At 12 weeks gestation, your baby’s organs and body parts are developing nicely. You may hear evidence of fetal heart activity at your next prenatal appointment for the first time!
Ultrasounds at this stage may make it hard to identify your baby’s gender, which may only become apparent during the mid-pregnancy ultrasound in week 20! If that does happen, expect more details at your mid-pregnancy scan!
Weeks of Pregnancy
Pregnancy can generally be divided into three trimesters. Usually, the first trimester lasts 12-24 weeks, while subsequent ones span 25-36 and 37-40 weeks, respectively.
Your baby is making significant strides toward developing rapidly this week. At this stage, a typical fetus should be the size of a lime and have progressed from just a ball of cells into an embryo with brain function, organs, and spinal cord.
At around 14 weeks gestation, most women experience their first signs of fetal movement – usually tiny flutters – for the first time. You may also undergo your initial anatomy scan at this stage: A technician applies gel on your belly before using an ultrasound transducer to generate images that are then displayed on screen – an exciting way to keep up with what your little one is up to!
Week 12
Your pregnancy is proceeding smoothly, and this week marks the conclusion of your first trimester. At this point, all major organs and systems have formed. At this time, clear vaginal discharge should appear; be wary if it turns yellow-greenish-pinkish-brown as this could indicate infection or miscarriage.
Your baby may experience another growth spurt this week, making it crankier than usual. Some babies also begin showing symptoms of reflux – when their sphincter allows stomach contents to regurgitate back into the food pipe – making their daytime napping schedule unpredictable and disrupted.
Introduce wrist rattles as a means of improving hand-eye coordination and muscle control, and encourage them to lay on their tummies during playtime to reduce reflux. Once your physician approves, now may also be an ideal time to introduce solid foods.
Week 13
Your pregnancy is progressing well in Week 12 as the end of your first trimester nears. You may experience relief from early pregnancy symptoms like nausea and fatigue; however, any persistent issues should still be raised with your OB. By Week 13, it is common to experience clear vaginal discharge (Leukorrhea), a milky discharge produced by your body to protect its birth canal from infection.
As your baby develops accelerated, you will feel more energized in the second trimester. In week 22, for instance, the corpus callosum forms, connecting both the left and right sides of the brain, while his or her intestines expand further than ever and move beyond its confines into your baby’s abdomen.
Week 14
At 12 weeks pregnant, your baby’s face should begin to take on more human characteristics (if you had an ultrasound before this week). He or she may start growing its first fingernails and detaching from its connective webbing so they will move more independently than before.
Early pregnancy symptoms like nausea and cravings should have subsided at this point, and you are probably feeling more energetic than ever! Your baby has likely grown larger daily and may even begin sprouting hair on its head and eyebrows.
While it’s best not to estimate your pregnancy due date using this calculator, this tool automatically converts weeks-past-due dates to months-pregnant. Simply enter how far past your due date you are and it will display how many months pregnant you are.
Week 15
At 12 weeks, your baby’s bone marrow produces tons of white blood cells to fight germs transmitted from classmates while simultaneously developing their lungs and immune system.
If you can’t detect fetal movement yet, don’t panic; it may become apparent between 16-20 weeks when its speed picks up.
Your belly should now be getting more prominent as you enter the second trimester and, hopefully, early pregnancy symptoms become less evident (but no promises made!). You may also find that early signs seem to have subsided (if this is true for you!).
Use our online unit converter to convert between months and weeks easily. Select “months,” enter the number of weeks to convert, and target “weeks.” Our calculator will display your conversion result and give you more helpful conversion calculators! Have fun! And don’t forget our other unit converters; they’re instrumental!
Week 16
At week 12 of pregnancy, you can officially mark an end to the first trimester. Morning sickness should have subsided by now, and food choices have likely expanded somewhat. Meanwhile, your baby continues to grow and may start moving within your womb this week – you might even experience its first kicks!
Your body has begun generating blood, pumping approximately 25 quarts daily through your circulatory system. Brain and spinal cord formation is underway, and eyes have opened up.
An online date units converter is an invaluable resource that allows users to convert the duration of a period between different units of measurement. Simply select your target unit (for instance, months), enter its quantity, and click “Convert.” Your result will appear in its new unit with an accompanying conversion table for reference.
Week 17
Your baby’s organs have now fully developed, and its heartbeat has increased considerably; your doctor should be able to hear it during your next prenatal appointment. Vernix, an adhesive coating of mucus produced from the body that serves as a lubricant during birthing, also becomes active now; its production aids your little one when entering the birth canal.
Your baby’s nails are growing fast this week and will require trimming shortly after birth. Additionally, their arms may now be longer than their legs as they begin developing the muscles necessary for balance.
At 12 weeks gestation, you’re entering month 3 of your pregnancy; however, pregnancy doesn’t always fall neatly into months and trimesters. Learn about how weeks, months, and trimesters break down during gestation here.
Week 18
At 12 weeks, your baby will finally resemble a miniature human being with all their organs and body parts present and ready to start developing further.
Your baby’s eyes and ears are beginning to form, with its nose possibly growing but unbreathable at this stage, while they also start growing lanugo – a light covering of hair called fuzz that covers their body.
Your unborn fetus’ hearing becomes sharper this week, meaning they can hear you! Additionally, this month may mark the first time you feel them moving!
Pregnancy is usually divided into monthly periods; however, there are various methods of calculating how many weeks there are. With our Date Calculator, you can quickly and easily convert any number of weeks into months, days, or years! It’s fast and efficient!
Week 19
Your uterus may become more protrusive than usual as your baby develops its lungs and central airways (known as bronchioles). This indicates the development of their lungs.
Your little one has reached six inches long and almost one half-pound in weight, and their skin has begun to be covered in vernix caseosa, which acts like a protective coating against amniotic fluid and protects sensitive areas like their belly button from amniotic sap. Most will shed this layer before birth; preterm babies often retain it longer.
Use our convenient online date unit converter to convert seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months with ease! Just select your units of conversion before clicking “Convert.” It’s that simple!
Week 20
At 20 weeks, you have reached halfway through your pregnancy! A full-term gestation typically lasts 39-40 weeks and six days.
By now, you may have experienced heartburn regularly, and an old wives tale suggests it might be because your unborn baby has a full head of hair! Try over-the-counter acid reducers and increasing calcium in your diet to find relief.
Your fetus is rapidly increasing in size and developing more senses each week, as well as beginning to produce meconium. This greenish-black sticky substance will become their first stool after birth.
This week, many pregnant women undergo an anatomy ultrasound to evaluate the baby’s organs and bones. This may be performed by either their midwife or doctor. If preeclampsia concerns arise, don’t delay in seeking medical help!
