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Pregnancy: 12 weeks
Last reviewed: 20.11.2021
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How the child grows:
This week reflexes develop. The child's fingers begin to shrink and unclench, the eye muscles contract, and the mouth begins to make the first inexperienced movements. The intestines that bulged out will begin to take on the habitual form for us, and the kidneys will begin to excrete the urine into its bladder.
Meanwhile, the nerve cells quickly divide, synapses are formed, and the eyes and ears occupy their final location.
Important: the development of each child is strictly individual. Our information is designed to give you an idea of the development of the fetus.
Changes of the future mother
Uterus significantly increased. You can already wear clothes for pregnant women, especially if this is not the first pregnancy. If the stomach is still small, you will still notice an increase in the waist. Try not to wear tight clothes. You may develop heartburn. During pregnancy, the placenta produces a lot of the hormone progesterone, which relaxes the valve that separates the esophagus from the stomach. Especially when lying down, stomach acid can get into the larynx, causing heartburn.
- Sweet pleasure
"Instead of the morning coffee, try drinking a cup of steam-sterilized milk with a drop of syrup." Delicious taste and good for the baby! "- Tracy.
- Amniocentesis
Amniocentesis is a prenatal test performed between 16 and 20 weeks. He provides results with 99 percent accuracy in identifying chromosomal abnormalities and Down syndrome in a child. Amniocentesis will also help to identify several hundred other genetic disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, Tay-Sachs disease and neural tube defects. Since amniocentesis is invasive and carries a minimal risk of spontaneous abortion, this test is administered at an increased risk of genetic and chromosomal problems.
Many women are first screened and then decide on a diagnostic test based on the initial results. Other women choose diagnostic testing immediately if they are aware of the increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Some women generally refuse these examinations.
- How is the amniocentesis procedure performed?
The procedure will take approximately 30 minutes. With the help of ultrasound, the doctor accurately determines the cavity of the amniotic fluid at a safe distance from both the baby and the placenta, and using a long, thin, hollow needle extracts a sample of the amniotic fluid. You can feel a little discomfort.
This Week's Activity: Make a budget for your child. Agree with your partner all the possible costs for the child - clothes, food, diapers and toys. Such planning will help you avoid critical moments and prepare for additional waste.