Week 12: 28 weeks to go!

Welcome back to our pregnancy series. We hope your pregnancy is going great.

Your baby's progress:

• Your baby weighs about 14 grams.
• Your baby now has reflexes.
• Your baby's heartbeat can be heard. The heart rate is about 160 beats per minute.
• The placenta has taken over hormone production.
• The kidneys have started to produce and secrete urine.
• The tastebuds have formed.
• The ribs and vertebrae have begun to ossify.

Your progress:

• Your stomach may begin to round out a bit and you may start “showing”.
• Fatigue and nausea should be decreasing.
• The linea nigra (black line running down the centre of your abdomen) may appear.
• Your uterus has risen above your pelvis. Good news: you don’t have to run to the bathroom so often!

What to do:

• Don’t try to diet if you are worried about gaining weight. Make sure that you follow a healthy, balanced diet. You will need to increase your calorie intake by about 300-500 calories. 
• Listen to your baby’s heartbeat!
• Remember to go for your check-up (see Week 11).

Good to know: 

• There’s no doubt: alcohol, tobacco smoke and other recreational drugs are harmful to your baby. The placenta simply doesn’t form an adequate barrier between the foetus and these toxic substances.