The development of the baby at 12 weeks corresponds to the third month of gestation. The baby is now about the size of a lemon and its essential development is complete and he can already open his mouth and yawn, hiccup and swallow, which stimulates the development of internal organs.
Although the placenta is still small, it is already formed and the umbilical cord begins to grow day by day, becoming thinner and longer.
Development of the fetus at 12 weeks
At 12 weeks gestation, the baby's heart already works, the outer structures of the ear begin to move from the neck to the sides of the head, and the middle and inner ears are already formed.
The ovaries or testicles develop inside the body, but the baby's sex is still not visible from the outside, because the genitals are not yet formed.
The baby spends most of the time in a fetal position, but is already very active and although the mother still does not notice, it already starts to move, as well as opening and closing the mouth and swallowing amniotic fluid. Although the limbs are still very short, these early movements stimulate their growth and strengthening.
Fetus and ultrasound pictures
The first ultrasound should be performed as early as the 1st trimester of gestation, between 11 and 14 weeks. See how ultrasound is done and what diseases can be detected.
Size of the fetus
The size of the fetus at 12 weeks gestation is about 6.5 cm in length, from the head to the buttocks, which is equivalent to the approximate size of a lemon and weighs approximately 14 g.
Changes in the woman with 12 weeks of pregnancy
Changes in the woman's body at 12 weeks of pregnancy begin to be more evident. The breasts increase in size and the superficial veins become more prominent and the abdomen begins to grow. At this stage the woman is expected to have less sleep and nausea tend to decrease and she may experience headache and dizziness.
Although the recommendations of weight gain during pregnancy are dependent on the weight that the woman had before becoming pregnant, it is natural that in the first trimester there is an increase of approximately 2 kg and in the second and third quarters there is an increase of about 500 g per week.
Confirm which month of pregnancy you are, entering your data here:
Your pregnancy by quarter
To make your life easier and you do not waste time looking, we separate all the information you need for each trimester of gestation. What quarter are you in?
- 1st Quarter (1st to 13th week)
- 2nd Quarter (14th to 27th week)
- 3rd Quarter (from the 28th to the 41st week)