My Pregnancy Week 12
Baby
This week your baby is now almost the size of a lime, weighing almost an ounce and measuring almost 2.5 inches!
Her eyes are now positioned in the front of her face and her ears are in position on the sides of her head. Most notably, reflexes have begun! Your little one's mouth is making sucking movements, her eye muscles clench, her toes curl, fingers and hands open and close, and she may even begin to suck her thumb. Though she is still too little for you to feel, she can feel you. If you were to apply pressure to your abdomen, your baby would squirm in response!
Her brain has been developing rapidly too. Nerve cells are multiplying, and synapses, or the small junctions across which nerve impulses pass from one nerve cell to another, are forming at an impressive speed. A little lower, her intestines are developing and will soon be moving into her stomach cavity. It's incredible to think how far she has come in just a few short months!
Mom
Week 12 = Skin Changes. You may begin to notice some skin changes by week 12, like darker freckles, more freckles, or even a dark line about a centimeter across, that runs vertical down your stomach. This line is called the Linea Nigra (Latin for "black line").
These changes in pigmentation are caused by pregnancy hormones, which increase the production of the pigment melanin. Women with darker pigmentation are more likely than women with fair skin to develop this line. Among women who do develop it, it's reported that it usually disappears within just a few months after birth.
Heartburn? Many women at this stage in their pregnancy report experiencing heartburn. And if you have experienced it before pregnancy, it may be even worse now. Again, hormones are the culprit. Increases in the hormone progesterone, produced by the placenta, relax the valves that separate the esophagus from the stomach, allowing gastric acid to sneak back up the pipe, which ultimately causes that uncomfortable burning sensation.
Some tips to manage heartburn...
- Stay upright: Be sure to sit up for at least 30 minutes before bed. At bedtime, try placing a bed sheet or extra pillow under your mattress to elevate your head above your stomach while you sleep.
- Sip drinks slowly: Don't gulp, no matter how thirsty you are and avoid drinking with meals, this increases the volume of your stomach.
- Avoid big meals before bedtime. In fact, try grazing, or eating smaller meals throughout the day. You should also avoid problematic foods, like carbonated beverages and greasy meals.
Have a linea nigra? Here's a fun old-wives tale associated with the linea negra... If the linea negra runs to the navel, it's a girl, but if it goes all the way up to the bottom of your sternum, you will have a boy!
