12. WOP

In the 12th week of gestation, your baby can already suck on your finger. At around 5 cm, it is only as big as a lychee. We show you what other exciting developments the fetus and your body go through in the 12th week.

Important facts about the 12th week: What you should know

Your baby is now 5 cm tall, the size of a lychee, and weighs 14 grams.

The sucking and swallowing reflexes are developed. Your baby can now drink amniotic fluid and suck on your finger.

From the 12th week of gestation, the placenta takes over the supply. It now replaces the yolk sac and takes over the supply of oxygen and nutrients until birth.

What happens with you

In the 12th week you are already three months pregnant and will complete the first third of your pregnancy in a few days.

Skin and hair

Surely you will now get one or the other compliment – after all, it is not said for nothing that pregnancy makes beautiful. This has the following reasons:

When the early pregnancy symptoms slowly subside in the 12th week of pregnancy, most expectant moms feel really good and balanced again. Finally, you can really enjoy your pregnancy.

Due to the increasing blood circulation, the skin becomes rosier and firmer and you really blossom – this will also be noticed by those around you.

Also interesting:

In addition, your hair will become healthier and fuller. This is due to the pregnancy hormone estrogen, which ensures that the hair falls out later. As a result, you have about 10% more hair on your head during pregnancy than usual.

In addition, the body now also produces more hormones that are responsible for the dark skin pigment. Therefore, there will be dark color deposits in your skin. Especially on the nipples, at the vaginal entrance, in the midline of the abdomen (linea fusca) and on the face, for example in the form of freckles.

Unfortunately, small, dark, wart-like spots are also possible. Maybe you have already noticed such spots on your body and you were already worried. These spots are not dangerous, but you probably won’t like them either. The good thing is that you will only have to make friends with these skin changes for a few months: all changes in the skin will disappear after birth.

They develop in the first place because there are melanocytes in the skin. These are cells that produce the pigment melanin when exposed to sunlight. During pregnancy, the hormone concentration changes. This also increases the amount of melanin in the body and this is then deposited in the skin layers.

Some expectant mothers unfortunately have “bad luck” with the new hormone balance and develop thin hair, blemished skin or pimples. A change of care products can be quite promising, but does not help in all cases. If it gets too bad, a visit to the dermatologist or hairdresser is recommended.

Baby bump

Many women develop a small baby bump during the 12th week of pregnancy. You will probably notice that your pants don’t fit properly anymore. A waistband can help, or you can use your regained energy for a little shopping trip in the pregnancy department.

Tip for fathers-to-be

Fathers also have worries, fears or problems during pregnancy. Many gynecologists offer counseling sessions from man to man. Find out if something is bothering you that you don’t want to discuss with your wife.

Pregnancy symptoms in the 12th week and what you can do about them

Most pregnancy disc omforts subside from the 12th week of pregnancy and you are heading for a more relaxed course of the pregnancy.

Nausea and vomiting will decrease and you will regain your appetite.

Heartburn

As the uterus continues to grow, it puts pressure on other organs. This is why heartburn occurs from the 12th week of pregnancy. This lasts until the end of pregnancy in most women.

You can alleviate the discomfort by trying to eat less at each meal and eat more often during the day.

If you have heartburn at night, it may help to use another pillow. If your torso is elevated, the stomach acid cannot rise into the esophagus and cause burns.

It also often helps to sleep on your side instead of your back. Most expectant moms prefer to sleep on their left side. This position helps reduce the load from the uterus and baby, preventing stomach acid from refluxing.

This sleeping position is also good for your baby. Due to the lateral position, the placenta is optimally supplied with blood and nutrients, and so is your baby.

What can be seen on the ultrasound during the 12th week of pregnancy?

The movements of your baby can now be clearly seen on the ultrasound.

The fetus can already swallow and suck in the 12th week. At the right moment, you can observe him swallowing amniotic fluid or sucking on your finger. You can also see the movement of the eyelids.

In addition, your baby can move more and more purposefully, so you could get a glimpse of how it swims joyfully through the amniotic sac and does its first somersaults in your belly.

Will it be a boy or a girl?

You can usually tell the sex of the baby in the 12th week of pregnancy, but you can only be absolutely sure from the 20th week. In order not to give you false hopes or thoughts, you should wait with a determination of the sex until there is absolute clarity.

Even if parents are often curious, want to furnish the nursery appropriately or want to choose a name – still have some patience before you buy hasty (wrong) furniture, names or baby clothes.

What is the risk of miscarriage in the 12th week of pregnancy?

With the 12th SSW, you end the first three months of your pregnancy. This means that the critical early phase is now over. From this point on, expectant parents often announce the pregnancy to prepare friends, family or even the employer for the upcoming time.

The risk of miscarriage drops rapidly to a minimum in the 12th SSW and it is time to relax. Between the 12th SSW and the 24th SSW, the risk of miscarriage is about 0.5%.

