12 Weeks Pregnant — Your Baby Is The Size Of A Samoa Cookie

Welcome to Scary Mommy’s pregnancy week by week guide! We’re here to give you all the info about what to expect when you’re expecting: be it symptoms, your pregnancy week by week size and development, your changing body, or ultrasounds and appointments. Here’s everything you need to know about week 12.

Your Body at 12 Weeks Pregnant

A Third of the Way Through!

Pop that non-alcoholic bubbly! At the end of this week you will be at the end of your first trimester. That’s a huge accomplishment, which means your chances of a miscarriage are significantly lower — as 85 percent of miscarriages happen in the first trimester.

So Long, Farewell, Morning Sickness!

For many, the end of the first trimester means that constant nausea is starting to abate, your toilet bowl is no longer your second pillow and you can finally keep food down. Your frequent trips to the bathroom will now mostly involve your always full bladder. Seriously. How does it stay so full?!

Start Spreading the News

If you haven’t publicly shared your pregnancy yet, 12 weeks is a great time to start sharing the joyful news! It’s good to let the important people in your life know first, your family, of course. And then there’s the matter of letting your boss know. It’s important to do that early, just in case, since good news travels fast.

Finding the perfect way to announce your pregnancy is no easy feat. Maybe a funny pic on Facebook? Or a re-filming of the “Fresh Prince” opening song? Incorporate your pets? Lucky for you, the internet is wide and full of ideas.

Your Baby at 12 Weeks Pregnant

At 12 weeks pregnant, your baby is about 2 1/2 inches and weighs about 1/2 ounce. Your baby is about the size of a Samoa cookie.

The baby’s body is almost completely formed, and they have reflexes! Since they’re no longer webbed, those little toes are curling and fingers are flexing. That tiny mouth is making sucking motions. Maybe even blowing you kisses? Too cute.

Your Symptoms and Health at 12 Weeks Pregnant

Find your Pregnancy ‘Ohm!’

At the end of your first trimester, you may finally have some energy for exercise, why not put those yoga pants to use and sign up for a prenatal yoga class. Even if your exercise-aversion dates back to before your pregnancy, a prenatal yoga class can be super beneficial for you and your many pregnancy woes.

Prenatal yoga helps with headaches, nausea, stress and sleep, and may reduce the risk of preterm labor. It’s also a great place to make future mom friends. Just make sure your instructor is certified to teach prenatal yoga, as not all forms of yoga are safe for pregnant women.

Your Skin is Changing

Aside from the possible oily glow on your face, you may also be noticing other changes to your skin. If you’ve noticed a dark line forming in the middle of your very, very slowly developing bump, don’t worry about it. It’s a super common phenomenon called linea negra.

Another pregnancy side effect is dark splotches on the skin of your face called chloasma or mask of pregnancy. Also, your nipples may be getting darker.

Sympathy Pains

Is your husband also having cravings, nausea and mood swings? Is their belly growing along with yours? It might seem like they just want to enjoy a few months of guilt free snacking before the sleepless nights begin, but there’s actually a name for this phenomenon: Couvade syndrome. Either way, make sure that when they get up for a midnight snack, they get you a little something too!

Kegel O’Clock

This is a good time to start strengthening your pelvic floor muscles to get them ready for birth. There’s an exercise for that and it’s called a Kegel, and it helps with two super common postnatal problems: hemorrhoids and decreased bladder control.

It involves tightening and loosening your pelvic muscles and may make you extra self conscious at first, but the good thing about Kegels is that no one knows you’re doing them. Become a stealth Kegel master! Do them while you’re stuck in traffic. Do them while you’re waiting at your doctor’s office. Do them before getting that third middle of the night snack. Become a vagina workout ninja. You’ll feel pretty badass.

Nosebleeds

There’s a lot more blood coursing through your veins right now and that can have some not so fun side effects. One of them is frequent nosebleeds, which make you look pretty badass and give you the excuse to say “you should see the other guy” to all your stunned co-workers.

But seriously, nosebleeds are no fun, and can ruin your nice new maternity clothes. Make sure to wipe your nose gently to avoid popping any more blood vessels and keep your nose up and squeeze your nostrils gently to help stop the flow of blood. Also, make sure you keep your house nice and humid, as dry air can cause more nosebleeds.

Double Trouble

Congratulations, you’ve finally reached the end of your first trimester! This next stage is when most women – particularly those carrying twins – can finally start to enjoy pregnancy. A lot of those nasty, early symptoms have laid off and your bump isn’t too heavy just yet. You therefore might find yourself more able to carry on with your day-to-day life than you could in the past three months.

If you get your first trimester scan this week, this is likely the first confirmation that you’re having twins. Your healthcare provider will take you through all the risks and precautions. As twin pregnancies are considered high risk, it’s important to take heed of your doctor’s advice. Twin pregnancies come with higher risks of miscarriage, birth defects, lower birth rates and premature births. While it’s important to note the possible complications, try to keep from needlessly stressing. You’ll go for check-ups twice a month rather than once, so if anything looks amiss, it’s sure to be spotted quickly.

It’s normal to be both happy and overwhelmed when you find out you’re expecting twins. But each twin pregnancy experience differs per person and your doctor will be with you every step of the way.

The contents of this article have been medically reviewed by Ruth A. Tessler, M.D. in July, 2019.

Written by Lior Zaltzman.

Follow Preggo Nancy’s pregnancy journey week-by-week and share in her joy, her symptoms, and even her pregnancy cravings.

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