Your Pregnancy: Week 12

Congratulations — you’ve officially made it to the end of the first trimester! Starting this week, you may begin to feel some of your pregnancy symptoms (including nausea) begin to subside, and you may even feel some of that energy you said goodbye to months ago start to return. Some pregnant people consider the second trimester to be the “honeymoon period” of their pregnancies, so if you’ve been feeling extra blah lately, know that better days are ahead.

Big things are happening inside your bump this month, so here’s what you can expect as week 12 begins.

Now that you’re in week 12, you may have started to notice those pregnancy cravings kick in. You might find yourself wanting foods you never imagined finding delicious before — and that may or may not include pickles.

“A pregnancy will affect every single system in your body. It not only affects your digestion, which is what we think of when we think of cravings, but it affects your hormones, your muscles, and your adipose tissue (which is like your fat mass),” registered dietitian Jennifer McGurk told Health. “Of course women are going to have different cravings for different things, and of course they’re going to eat differently.”

Though these cravings may come on strong, they’re not the only symptom you might be feeling this week. Here are the other symptoms that are typical at this point in your pregnancy:

Nausea and food aversions
Unfortunately, that nausea may still be sticking around. You may also find that you’re no longer interested in certain foods (or even entire groups of foods) that you once loved. You can blame the hormones!

Heightened sense of smell
Though it definitely doesn’t go well with your nausea, you might notice you’re much more sensitive to certain smells these days. It might be adventageous to stay away from particularly pungent smells if your stomach is feeling a bit off — open those windows and keep a fan running, just to be safe.

Bloating
You might be feeling a bit bloated (once again… it’s the hormones), and if constipation is something you’ve been dealing with, that might be continuing. A good way to deal with both? Water intake!

Lightheadedness
Thanks to the increased blood volume in your body, you might be feeling a bit lightheaded or dizzy these days (especially if you’re outside and in the heat), and that’s normal. Stay hydrated, sit down when you can, and remember the air conditioning is your friend.

In week 24 of pregnancy, how many months along are you? Yay, you’re three months pregnant!

Depending on your OB-GYN and your pregnancy, a 12 week ultrasound may be happening around this time, especially if you’re getting a nuchal translucency scan to check for any abnormalities. If this is on the agenda for this week, you can expect to see a fetus who is finally beginning to look more like a baby and less like a blob. You might even catch baby swallowing or hiccuping on screen — and you might get to hear the heartbeat for the first time.

By week 12, there’s a good chance that your bump is finally starting to make itself known — in fact, your uterus is now the size of a grapefruit, and if you aren’t noticing any changes in your tummy just yet, you probably will any day now!

If you haven’t already, this is officially the time to start buying maternity clothes. Even if you don’t need them today, one day, you’ll wake up and not be able to button your jeans, so it can be great to have them handy for when you really need them!

While cute may be on your list of priorities when shopping, remember that comfort is key. And if this is the first time you’re pregnant, in case nobody’s told you quite just yet: you buy maternity clothes in your normal size, not the size you predict you might be when the bump really pops!

Don’t be afraid to check out sites like ThredUp and stores like Goodwill, too — maternity clothes are used for such a short period of someone’s life that buying them secondhand can often mean ending up with a full wardrobe in great condition for a fraction of the cost.

This week, you can start working on the following:

• Announce your pregnancy, if you haven’t already and are planning to — many parents-to-be choose to share their news around the 12 week mark
• Attend your 12 week doctor’s appointment
• Begin building your baby registry and researching products, if you haven’t already
• Research prenatal classes you might want to take. The hospital you plan to give birth at likely has plenty of options, and you may need to sign up early

If you’re feeling extra hungry these days, assemble a collection of healthy snacks to have in your arsenal at home. That tummy might end up rumbling at 2 am — it’s good to have plenty of options on hand that will hit the spot and keep you full (which also helps keep nausea at bay).

You might consider options like:

• Raw fruits and vegetables like apples, cherry tomatoes, and bananas
• Protein bars
• Nuts
• Popcorn
• Yogurt, granola, and toppings
• Crackers

While you should definitely call your OB-GYN anytime you feel something might be amiss, any unusual bleeding or cramping are both reasons to get a visit in ASAP, as well as experiencing symptoms like painful urination. And if that lightheadness you might be feeling leads to actual fainting or passing out, it’s important to call or stop into your emergency room, too.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pregnant women are at a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 and death compared to non-pregnant women. Furthermore, pregnant people with COVID-19 are at increased risk of delivering a baby before 37 weeks (preterm birth) and other adverse ramifications.

Note: If you are visiting a medical professional during COVID, make sure to ask about the facility’s safety measures and confirm that they are following COVID protocols as indicated by the CDC.*

In pregnancy, you’re more likely to develop iron deficiency anemia, and according to Mayo Clinic, that could mean that you’re at a greater risk of postpartum depression, preterm birth, or a baby with a low birth weight. How to combat this? Your OB-GYN will probably be screening you for this at a couple of points in your pregnancy, but if you’re experiencing symptoms like cold hands and feet, chest pain, dizziness, or yellowish skin, it’s a good time to bring up your concerns with your doctor. It’s also a good idea to make sure you’re keeping your iron intake up, eating foods like lean red meat, fish, iron-fortified cereal, and dried beans.

The second trimester is finally here!