So you can breathe a sigh of relief: the pregnancy is going well and your baby is doing great.

What happens to the baby

In the 12th week of pregnancy, the baby weighs about 14 g and is 5 to 6 cm tall.

The internal organs of the fetus, such as the liver, kidneys or stomach, are already hard at work. The gastrointestinal tract is stimulated by drinking amniotic fluid and the kidneys filter the amniotic fluid. In addition, the fetus can already empty its bladder. Therefore, the amniotic fluid is replaced regularly.

Because your baby is often drinking, it will also hiccup from time to time. In the course of the pregnancy, you will also be able to feel them. So far, however, it is still a little too small for this.

From the 12th week of pregnancy, your baby is no longer nourished by the yolk sac of the egg, but the placenta takes over the supply until birth. In this way, it gets oxygen and nutrients to grow big and strong.

How your baby develops during the 12th week of gestation

Your baby is now fully developed and all organs and body parts are fully formed. So in the following weeks and months, it will be busy growing. The size of the fetus will therefore increase enormously from now on and with it its weight.

If the fetus weighs just about 14 g, it will already be twice as big and twice as heavy in the 4th month.

Even if you can positively influence the weight gain of your child through a good and wholesome diet, always remember: All values and data merely reflect the average. So do not worry immediately if your baby deviates from them.

In the 12th week of gestation, the fetus can coordinate its movements better and better due to the progressive development of the brain and muscles, and it moves cheerfully through the amniotic sac. It also has its first reflexes.

Your baby’s swallowing and sucking reflexes are now fully developed. He can suck on your finger and drink amniotic fluid.

This is important now

You have probably already had the first major check-up , and your health and that of your baby have been thoroughly checked. The next major check-up is due between the 19th and 21st week of pregnancy. Your gynecologist will probably be able to tell you the sex of your baby, if you want to know beforehand.

Nevertheless, you should routinely visit your doctor regularly until then to ensure that the pregnancy progresses well. Other mothers and a midwife can become important contacts and great companions for you during your pregnancy, who will support you during this time.

Now you can also inform your family and friends about your pregnancy without hesitation, as well as your employer and who else should know about the pregnancy.

How to support your body in the 12th week of pregnancy

Take time off

You will continue to have emotional fluctuations. Sometimes you can’t wait to finally hold your baby in your arms, and the next moment you doubt yourself and feel like you can’t handle the situation.

Share your thoughts and talk to confidants and like-minded people. Family and friends are there for you and also your midwife will support you throughout the pregnancy.

If everything becomes too much for you, accept help and ask for support and relax. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the sofa, in the tub, on a long walk, or maybe on a short vacation.

Try to relax, enjoy the pregnancy and be in harmony with yourself.

Proper nutrition

Your baby’s weight gain will be largely influenced by you. Therefore, a complete diet and drinking plenty of 3 liters a day is very important for the growth of your baby.

Iodine is also still important for your baby and its development. It is needed for the maintenance of the metabolism. In addition, the trace element plays an important role in growth, brain development and bone formation.

You can get enough iodine from animal products such as dairy products, eggs and fish. In a vegan diet, you should make sure that you get enough iodine through alternatives such as iodized table salt or seaweed.

Sports

From the 12th week of pregnancy, many women feel that they can do sports again. Light sports activities prevent pregnancy discomfort and provide a physical and mental balance.

Gentle sports that are easy on the joints, such as Nordic walking, cycling, swimming, yoga and Pilates are some possibilities. Be sure to avoid sports that can lead to falls or require a high level of physical exertion.

Midwife Tip

From the 12th week of pregnancy, the discomforts of early pregnancy slowly subside and you get new energy and feel comfortable in your body again.

Use this time of pregnancy for you and your partner and also other dear people to have beautiful experiences through joint activities.

Enjoy the time with relaxed excursions or even a small vacation.

FAQ

How big is the baby at 12 weeks gestation?

The baby is about 5 cm tall and weighs 14 g in the 12th WOP.

What examinations are due in the 12th week of pregnancy?

The first major screening is usually already over. The extent to which prenatal examinations should be performed was discussed there. The next major check-up is due between the 19th and 21st week of pregnancy. Nevertheless, the gynecologist should be visited once a month as a matter of routine.

What is the probability of miscarriage?

With the 12th week, the stage of high-risk early pregnancy is completed. In this shows the risk of miscarriage decreases to a minimum. Between the 12th week and the 24th week, the risk of miscarriage is approximately 0.5 %.

What does the belly look like at 12 weeks of pregnancy?

Slowly, a small baby bump forms in most women and the pregnancy thus becomes recognizable to outsiders.

What happens in the 12th WOP?

The fetus’s swallowing and sucking reflex is developed, so it can now drink amniotic fluid and suck its finger. In addition, the supply is now taken over by the placenta, which provides the fetus with all important substances until birth.

WOP 12 videos

Learn more about what you should know in the 12th week of pregnancy.

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