Week 12 of Your Pregnancy

When you're 12 weeks pregnant, you've reached the end of your first trimester. Here is what to expect during this crucial time.

Pregnancy Journey Week 12

Design By Alice Morgan / Illustration by Tara Anand

At week 12 of pregnancy, you're officially almost done with your first trimester. Big things are coming your way. Your unborn baby is growing rapidly, measuring more than 2 inches. Things are also lining up with most of your fetus's organs and bodily systems have been developed. Now, it's time for them to mature—and start working on their own.

At 12 weeks pregnant, you are gearing up for your fourth month of pregnancy, which is full of more prenatal appointments and (in your fifth month) an anatomy scan. All in all, things are progressing nicely toward your estimated due date. If you haven't noticed a change already, nausea relief should also be headed your way.

Read on to learn what to expect at week 12 of pregnancy.

Pregnancy Week 12 Quick Facts

  • At 12 weeks, you're three months pregnant
  • You have 28 weeks until your due date
  • You're at the end of your first trimester

Your Unborn Baby's Size at 12 Weeks

At 12 weeks pregnant, your unborn baby is about 2.13 inches long and weighs approximately 0.49 ounces. Think of it as a fetus the size of a lime!

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 12 

As your first trimester draws to a close, many early pregnancy symptoms begin to wane while new symptoms appear.

Morning sickness and fatigue, for example, should be lessening—as your pregnancy hormones balance out. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), most people's morning sickness goes away by 14 weeks.

Unfortunately, you may soon be plagued by some new issues, including:

  • Bloating 
  • Headaches
  • Increased vaginal discharge

Dizziness is another fairly common symptom that some experience around week 12. This is due to an increase in progesterone levels in your body. But why does it cause dizziness? Researchers say pregnancy hormones like estrogen and progesterone can affect specific body structures that affect hearing and balance, which can interfere with regulating inner ear functions. In addition, electrolyte and vascular changes are also to blame.

The preventative solution? Drink loads of water, snack regularly, and sit down as soon as you feel lightheaded. If the dizziness gets severe, call your health care provider.

Toward the end of the first trimester, some people will produce excessive saliva, a condition known as ptyalism gravidarum. "Some people may be embarrassed by the condition because they'll find the need to spit into something the whole day," explains Yamel Belen, RN, CLC, registered nurse, professional doula, and certified lactation counselor in Tampa, Florida. "It can cause dehydration, trouble sleeping, and breathing."

Unfortunately, Belen says, there is no real cure for the problem. However, you can expect it to improve by the start of your second trimester. Until then, you might want to try chewing gum to ease the discomfort.

Developmental Milestones

It's a big week for your unborn baby: All their bodily systems have more or less been formed. Now it's time for those systems to learn how to work, starting with the digestive system. Their vital organs and body parts are also in place, and the pituitary gland at the base of your baby's brain is starting to produce hormones while the bone marrow is processing white blood cells.

Pregnancy Journey Weekly Reminder

Design by Alice Morgan

Prenatal Tests and Doctor's Appointments

If you had your first prenatal visit at eight weeks, there's a good chance you'll be seeing your health care provider again this week. During the first and second trimester, most visits are four weeks apart (meaning you go about once a month). But what should you expect from your appointment when you are 12 weeks pregnant?

During your appointment, a health care provider will check the following:

  • Your weight
  • Your blood pressure
  • Urine samples
  • The size of your uterus
  • Fetal heartbeat

If you haven't discussed noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) yet, a health care provider will likely discuss it with you at this time. These tests use your blood to detect congenital abnormalities. It can help detect (but not diagnose) certain genetic conditions such as Down syndrome. It can also determine the set of chromosomes your fetus has, which can predict which sex they'll be assigned at birth.

Common Questions at This Pregnancy Stage

How much weight should I be gaining?

This is one of the most common questions asked during pregnancy, especially as you round the corner on your first trimester and start showing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a pretty nifty tool to calculate how much weight is "safe" for you to gain during the nine months. That said, it's important to note that these tools are just that: tools. Kimberly Zapata, an associate editor at Parents and mother of two, gained 24 pounds with her first pregnancy but just 12 pounds with her second. Both were deemed healthy. What matters is your overall well-being and that of your fetus.


Can I color my hair?

There have been countless discussions about the safety of dyeing your hair while pregnant. But, according to ACOG, partaking in the practice is unlikely to harm your fetus, and lots of pregnant people color their hair. Of course, if you want to be extra safe, you can look into vegetable dyes or skip the color or highlights until after pregnancy. 

Things You Might Consider This Week

Health experts advise getting the flu shot during pregnancy. Why? Because people who are pregnant are at increased risk for severe cases, resulting in hospitalization. In addition, the flu can adversely affect your fetus. So, protecting yourself from the flu is especially important when you're pregnant. The CDC recommends getting immunized as soon as possible for the best possible protection.

In addition, you are at greater risk of a severe case of COVID-19 while pregnant. For that reason, the CDC advises staying current on your COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy. You can get the vaccine at any time during pregnancy, but, like the flu vaccine, the sooner you receive the vaccine, the sooner you are protected.

Another important consideration at 12 weeks pregnant is monetary. Now is a great time to start budgeting for your baby—or, at the very least, thinking about it. Sit down and brainstorm how you will afford early expenses like diapers, clothes, and formula. Discuss your child care options. Will your little one attend daycare, or will a family member help with their care?

Next, consider ways to save money. Even if you are in good financial shape, being fiscally responsible now will help you in the long run.

Support You May Need This Week

While you may have had someone join you for your first prenatal appointment, many fly solo for subsequent appointments with the feeling that they are somehow less important or more routine. But, some people find it valuable to have a partner, family member, or friend with them.

Zapata’s spouse, for example, accompanied her to every visit. “It was reassuring to have someone I loved and trusted beside me,” she says. If you feel this may be helpful, now is a great time to reach out to loved ones and build your support system.

You may also find yourself in need of stress relief. If so, you may want to book a prenatal massage, as they are good for relaxation and circulation. Just be sure to ask for a prenatal massage. This type of massage is done by a trained therapist, and rather than lying on their stomach, pregnant clients are asked to lie on their side—unless the establishment and therapist have a special table with a hole cut out in the abdominal region.

Head over to week 13 of pregnancy

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. Morning sickness: Nausea and vomiting of pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2021.

  2. Vertigo in pregnancy: A narrative reviewCureus. 2022.

  3. Schedule of prenatal care. UCLA Health. n.d.

  4. Weight gain during pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2022.

  5. Is it safe to dye my hair during pregnancy?. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2020.

  6. Flu and pregnancy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023.

  7. COVID-19 vaccines while pregnant or breastfeeding. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2023.

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