Canada's Largest & Oldest Cord Blood Bank
In the home stretch now for completing your first trimester! You are in month three of your pregnancy with six months to go.
This Week’s Highlights
Your baby can open and close his/her hands
Your baby’s digestive system starts working
You will have your dating scan (ultrasound) soon
Your Baby at 12 Weeks
Your baby is the size of a lime, measuring about 2.1 inches (5.4 centimeters) from head to rump and weighing in at about 0.5 ounces (14 grams).
Baby Development at Week 12
Your baby has nearly doubled in size and is starting to look more and more human every day.
By week 12, all of the body structures are nearing the end of their formation. These organs will continue to mature until about 28 weeks, at which point many of your baby’s organs will start to function.
This week the digestive system starts working. Muscles required to push food through the digestive tract start contracting, practicing for when they are required after birth.
White blood cells are being produced in the bone marrow, which will help your baby acquire immunity after birth.
Right now, your little ones skeleton is made of cartilage, the same firm tissue that makes up our outer ear. In the ensuing weeks, cartilage will start to harden into bones. This process of making bones takes a long time, and will continue on until you baby is in their 20s.
The Dating Ultrasound
This week you may have you dating scan, which happens between 11 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. During the scan, a technician will carefully measure the baby to predict how far along you are in your pregnancy.
The due date predicted using the dating ultrasound will be much more accurate than the one predicted based on your period. This means your expected due date may change after the dating scan, particularly if your cycle is irregular.
Once a dating scan is done, your healthcare provider will use this adjusted due date. If necessary, this adjusted due date will be used to determine when to induce labour at the end of your pregnancy.
Pregancy Tip
Start doing your Kegel exercises! We can’t stress this enough. These exercises help strengthen muscles that support your uterus and bladder, and will continue to benefit you long after your baby is born.
Your Bump at 12 Weeks
If it hasn’t already, your bump will start to show this week. You are probably having trouble fitting into your regular clothes. But, at this point your bump may resemble a bit of weight gain in your abdominal area to an outsider rather than an actual baby bump.
The size and shape of your bump will depend on your body type. There is no ‘normal’ size or shape. Your bump is as individual as your baby!
How Your Body is Changing
You may be relieved to find out that most of the early pregnancy symptoms like nausea and fatigue will start to ease by the end of the first trimester. You will also be happy to know that your risk of miscarriage has dropped dramatically, now that you are at 12 weeks.
You may start noticing that your gums bleed more often when you floss or brush. Since pregnancy increases the risk of diseases associated with teeth and gums, it may be good to plan a dental check up soon.
If you are experiencing headaches, their intensity may increase this week. Play close attention to the triggers of your headaches (e.g. lack of sleep, dehydration, blood sugar drop) and try to avoid these triggers. If you have never experienced migraines and are experiencing them now, talk to your healthcare provider.
Give the Gift of Health, Now and in the Future!
Give the gift of health, now and in the future! Cord blood and cord tissue can only be preserved at birth. This means stem cell banking is a once in a lifetime opportunity that should not be missed!
Once stored, newborn stem cells are available over the lifetime of your baby. If there is ever a need for a stem cell transplant, whether your child is 2, 20 or 80, there will always be a perfectly matched sample available for use.
The current and future applications of your baby’s cord blood has amazing potential to treat disease. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity! Learn More →
How Far Along are You?
12 weeks in, 28 weeks to go! You are now a third of the way through your pregnancy. Even though pregnancy is measured in weeks this means you have completed the third month of pregnancy.
Diet at Week 12
As you regain your appetite in the next few weeks, this may be a good time to brush up on pregnancy dos and don’t for food. Here are a few of the don’ts:
- Stay away from uncooked raw shellfish as they can carry parasites such a norovirus, Salmonella and Listeria
- Same goes for raw meat, which can contain toxoplasma, E. coli and Listeria
- Stick with cooked eggs, as raw eggs can be contaminated with Salmonella
- Avoid high mercury fish such as sword fish and shark
- Reduce your intake of organ meats, which are high in preformed vitamin A. High levels of preformed vitamin A during pregnancy is linked to birth defects
Invest in Your Baby’s Future by Preserving Newborn Stem Cells
Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 12
Faintness and dizziness – Fainting and dizziness mostly occur in the second trimester and may be due to several different factors including changes in circulation, pregnancy hormone levels and your growing bump. You are sharing your blood supply with the baby, which means sometimes your brain may not get enough oxygen to support your body. Make sure you don’t spend too much time in hot, stuffy rooms and aren’t letting your blood sugar levels drop too low.
Bloating and gas– The pregnancy hormone progesterone causes smooth muscles in your body to relax, which includes the muscles of the digestive track. As a result, digestion slows down giving your body more time to absorb nutrients, so it can be passed on to the baby. Bloating is one unfortunate side effect caused by this slow down.
Excessive saliva build up– If morning sickness wasn’t bad enough, now you have to also deal with extreme saliva build up in your mouth. Ptyalism gravidarum is a condition that is more common in expectant moms who experience nausea and vomiting perhaps because they are a tough time swallowing saliva.
Headaches – Changing hormone levels are the main culprit behind your pregnancy headaches. Fatigue, stress, overeating, allergies and a drop in blood sugar levels can also lead to headaches. Remember to get lots of fresh air and stay cool by wearing comfortable clothing.
Heightened sense of smell – Estrogen is responsible for your heightened sense of smell, which can contribute to nausea and morning sickness. If you are finding it difficult to eat because of this, try eating cool or room temperature foods.
Have Questions about Cord Blood Banking?
