After crossing the first three months of pregnancy, the changes in your body get prominent. You are almost past the first trimester and either you’re used to morning sickness or you’ve conquered it! Newer challenges such as discomfort in breathing due to expanding belly and round ligament pain await when you’re 12 weeks pregnant.
Until now even if you had ultrasound scans, you must not have seen the baby. What do you see in 12-weeks pregnant ultrasound? The baby is now the size of a plum and has crossed significant developmental milestones. You’ll be able to look at his limbs and sex organs.
Mostly, pregnant women have their first ultrasound, around the 8 weeks ultrasound or 6 weeks ultrasound. But it is difficult to be able to see anything significant.
However, 12 weeks pregnant ultrasound is the first time you’ll be able to see your baby.
How many months are 12 weeks pregnant?
A 12 weeks pregnant woman is two months and three weeks pregnant. Adding the 12 weeks, she will be three months pregnant.
What changes occur in you during 12 weeks pregnancy?
By the end of three months of pregnancy, your appetite returns and now is a monster cravings period. You might not crave for the usual tasty things, but the most unusual foods and textures will be on your tastebuds’ memory.
12 weeks pregnant belly starts showing, and it’s time to arrange a baby shower, and gender reveal parties. You’ll be able to feel your growing uterus when your bladder is full.
Physical changes in week 12 of pregnancy include enlarging uterus and belly projection. As the uterus grows, it will rise, and the urinary bladder will have more space.
Your areola becomes even dark, and a blue line from navel to the bottom starts showing. Pregnancy skin glow starts gleaming through your face. Acne breakout due to hormonal fluctuations will stop now.
Brown discharge, yeast infections, and round ligament pain are not so good symptoms of 12 weeks of pregnancy.
12 Weeks pregnancy signs and symptoms
1) A Blue line on the abdomen
Finally, your uterus has grown to the size of a grapefruit, and you can feel the protruding belly. Don’t poke fingers too deep while touching the 12-week pregnant belly. The blue line on the abdomen stretches from the abdomen to the pubic area. Once the baby is out, it will go away and is slightly different from stretch marks.
2) Darker nipples
As progesterone increases in your circulation and hCG begins to fall or attain a plateau your nipples become darker. They are preparing for lactation and might exude some white fluid during week 12.
3) Appetite flings
After the first weeks of trimester one, you might feel the sudden return of your appetite. Dysgusea or metal taste of the tongue is no longer there, and you crave lollies, frozen vegetables, and creamy cheese.
4) Sexual desires peak up
Recalling the last time you did the deed under the sheets might be when it was baby making sex. Good news libido is back and has hit you with another doubt about the safety of sex during pregnancy. Save for pregnancy complications you can have as much sex as you will for during pregnancy!
5) Pregnancy Glow
The rising progesterone relaxes blood vessels and sends more blood to certain areas of the body. Now you can see the red pregnancy blushing you were waiting for. Hair and nails might also appear shiny.
6) Energy levels higher than regular
Though your body is still doing a lot and the uterus is expanding, but you seem to have higher energy than before. Nesting during pregnancy, stocking up supplies, painting and home makeover comes to your mind. But avoid getting overwhelmed and straining yourself causing exhaustion.
7) Emotional outbursts
The emotional changes in 12 weeks pregnant woman are unanticipated. Seeing other pregnant women might make you feel weepy for no valid reason. Thankfully emotional flare-up won’t affect your relationship with the partner as libido is back. It is still possible to get those phases of wanting to scare you partner away with the dare you touch me look. All of it is ok and you don’t need to be sorry.
8) Slight suffocation but not painful
As the uterus grows in size it will leave less room for your lungs. The new change will take time for you to habituate yourself to.
9) Round ligament stretching
The growing uterus and softening ligaments will push the pelvic bones. The onset of round ligament pain can be because of strenuous exercise. Make sure to get your pregnancy exercises at 12 weeks are reviewed by OB.
