Various things happened in your life for the last 12 weeks. Till now you got relief from the conditions like nausea and morning sickness. Week 12 is also full of various changes in you and your baby.

What are the physical changes that occur in your body during pregnancy week 12?

Your uterus grows in size along with the growth of your baby. By this week, the flat and relatively small uterus is stretched to the size of soft ball i.e. up to 12-14 cm. This is a very small change. At the time of your delivery, the uterus stretches up to 15-17 inches.

The size of the uterus will grow slowly i.e. one centimeter per week. With this growth, the uterus shifts up and forward as it increases in size.

Generally, 11-12 weeks is the right time to share your pregnancy with others.

You will notice lot of skin changes during this week. If you have lot of freckles during your pregnancy, then they will become dark after pregnancy week 12. The skin surrounding the areolas and nipples will become darker.

Some pregnant women get more radiant look during their pregnancy. This is because of increased blood volume and the pregnancy hormones work together in order to give you that glow.

Fluctuation of hormones increases oil gland secretion in your body, resulting in a plumper, flushed, and smooth skin appearance. Sometimes, because of the increased oil gland secretion you will experience temporary acne problem.

Some other women will experience brown skin patches on their neck and face. Commonly these can be called as mask of pregnancy and generally they disappear totally after the delivery.

Care you need to take during pregnancy week 12:

• If you feel burning sensation from the throat to the breast bone, then you may be suffering from acid indigestion or heart burn. In order to come out of this unpleasant condition, you need to do the things like: eating smaller meals and avoiding spicy, fried and fatty foods.
• Always wear sunscreen during your pregnancy in order to protect your skin from sunburn.
• Don’t use the products with high concentrations of vitamin A, because too much consumption of vitamin A is very harmful for your developing fetus. It can cause jaundice and liver damage.
• Consult your doctor to know about the products to which you are new.
• Chew the food adequately and consume slowly.
• Take liquid antacids, because they work better than the tablet form.
• Don’t eat before going to bed.
• Avoid fizzy drinks, spicy meals and citrus juices.

What are the changes that occur in the fetus during pregnancy week 12?

• By this week, your little ones body is about the size of 2 inches long and weighs about 14 grams.
• At this time, the head and neck of your baby still tries to straighten up and the baby’s little chin lifts off from the face.
• Your baby tries to practice breathing by using the amniotic fluid in order to make the lungs for future air respiration.
• By this week, your little baby’s digestive system starts to work and also releases the waste products. The waste is transferred to your system for discharge. Some of the urine is released into the amniotic fluid and the baby will breathe in it. This is totally undisruptive for your baby.
• Tooth buds are about to appear in this week.
• This week, the placenta takes the task of hormone production.

Fact for pregnancy week 12:

Stop smoking, because smoking during pregnancy can lead to the development of asthma. Experts suggest that between 5-15 percent of asthma development in children reduces if you quit smoking during pregnancy.