The 12^th week of pregnancy

How your body develops in the 12^th week of pregnancy

The typical pregnancy symptoms that have been with you for the past few weeks are probably behind you now. After the morning sickness phase, your appetite will start to increase again. During pregnancy it is advised to avoid certain foods such as raw or undercooked meat and fish, unpasteurised dairy products, raw or undercooked eggs, prepared salad leaves, or salads and things from the deli counter, like salami, as well as unwashed fruit and vegetables. Also limiting caffeine and avoiding alcohol are recommended. Please speak with your midwife or doctor for the full list of foods which are advised to avoid during pregnancy. However, at this stage it’s probably best to instead focus on those things which you can eat and you do enjoy! And look forward to the day, in the fairly near future, when you can eat something which you may have been missing during your pregnancy!

Your baby in the 12^th week

From the 12^th week of pregnancy your baby is completely devoted to its growth. You may see this from the outside too as for some mums they start to notice their small baby bump starting to show from this stage. However, we are all built differently and none of us look the same, so why would one woman’s pregnant tummy at 12 weeks be exactly the same as another woman’s?! Try not to compare yourself! Your midwife or doctor will be able to reassure you that your baby is growing just right for you.

In the 12^th week of pregnancy your baby is the size of a passion fruit. The foetus is about 5 to 6 cm and weighs about 14 to 16 grams. Your placenta is already the size of a fist and is responsible for the exchange between you and your baby. It supplies the baby with oxygen and important nutrients and at the same time removes waste products.

As in previous weeks of pregnancy, your baby's head is quite large compared to the rest of the body. Your baby's sucking reflex develops more and more, if you have an ultrasound you may see your baby sucking their thumb. The nerve pathways have been developed to such an extent that the baby can move its hands and feet now too, so your baby can swim around in your amniotic fluid!

Note:

*The information on height and weight are average values that cannot be applied to individual cases. Every baby develops individually.