Pregnancy Diary

Archive for the ‘Pregnancy Week 12’ Category

Your Baby – 12 Weeks Pregnant

By now, Your baby is approximately 2.5 – 3.5 inches and weighs about 12 – 14 grams. Nearly all of your baby’s organs, structures and systems are fully formed. The heart begins pumping several quarts of blood through your baby’s body every day and the baby’s heart rate will be very fast, about 160 beats per minute. It will sound very fast, similar to the sound of a running horse’s hooves. Once you hear this sound, you can rest assured that your risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced.

Baby has also begun to develop nerves and a spinal cord, allowing him to feel some types of pain. The overall super-speedy growth of their amazing brain continues to leave the head proportionately larger than the body— and is actually slightly more than one third of their total body mass! The head and neck are still straightening at this point. Before, where there was only reflex movement, your baby now moves spontaneously and at random, although his movements are still too slight to be felt. Your baby is also actively rehearsing “breathing” by using amniotic fluid to prepare the lungs for future air respiration.

Her face has a profile now, complete with a tiny chin and nose. The brain will continue to develop, while the tiny fingernails and toenails form.

Your Body – 12 Weeks Pregnant

While your morning sickness and tiredness may be even less frequent, you may be getting lightheaded or have headaches again. This is from the increase in blood volume. It is important for you to communicate any concerns, worries, or questions you may have. Be sure to talk about any symptoms or illness you may experience with your healthcare provider.

Your uterus will begin to shift up and forward as it grows, taking the pressure off the bladder and you’ll have fewer trips to the bathroom. Your placenta has taken over producing your hormones now so you may find yourself with slower, less frequent, less intense mood swings.
Logically, as your baby is growing bigger, so must your uterus. By now, your once-flat and relatively small uterus is stretched to the size of a softball (12-14 cm), by the time you deliver it will have grown to 15 – 17 inches (37 – 42 cm). If you’ve got a burning sensation that extends from your breastbone to your throat, you’ve got heart burn or acid indigestion. To lessen this unpleasant experience: eat smaller meals and avoid fried, spicy, and fatty foods. Otherwise, there’s always TUMS, but check with your healthcare provider first
Additionally, this is probably the right time to share your pregnancy news (if you haven’t already) with close family and friends and anyone you want to have involved in your pregnancy.

As your second trimester begins to approach, your nutritional needs will change. Biotegrity’s Stage 1 will help ensure that you get exactly what you need in each trimester. Stage 1 contains no vitamin A, which can be unhealthy during the first trimester, while Stage 2 has increased amounts of iron and vitamins A, B and C.

Common Pregnancy Symptoms in Week 12

• Breast Changes: tenderness, fullness, darkening of the areola
• Frequent Urination
• Fatigue
• Morning Sickness
• Constipation
• Heartburn or Indigestion
• Headaches

Pregnancy Questions:

Is Amniocentesis the only test available for screening for defects?
Currently, two methods are mainly used in prenatal diagnostics to detect chromosomal defects in the unborn baby:
Read more…

How do I make my heartburn stop?
Heartburn can pop its ugly head up at anytime during pregnancy. It is more common later in pregnancy, but many women feel it in the first trimester as well. What causes it? What can be done to help relieve it?
Read more…

What causes pregnancy acne?
There are two things that make acne in pregnancy more prevalent. One is the increase of the hormone progesterone, and the other is the mother’s level of hydration. Read more…

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There are two things that make acne in pregnancy more prevalent. One is the increase of the hormone progesterone, and the other is the mother’s level of hydration. Not only does progesterone smooth the muscles of the uterus, which can lead to heartburn, but it also causes the secretions from your skin glands to increase, which leads to the increase in acne.

Staying hydrated in pregnancy is important, but as for everyone, it is recommended to a pregnant woman to drink a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day. More if possible. The water rehydrates the body including the skin, and it also softens the other effects of progesterone in your body, like helping with constipation and helping your uterus relax.

There is no cure for pregnancy acne and very little you can do about it besides taking steps to prevent secondary infection. You don’t want to scratch or pick at your face as it could lead to scarring. Try to wear little or no makeup in an effort to not clog the pores and wash your face well every morning and night.

Some OB/GYNs will provide prescriptions for a cream to use while pregnant. Others will refer you to a dermatologist. When this is the case, your dermatologist should work closely with your doctor to assure that they are prescribing you medication that is safe for you to take during your pregnancy.

Heartburn can pop its ugly head up at anytime during pregnancy. It is more common later in pregnancy, but many women feel it in the first trimester as well. What causes it? What can be done to help relieve it?

There are several things you can do to help ease the reoccurrence and discomfort of heartburn:
1.Try to stay away from foods that cause problems in the first place. These foods can include caffeine, chocolate, carbonated beverages like soda, citrus fruits such as oranges, and highly seasoned or fatty/fried foods.

2.Try not to eat large meals only once or twice a day. Your body needs time to digest little amounts of food in order to help keep the heartburn from starting. Eat small amounts several times a day.

3.Try not to eat and then go straight to bed. Take your last meal several hours before bedtime so that your food has time to digest while you are sitting up. This will lessen the chance of the acid travelling back up your esophagus when you lay down.

4.Don’t wear tight clothing that presses down on your belly. Keep it comfortable and loose so that you don’t have the extra pressure on the baby which can put extra pressure on your stomach and contribute to heartburn.

5.You should not be drinking alcohol and smoking during pregnancy anyway, but if you are, stop! Alcohol and smoking can cause heartburn on their own.

6.There are over the counter antacids that you might be able to take, but be sure to ask your doctor or midwife before you take them, to make sure they are safe for you in your pregnancy.

Remember, every pregnancy is different. Some women may never experience heartburn; others may find that they have terrible heartburn caused by foods they are eating that are not in this list. If you are unable to find relief, be sure to check with your health care provider as they may have a suggestion for you that will relieve your heartburn once and for all.

Currently, two methods are mainly used in prenatal diagnostics to detect chromosomal defects in the unborn baby:

Amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS). These two methods require removing amniotic fluid by inserting a needle into the mother’s uterus. Although considered more or less safe, these methods are however invasive and present a small risk of miscarriage. The advantages of this new technique are:

1. Non-invasive
2. Risk-free
3. Can be conducted early in the pregnancy
4. Will end up to be cheaper
The idea is based on the fact that small amounts of fetal DNA are found in the mother’s blood. However, it has been a problem to find these small amounts of DNA considering that they occur in mommy’s blood at about 1 baby DNA to a million of mommy DNA. However, by using a shortcut “shotgun” approach that tested for both baby and mommy DNA, the researchers were able to overcome this obstacle.

The blood test has been has successfully demonstrated in 18 pregnant women who also underwent amniocentesis or CVS. The results of the new test completely matched those of the two conventional tests and identified 12 of the 18 pregnant women carrying babies with chromosomal defects. In addition, a man was also blood-tested for reference.