can also lead to some problems such as acne . In addition, it can also happen that freckles and moles become darker or that small red lines appear on the chest and legs, which is called a skin nevus and is due to increased blood flow in the skin.

Disorders that can affect you during 12 weeks of pregnancy:

The good news is that Nausea is rare at this point. In 60% of pregnant women they disappear at 12 weeks of gestation and around 30% at 16 weeks of gestation. Only 10% of cases persist until the end of pregnancy, albeit sporadically. Some of the symptoms you will show this week are:

• Less nausea than in the first two months;
• Swelling sensation;
• Gases;
• Flatulence.

Acidity in the upper part of the digestive system:

It’s also known as heartburn , and it involves an impression of heat across the chest area, but don’t be alarmed, it’s completely normal. It often happens in pregnant women due to its own enlargement allowing stomach acid to rise up into the mouth and you will feel like it burns your throat, chest etc. If you notice that it is a very intense pain, go to the doctor to prescribe some medication to reduce the burn. This will happen especially in a horizontal position.

Less appetite:

A definitive scientific explanation has not been determined why many mothers find it difficult to eat in these nine months. The smell has intensified to a great extent and the perception of some smells causes Nausea , preventing them from eating certain foods such as fish or very strong vegetables (such as Broccoli , Zucchini , Garlic …). There are more arguments in this regard, such as a hormonal change that causes digestion difficulties as well as constipation and stomach discomfort. Therefore, they could not eat at certain times of pregnancy. Again, if the problem persists, see your doctor.

Development of your baby at 12 weeks of pregnancy:

During these 12 weeks of pregnancy your baby already has some reflexes. For example, if you touch your belly, it will react by moving, although you still won’t be able to tell. It also has another very important reflex for when it is born: the sucking reflex, which will help it to feed.

If you could hold it in the palm of your hand, you would see that it is the size of a green lemon. It now measures about 5 centimeters and weighs about 14 grams.

Meanwhile, your nerve cells are multiplying very quickly and synapses (connections) are forming in your brain. They can already close their fingers, curl their toes, and tighten the muscles around their eyes.

Although he is still very young, he is a complete baby. His eyes, which were previously on the sides of his head, moved and are now closer together. His ears are almost placed in their final position, on the sides of his face. Your intestines, which have grown so quickly that they drain a little through the umbilical cord, will begin to move rapidly within the abdominal cavity.

Inside his body, organs began to perform more complicated tasks: the liver produces bile and the kidneys secrete urine into the bladder.

Changes in the fetus during 12 weeks of gestation:

This week continues with a very fast growth, only in one week it increases 15%. It’s like a child grows 7 cm in a week. Organs continue to mature rapidly and many structures in the body begin to take on their final shape. For example, this week the vocal cords are formed, the development of fingernails and toenails begins and little by little the hair on the body begins to appear.

The digestive system, which already receives fluid thanks to the swallowing fluid of the fetus, is becoming more sophisticated. At first it was a simple tube, but it was growing and curving to gradually begin to resemble what we know as the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. The kidney produces more and more urine, although many of the functions it will have in the future have yet to appear.

At 12 weeks of pregnancy the first ultrasound will come:

At 12 Weeks Pregnancy , the first ultrasound should ideally be scheduled, although an earlier exam may have been done to confirm pregnancy.

The reasons for choosing 12 weeks gestation for this crucial ultrasound are varied. First, the fetus is now big enough to appreciate enough of its development to be able to detect possible abnormalities.

Also, before, we could not detect a heartbeat even if it existed or give hope in pregnancies that will not go on naturally. All these reasons advise that the ultrasound should be done now and not a few weeks earlier.

This ultrasound can serve, in some cases, to know the sex of the baby, but its fundamental function is diagnostic. It will be possible to determine the number of fetuses in the pregnancy, know the position in the uterus, listen to the heartbeat and measure the fetus to determine if the growth corresponds to the calculated gestational age. Most malformations can also be detected.

The measurement of the nuchal fold is performed. The nuchal translucency technique is considered a marker of trisomy 21 or Down syndrome .

Tips for those who are 12 weeks pregnant:

Eat properly. It’s not okay to overeat or overeat. Now you must nurture your child, but it is not recommended that you overdo it. Don’t fall for all cravings and eat healthy, a little bit of everything.

Do not use drugs. Also, you are at a very important stage as a pregnant woman and you have a responsibility not to harm the baby because of tobacco or alcoholic beverages.

Remember that in the slightest doubt that arises you should go to the doctor to avoid possible complications that end in a natural abortion. If necessary, he will send you for a 4d ultrasound, ultrasound, or other medical examination he deems appropriate. You can also find out if they are twins, triplets, etc.