12-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
You’re coming to the end of your first trimester. Congratulations! Read more about this week.
Baby development
As your first trimester is coming to a close, you can now see the face of your baby. And frankly, what a gorgeous face it is! Their bone marrow is producing its own blood cells, but the liver and spleen (which makes red blood cells) will make most of the blood cells until right around birth. After birth, it will continue this exclusive role during the entire life of your child. If your baby is a boy, their penis will already be visible on ultrasound. If you want to wait until they are born to know whether you’re having a boy or girl, make sure you let everyone around your health care team know so they don’t spoil the surprise.
Your body
Good news – the end of the first trimester is when most mothers-to-be report their nausea disappearing overnight. Second great news – if you have been anxious to feel the baby move, it generally starts around the 4th month of your pregnancy. Don’t worry if it doesn’t happen immediately, especially if you are a first-time mom. You just might not know what it feels like. It isn’t a huge earth-shaking sensation, more like light, butterfly-wings flapping inside you. When you do feel it, you can rub your belly to say hello right back!
Nutrition
Hungry? While you didn’t need more calories than before you were pregnant during your first trimester, you’ll soon need around 340 extra calories per day during your second trimester to support your growing baby. Getting these extra calories by eating nutritious meals and snacks will help your baby grow and develop healthily – both in your womb and in later life. But what does that number of extra calories look like in healthy food? About 340 calories can be supplied by 2 or 3 additional servings from Canada’s Food Guide groups, for example:
- An apple with ¾ cup of yogurt
- 1 slice of whole-grain toast and a cup of milk½ an English muffin with a slice of cheese and ½ of a sliced pear
Tips
A lot of women wonder what can happen if they get ill while pregnant. A cold or a stomach upset usually has no effect on an unborn child. It is just important to inform your doctor about any illness because they will know exactly which treatments and which medicines to recommend while you are pregnant.
Reference:
Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. PregnancyInfo.ca: Healthy eating. Healthy eating – Pregnancy Info Accessed August 2021
Related articles
3-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet
You’re at the very beginning of the journey. You can’t see anything yet, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a whole lot going on.
4 mins to read
20-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
There’s so much going on in your belly this week that you may want to take a little nap after reading about it! Read more about this week.
3 mins to read
36-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
From now until they make their grand entrance, your baby will continue to grow. They are already 45 cm long and weigh about 2.9 kg! Read more about this week.
3 mins to read
Pregnancy and dietary considerations
Pregnancy is exciting, exhilarating and totally different for every woman.
4 mins to read
15-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Though your baby is still inside you, this is the week where everything gets set up for their sense of smell. Read more about what to expect during week 15 of pregnancy.
2 mins to read
31-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
As the big day fast approaches, your little one will soon be moving into position for birth. What a clever baby! But you already knew that. Read more about this week.
2 mins to read
9-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Two hearts beat as one, as the song says. In actual fact, your baby’s heart is beating just fine on its own. Read more about this week.
3 mins to read
26-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
A little ta-da moment for the final week of your second trimester – your baby will open their eyes for the first time around now! Read more about this week.
2 mins to read
How to program your child’s future health
What to eat during pregnancy to give your baby the best start in life.
4 mins to read
4-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet advice
Almost one month already! There are lots of things happening inside you this week.
3 mins to read
21-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Though the baby now weighs around half a kilo, your little darling still has plenty of room in your belly. And likes to use it when not asleep!
3 mins to read
37-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Your baby tends to keep their head down, arms crossed, and legs folded up on their chest as there’s not much room to move around. They’ll be very glad to get out and stretch!
3 mins to read
Food choices for a healthy pregnancy nutrition
Eating for two doesn’t mean eating twice as much food, but it should mean making your food work twice as hard.
5 mins to read
16-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
16-weeks pregnant? Find out all you need to know about nutrition, diet and baby development at 16 weeks in our week-by-week pregnancy calendar.
2 mins to read
32-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Your baby is still developing as you head into the final lap, but it’s mostly perfecting and polishing from here on out. He or she is getting ready to meet you!
2 mins to read
What’s your blood sugar number?
The key question to ask if you’re being tested for, or monitoring, gestational diabetes.
2 mins to read
10-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
You are already at week 10 of your pregnancy. Still another 29 weeks to go before you get to meet your little love. Learn more about what’s going on this week.
3 mins to read
27-weeks pregnant: baby development and diet tips
Your baby still has some growing to do but as of today, they’re over 30 cm long, big enough laying down to fit on your forearm between your hand and your elbow.
3 mins to read
Your pregnancy snack selector
Moms-to-be in their second and third trimesters need to think about adding a few more calories to their diets — make them healthy ones with these nutritious snack ideas.
3 mins to read
