Your Pregnancy Week by Week: 12 Weeks

The following information -- and much more -- can also be found in the free weekly email Lamaze Pregnancy Week by Week. Sign up now to receive helpful information for your stage of pregnancy. Subscribers will be given the opportunity to complete a Lamaze Parent Satisfaction Survey after their pregnancy and receive a Lamaze Toys coupon. We want to hear about your birth experience and the impact that childbirth education may have had so that we can continue to make sure parents have the information they need for the safest, healthiest birth possible.

You're in week 12 of your pregnancy!

As you begin to share the news of your pregnancy, and later as your belly grows, you may notice that people - even perfect strangers - want to share their 'words of wisdom' with you. Watch the Lamaze video that demonstrates how you may be feeling. After your baby's birth, the advice will keep coming. Everyone has an opinion about where and how to give birth, how to soothe a crying baby, where your baby should sleep - the list goes on and on. Some of this advice may contradict what you already know or believe. Much of it will be advice that you did not ask for. How do you handle all of the 'well-wishers?' Discover how to sort through the information you're receiving and seek out reliable advice that fits what you believe about pregnancy and birth.

What's New with Baby

At this point in your pregnancy journey, something remarkable happens - you may be able to hear your baby's heartbeat at your prenatal appointment. If you haven't been experiencing the typical symptoms of early pregnancy, this may be the point in your pregnancy when everything starts to feel real. Your baby has accomplished another big feat this week - she's developed the ability to make a fist and even suck her thumb! Her kidneys are starting to excrete urine into her bladder. She's also experienced a huge growth spurt, which has doubled her weight to about 14 grams - yet she's still no bigger than an avocado pit!

What's New with You

You may or may not be wearing maternity clothing. However, your uterus is now at about the level of your pubic bone and your waist will start widening more rapidly from this point on. Once you're able to hear your baby's heartbeat, your risk of miscarriage is greatly reduced.

Words of Wisdom from Another Mom

'I found it so easy to judge other parents until I became a parent myself. No matter what you read, see, or hear, you need to find what works for you and your family. I talked with my friends and family, read several pregnancy books and took a prenatal class. In the end, I borrowed many pieces of information from my most trusted resources and molded them into a routine that worked for my family.'

Want to learn more? Sign up for Lamaze Pregnancy Week by Week -- it's free!