10) Giddy and lightheaded
As the visits to bathroom reduce now, you start feeling scatterbrained. Perhaps the search for sanity is going to continue throughout pregnancy and parenting. You’re not alone, breathe!
11) Melasma or Pregnancy Mask
The levels of hCG fall off and progesterone picks up. Most women have skin pigmentation at this stage as dark patches. They will go away once the phase of pregnancy is over.
12 Weeks Pregnant Belly
Soon you’ll have a proper baby and you can feel the start of it already. You can start taking snaps of your belly from 12 weeks.
Mommas with 12-weeks pregnant twins belly must have started showing a few weeks earlier! The 12 weeks pregnant belly is a bump!
Bloating is also typical during 12 weeks, but the difference in the bloated belly and baby bump is hardness. A bloated stomach will feel uncomfortable, but a baby bump of 12 weeks is pure bliss. Isn’t it?
How does a 12 weeks pregnant belly look?
A 12 weeks pregnant belly won’t make you look like a watermelon on two toothpicks but just a slight hump. You must start wearing a belly band to support the growing bump. Jeans and jeggings will soon get tight so stock up your maternity clothing by week 12.
How is the baby at 12 weeks?
The sex organs are developed but sex determination at 12 weeks is uncertain. Most of the body parts are formed, and now the baby will dramatically grow in size. 12 weeks pregnant belly is still not as prominent because the baby is just 6 cm long.
The baby now moves in response to external stimuli. But you’ll not feel his or her movements during 12-week pregnancy.
The kidneys are working now, and the baby’s bladder has urine. Eyelids will remain shut. Intestines are well formed, and the skeletal system is almost complete. The size of the abdomen increases to give space for the intestines to move out of the umbilical cord.
The baby bends toes and fingers and even does suckling actions.
The brain has started releasing hormones. Your baby has a voice box now, and the face is taking shape.
Sex determination at 12 weeks pregnant is risky, and you need to wait until week 20 for it.
How big is a baby at 12 weeks?
The baby is about 0.5 ounces and the size of a plum or kiwi. Length of a 12-week pregnant baby is nearly 2.1 inches. But the development is rapid, and the size will soon increase.
Twins also keep growing at the same pace until little later when their growth tempo falls slightly less than a single baby.
When does the ultrasound of a baby at 12 weeks happen?
One can get the ultrasound done anytime between the 11th and 13th week. It is difficult to calculate pregnancy age yourself. Your doctor will schedule and let you know the exact date to come for 12 weeks ultrasound scan.
If you want to calculate the time of the 12-week scan, then you can count from 2 weeks before your missed period.
What does 12 weeks pregnancy looks like?
The 12 weeks scan size of the baby is as big as a plum. You may still not look pregnant to people around, but once you get the scan things will seem real. There are many reasons for 12-week ultrasound, other than simply getting to see the baby.
Things you see in 12 weeks scan:
These are the things you must look in your 12-weeks sonograph. Even if you don’t see them, your sonographer will be able to make them out.
1) Baby’s size and length
The ultrasound scan is the safest and cost-effective method of checking a baby’s growth inside the womb. You can see baby’s organs, limbs being prominent. Baby now responds to touches and does squishing movement. You cannot feel it. But during the ultrasound, you’ll see it.
2) Skull size and Crown Rump Length
Biparietal length is the term for baby’s skull length. Along with head circumference, and femur length this ultrasound measurement is common after 14 weeks.
The value obtained is compared with the general standard values. The Crown-Rump length is more common before this stage. Heartbeat is detectable after they cross 7mm CRL. A baby at 12 weeks is about 45-85 mm CRL.
3) Placenta position
At this stage placenta previa is detectable. This condition leads to a low lying pregnancy that leads to complications.
4) Fetal heartbeat
Sometimes the fetal heartbeat is not detectable during the early pregnancy ultrasound. The 12 weeks pregnancy ultrasound is decisive as the fetal heartbeat is inevitably present.
