The twelfth week of pregnancy
Your changing body
By the 12th week, your Uterus will start shifting upwards and forward as it grows, which will reduce the pressure on your Bladder a little, reducing the urgency to pee very often, for a while. By the end of first trimester, your Uterus becomes too large to remain completely in your Pelvis. You may feel it above your pubic bone.
If this is your first pregnancy, your regular clothes may still fit you. But if you have had other pregnancies, you are likely to be into your maternity wardrobe by now. Some skin changes become more apparent around the end of 12 weeks and beginning of the second Trimester. These include chloasma (uneven dark brown patches on the face and the neck), freckles and appearance of linea nigra.
A dark vertical line (linea nigra) that appears down the middle of your tummy is usually observed around the second Trimester. You may also notice darkening of the skin surrounding your nipples and areolas. Although these skin changes are temporary and will fade after few weeks of delivery, they may irk you while you are pregnant.
Your growing baby
Around the twelfth week, your little wonder has grown to a length of about 5- 5.5 cm and weighs around 14 g. By now your baby’s fingers begin to open and close, toes curl, eye muscles clinch, mouth makes sucking movements, finger and toenails also begin to appear. Your baby responds to your touch, but you probably won’t feel it for now.
As your baby’s growth progresses rapidly, vital organs like kidneys, liver and brain get more detailed and complex in their functioning.
Tips for the twelfth week of pregnancy
Eat a healthy balanced meal that includes lots of fresh fruits and veggies, for they are laden with innumerable health benefits. The abundance of antioxidants present in them builds your immunity and helps fight infections like coughs and colds.
Hydrate yourself well by drinking plenty of fluids (water, fresh fruit juices) which will not only keep your body temperature normal but also keep your skin supple, providing a healthy glow.
Activities for the twelfth week of pregnancy: Drink a glass of (cold or warm) milk everyday; this will help get relief from heart burn and also provide calcium during your pregnancy.
Supplements to be taken during the twelfth week of pregnancy
Folic acid, iron, calcium supplements.
Common problems in the twelfth week of pregnancy
By the end of week 12, you may experience more and more heartburn, a burning sensation that often extends from the bottom of your breastbone to your lower throat caused by an increase in the Hormone Progesterone during pregnancy.
Try these simple steps to get relief from this condition: eat small and frequent meals, chew your morsels adequately and eat slowly, avoid foods that are fattening and spicy, shun fizzy drinks.
If you had high BP before getting pregnant, you have an increased risk of Preeclampsia. You may have to undergo more ultrasounds to monitor your baby’s growth also.
If left untreated, high BP reduces blood flow to the Uterus and increases the risk of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). Do not forget your medicines prescribed by your obstetrician. Problems of Miscarriage may hover till about 12 weeks in many women, especially in those carrying twins.
Seek immediate help from your healthcare provider if you begin to feel intense abdominal cramps with pain, heavy bleeding with appearance of greyish or pinkish tissue or blood clots, severe headaches or migraines, leg cramps and backaches.
Common tests in the twelfth week of pregnancy
A Prenatal test such as chorionic villus sampling (removal of a small amount of chorionic villus tissue from the implantation site) to detect genetic defects like Down syndrome may be scheduled anytime between the 10th and 12th weeks.
Blood test to detect the levels of hemoglobin in the blood can be useful to see if you are Anemic. Blood tests can also help know about your blood group, Rhesus factor and presence of other viruses in your blood such as hepatitis B and HIV virus.
Your antenatal visit will also include ultrasonography. (commonly know as Ultrasound)
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