Pregnancy Week 12
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Your Baby's Growth and Development
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By pregnancy week 12 your baby is roughly 2 ½ inches long. Most babies weigh up to ½ an ounce by this time! Your baby's genitals will start developing more this week, with male or female parts showing (though you won't be able to tell whether your baby is a boy or girl for several more weeks). Your baby's brain is also developing more with nerve cells popping up at a very rapid rate.
Many babies start sucking by pregnancy week 12. Your baby's organs also continue to grow and develop. Your baby's kidneys for example, will start producing urine in the upcoming weeks. While your baby is moving in your uterus, chances are you still won't feel this for a few more weeks!
Changes In Your Body
Your belly is finally starting to expand and grow. This week your uterus will finally rise above your pubic bone and pelvis. This will definitely create a small pooch in your lower abdomen. You may find you start adding pounds a little faster now that you are approaching your second trimester. Rest assured this is normal. Most women gain between ½ and 1 pound each week during the second trimester.
Your uterus will continue to grow and expand throughout your pregnancy, weighing in at a whopping 2 pounds right about the time you deliver. This is remarkable considering your uterus weighed only 2 ½ ounces before you became pregnant!
As your uterus continues to expand, you will want to do everything possible to support your belly. Some women invest in pregnancy support belts. These can make getting around during the day easier. Another wise investment, one that will support your abdomen while at rest is a pregnancy pillow. These days ask anybody, and they will likely tell you pregnancy pillows are one of the more valuable investments you can make during pregnancy. If you do not have one already, you should consider getting one now, because your belly will continue to expand rapidly as you enter your second trimester. Snoozer makes a full line of full body pregnancy pillows to match every budget and every pregnant mother. You can even buy a pregnancy pillow made of the finest European Goose Down filler. When you order your pregnancy pillow from Snoozer, you will enjoy a free matching pillow case and free shipping if you buy more than one pregnancy pillow or the European Natural Goose Down pregnancy pillow. Having a second pillow may come in handy, especially if you experience complications during pregnancy and find you are on bed rest, or if you discover you are having twins. You can use your pregnancy pillow while nursing, and a partner can use a Snoozer pregnancy pillow to support his or her neck and shoulders when bottle feeding a baby. Most people find they continue to use a pregnancy pillow long after they deliver. These comfortable and supportive pillows often provide ideal support for individuals with chronic sleep problems, and more importantly, often reduce the need to reposition pillows in the middle of the night. What more can anyone ask for?
Skin Changes During Pregnancy
Many women start noticing some skin changes at or around 12 weeks pregnancy. This is very normal. I always noticed my freckles started popping out a bunch more during pregnancy. If you have a dark complexion this may be more apparent.
Many women start forming a dark vertical line along their abdomen during their pregnancy. This may start early in pregnancy or later in pregnancy. I found during my first pregnancy this line, called the linea nigra, formed in my second trimester. During my later pregnancies however, it seems this line didn't become very apparent until later during my third trimester. This may vary from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy.
Many women worry about looking their best during pregnancy. Remember most women have that "pregnancy glow" throughout their pregnancy. Don't worry about fighting wrinkles too diligently during pregnancy. Your skin will naturally look plumper and fuller thanks to increasing blood volume and water retention in your body. If you used wrinkle creams religiously prior to becoming pregnant, keep in mind some contain dangerous ingredients that may harm your baby during pregnancy.
Things to stay away from include creams with high concentrations of Vitamin A, which may cause birth defects in unborn baby. You'll probably want to stay away from any other creams that contain a lot of chemicals, which may prove more irritating than soothing to your sensitive skin during pregnancy.
If you aren't sure about a products' safety, be sure to ask your doctor or healthcare provider for advice about using a product. One product all pregnant women may benefit from is a little sunscreen. You'll find as your pregnancy progresses your skin may be more sensitive to the sun than normal. If you don't already, consider wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day. There are chemical free versions of many sunscreens if you are concerned about the chemicals in sun protection products.
Remember to use gentle products and moisturizing products during your pregnancy. Creams and lotions are a wonderful way to nurture your skin and help you feel good about yourself during your pregnancy!
Read next about your baby's growth and development, as well as the changes in your body during pregnancy week 13.