5) Genetic defects, amount of fluid
Nuchal translucency detects whether the baby has Down’s Syndrome. The amniotic fluid must be enough, and the direction of blood flow should show up.
6) Pregnancy risks and complications
The size of the uterus and thickening of the endometrial lining is also observed. The state of Fallopian tubes and ovaries need to be checked for cysts.
7) Multiple pregnancies
You will be able to see two fetuses if it is a twin pregnancy at 12 weeks.
8) Baby’s response to movements
You can see how your baby responds to your touch in the 12th week of pregnancy. During an ultrasound when you will place your hands on you bump baby will move and squirm. Suckling of the toe and opening fingers and clutching them are commonly seen things in 12-weeks scan.
What happens during 12 weeks ultrasound?
You might be nervous if this is your first pregnancy ultrasound. It is an externally performed procedure, so there is nothing to worry about. If you have had ultrasound scans earlier, then you’ll be able to see things more clearly now.
Generally, women don’t see the baby or the heartbeat isn’t clear even during 8-weeks ultrasound. Mostly 12-weeks ultrasound is as predicted.
12 weeks ultrasound pictures
How is 12 weeks ultrasound done?
All that your doctor will do is place a device, transducer, along with lubricant on your tummy. A black and white image of your baby will be generated on the computer screen, and the doctor will move along the device to see different pictures.
How long does 12 weeks ultrasound take?
The sonographer will have to check from different positions, and so it can take anything from 15-30 minutes. If your baby takes long to respond, then it might take longer.
What to do before 12 weeks ultrasound?
You don’t need a full bladder during this ultrasound as your womb is big enough. A half-filled bladder will help lift the belly and make things more clear.
Early pregnancy ultrasounds are vaginal because the uterus size is still small. A 12 weeks pregnant woman doesn’t need a vaginal ultrasound. Women suffering from obesity or having deep-seated womb might need a 12-weeks vaginal ultrasound.
12 weeks ultrasound importance
Most genetic tests for detecting abnormalities in a baby are invasive. They require extracting some amount of amniotic fluid or mother’s blood. Ultrasound is the of the few non-invasive testing methods to detect genetic disorders.
The 12 weeks ultrasound is necessary because it can diagnose Down’s Syndrome that happens due to an extra chromosome present in baby’s cells. If a fetus has Down’s Syndrome, then the fluid visible in 12 weeks ultrasound is denser near the neck area.
The fetus is more prominent and thicker in size than others of the same age. Along with Chorionic villus test, 12 weeks scan can help detect this congenital disease.
There is still time for the parents to decide, whether they want to continue with the pregnancy or not. Medical termination of pregnancy can be done after 12 weeks ultrasound.
The 12 weeks sonograph is the first time parents see their fetus and things are starkly clear. Sex determination is also possible at this stage. However, there are cases where the baby’s posture doesn’t allow the doctor to see the sex organ.
The first-trimester screening begins with a blood test after ten weeks and 12 weeks ultrasound scan completes it.
Can 12 weeks ultrasound harm your baby? What are the risks of 12 weeks scan?
Some parents prefer waiting a little longer or have concerns regarding the waves. But ultrasound is entirely safe weighing it against the cons of having an unpredicted congenital disability.
There is a risk of getting the false-positive result about Down’s Syndrome by ultrasound. Similarly, ultrasound is not a confirmatory test for such genetic disorder. You need a blood test or a chorionic villus sample test for getting the most accurate information.
Things To Do During Pregnancy Week 12
- Start documenting your pregnancy photos
- Plan a budget for baby’s arrival
- Consider getting a pregnancy band or belly support
- Drink a lot of water and keep energy levels up
- Avoid strenuous exercises and always have someone along in case of dizzy spells
- You should start shopping for comfortable maternity clothes.
![First Trimester [Week 1- Week 13 Overview]](https://www.pregnanteve.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/first-trimester-of-pregnancy-218x150.jpg "First Trimester Of Pregnancy: Weeks 1 To 13")
