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The twelfth week of pregnancy is part of the third month (from 8+6 to 13+1).

During the twelfth week of pregnancy , it is definitely too early to start feeling fetal movements .

Especially if it is your first sweet expectation, you will have to wait another six weeks or so.

Attention: this does not mean that the expectant mother does not feel anything!

During the twelfth week of pregnancy, for example, it is common to feel the upper part of the uterus protruding from the upper portion of the pubic bone.

To get an idea of ​​the situation just described, the best thing to do is to lie down in bed, making sure that the bladder is full.

There are many changes that affect your baby's body during the twelfth week of pregnancy.

Here are some:

• Presence of the very first outlines of nails.

• Hardening of the bones.

• Beginning of the synthesis of white blood cells, precious for the baby's immune system, by the bone marrow.

Furthermore, the placenta is now able to perfectly carry out all its tasks, filtering oxygen and overseeing the passage of nutrients necessary for the fetus to grow.

Another interesting peculiarity of the twelfth week of pregnancy is the fact that, when the fetus receives stimuli near the mouth, the sucking reflex is activated.

With a length of between 5 and 6.5 cm , the fetus in the twelfth week of pregnancy is comparable in size to a ripe plum.

Weight -wise - I remind you that we are always talking about maximum values ​​and that it is very important not to get hung up on numbers alone during pregnancy - we are talking about a range that goes from 8 to 15 grams.

Epilogue to the delicate period of embryogenesis , the twelfth week of pregnancy sees the fetus begin to react concretely to stimuli for the first time.

All this is possible thanks to the sufficient development of the nervous system, brain, and cardiac conduction system, the latter having a fundamental role in blood perfusion in all areas of the body.

Continuing with the list of milestones reached during the twelfth week of pregnancy, we cannot fail to mention the fact that the fetus, who continues to suck his thumb training the sucking reflex, finds the ability to yawn.

This means that, every now and then, you drink a little amniotic fluid.

With the pituitary gland now capable of secreting hormones, the fetus at twelve weeks of pregnancy also has a perfectly functioning thyroid.

A major change concerns, as already mentioned, the placenta, which has definitively replaced the yolk sac in the nourishment of the fetus.

During the twelfth week of pregnancy, the mother's body undergoes numerous and wonderful changes.

Among the main ones, it is possible to mention the farewell to the feeling of nausea that characterizes the first three months, as well as the general decrease in the feeling of tiredness that, at the beginning of the sweet wait, is caused by changes in the hormonal balance.

As for changes in the breast, it is worth remembering the tendency of the skin around the nipples to become darker.