Congratulations! You’ve made it through the first trimester, and you are one third of the way there.

Risk of miscarriage diminishes by pregnancy week 12

By this time, it is unlikely that you will miscarry. Up to 80% of miscarriages occur in the first trimester. The cause of miscarriages is usually unknown but can sometimes be due to chromosomal or genetic defects in the fetus which are usually not compatible with life and therefore do not survive.

Miscarriages usually have a significant psychological impact on both parents. The bright side to this is, most of the time, miscarriages are sporadic and will not affect the success of future pregnancies. However, if it should happen multiple times, it is possible that underlying problems exist and therefore, you should consult your specialist to identify the underlying cause.

Your uterus is as big as a grapefruit at week 12

At pregnancy week 12, your uterus can be likened to the size of a grapefruit. This would be quite a change if you were very slim before. You may find your jeans getting tighter than usual!

Feeling dizzy?

First trimester symptoms are easing off at pregnancy week 12 but you may continue to experience dizziness or fainting episodes which usually occur in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy. This is because blood pressure falls when the blood vessels relax (or dilate). Standing for long durations and sudden movements such as getting up quickly from a sitting or lying down position can aggravate this. So do be careful with sudden movements.

Organogenesis (the formation of organs) is complete

At week 12, your baby is 5.1cm, approximately the size of a lime. It is hard to imagine that in that tiny being, organogenesis (the formation of organs) would now be complete.

1. Your baby’s eyes which were originally at the edges of the face are now moving towards the midline
2. Ears are also taking their definitive position at the side of the fetal head
3. Bone formation (ossification) will soon be present in the skull and long bones

Your baby’s intestines which were growing outside the abdominal cavity are now rotating slowly inwards via the belly button. This process will be complete in 2 weeks time.

Ref: L20

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