12 Weeks pregnant 

12 Weeks pregnant

Week 12 starts on day 84 and goes up to day 91. It is your thirteenth pregnancy week.


Length of your baby: 6.5 centimeter / 2.6 inches
Weight of your baby: 20 grams / 0.7 ozs

Your pregnancy at 12 weeks 

 

What's happening with mum

This is a special week for mum and baby. This is the last week of your first trimester and it is usually around this time you can expect to have your first ultrasound scan, sometimes called a "dating scan" as it not only provides you with images of your little one but can more accuratly estimate when your baby will be born.

If you already have a date for your scan make sure you are prepared and drink plenty of water as this fills the bladder, lifting the uterus and maing it easier for the technician to get a clearer image of your baby.

As well as making sure your baby is developing and growing the scan will also check whether you are carrying twins or multiple babies, check the regularity and strength of baby's heartbeat and can also see your pelvic area and assess the condition of your fallopian tubes and uterus.

What's happening with baby

[[week 12 video]]

Although all the pieces of your baby jigsaw are now in place including organs, now is the time they have to get busy and get working. Baby practices breathing in the womb by inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid and sweat glands and saliva glands will now start to function.

It was previously believed that this was too early to tell the sex of your child but new research has developed the nub theory. All babies in early pregnancy develop a genital tubercle which later forms either a penis in boys or a clitoris in girls. This tubercle is known as the nub. Because this resembles a penis and is present in all babies at this stage,  it has always been difficult to know whether or not the baby as in fact male. It has now been shown that  angle of this nub can determine whether the fetus is male or female. There are three positions which can help determine the sex of your fetus. An upward pointing nub is a strong indication that the child is male, a nub pointing down suggests the baby is female and the central position which points neither up nor down is indeterminable and means you have to wait until later in the pregnancy to see whether you are having a boy or a girl.

 

The Practicalities

As this is a milestone in your pregnancy and while not impossible, the likelihood of miscarriage is far less than previously, now is a good time to tell family and friends your good news. 

Even at this stage it is still advisable that you eat a healthy diet and refrain from eating unpasteurised or undercooked products, especially cheeses and meats. Providing you eat a balanced diet with all the protein and vitamins you need for both you and baby there is no ned to "eat for 2". 

 

 

 

If you are 12 pregnant your due date is from Wednesday, 25 September 2024 through Tuesday, 1 October 2024.



Search baby names

Boys names | Girl names | Baby names top 50