The twelfth week of pregnancy: if baby movements are already felt? What is week 12 ultrasound for and why is it sometimes called 'genetic'? Is on 3D ultrasound you can see already sex fetus? What are prenatal tests and what are they intended for 12 weeks of pregnancy? What else is recommended at this time regarding research?
More and more moms are starting to check the size of the abdomen and want to know what the baby looks and behaves in the 12th week of pregnancy. It is getting closer and closer to the end of the first trimester - the 12th week of pregnancy means that ultrasound can be performed through the abdominal wall. In some women, such troublesome ailments as frequent pressure on the bladder or nausea may slowly subside. An important element of the obligatory 12st trimester ultrasound is the measurement of the translucency of the fetal nape. In addition, in the XNUMXth week of pregnancy, an assessment of the risk of depression is recommended.
Week 12: how is your pregnancy going? The course of pregnancy at week 12
In the 12th week of pregnancy, the period of greatest risk of losing pregnancy ends - approx 80 percent all miscarriages it is taking place in the first twelve weeks. The longer the pregnancy lasts, the less risk associated with it. In order to make sure that the fetus is developing properly, it is worth remembering about the tests indicated at this time - the 12th week is the right time for compulsory ultrasound of the first trimesterand the second urinalysis during pregnancy (it should be performed between 11,0 and 14,0 weeks). It is also worth doing first screening for depression which consists in filling in the appropriate questionnaire by the patient.
During the XNUMXst trimester ultrasound, the doctor confirms the pregnancy age. This is especially important if you have PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) or have problems with your monthly periods. The gestational age, determined solely by the date of the last menstrual period, may, in the above-mentioned cases, lead to a discrepancy in the calculations between the date of birth and the actual age of pregnancy.
12 weeks of pregnancy: ultrasound through the abdomen
Until now, the examination was carried out using the vaginal method, which was not very comfortable for the expectant mother. From around the 12th week, ultrasound can be performed through the abdominal wall. This allows the patient to lie comfortably during the examination and invite a partner or other close person to the office. In some cases, transvaginal ultrasound is still performed, e.g. to assess the length of the cervix.
An ultrasound examines the internal organs and examines the outline of the fetus, also checking the circumference of different parts of the body. A much clearer, spatial image of the baby in the 12th week of pregnancy can be seen on the 3D ultrasound, which allows the doctor to assess the shape of the head, as well as the development of the limbs and spine.
Activation of the Doppler function during ultrasound in the 12th week of pregnancy allows you to check blood flow in vessels, e.g. in the uterine arteries or the central artery of the brain.
Doppler examination is usually a great experience for future parents, as it allows them to hear the fetal heartbeat.
12th week of pregnancy on 3D ultrasound: sex of the baby
From the 12th week of pregnancy on, you can try to assess the sex of the baby during an ultrasound. The internal and external genitalia are already developed, but still very small, and therefore not visible. Much also depends on the position of the fetus during the examination. All this makes for on ultrasound in the 12th week of pregnancy it will not be 100% sure whether it is a boy or a girl. Better chances to determine the sex of your baby, it gives 3D ultrasound. Thanks to more technologically advanced equipment, on the screen you can see a three-dimensional color image of the fetus during such an examination. Will it tell you the sex at 12 weeks of pregnancy? This is more likely, but you always have to reckon with the child becoming obscured or the genitals simply not being clearly visible.
Apart from the 3D ultrasound examination in the 12th week of pregnancy, ultrasound is also used to assess the sex 4D, thanks to which the three-dimensional image is no longer static and can be observed baby movements (fetus). These ultrasound methods are not available everywhere and may involve additional costs - similar to those performed, for example, in for the very purpose of testing free DNA from the mother's blood. Sometimes it is enough to wait a little longer for sex to be assessed with more certainty with the help of "ordinary" ultrasound (2D).
Baby at 12 weeks of pregnancy
A child in the 12th week of pregnancy - that is, the fetus - has from 43 mm to 53 mm in length (CRL), measured from the buttocks to the top of the skull (the legs are still folded up so it would be difficult to measure them). In the middle of the twelfth week of pregnancy weighs approx. 58 g.
Around the 12th week of pregnancy, the baby, the fetus, is properly formed on the outside - it already has all the parts of its body. Much more is happening inside the new organism.
In a child in the 12th week of pregnancy:
- neurons and synapses form in the brain,
- the pituitary gland produces hormones,
- the spine hardens,
- the first movements in the digestive system,
- the pancreas starts producing insulin and the kidneys start producing urine,
- the bone marrow produces blood cells.
12 weeks pregnant: baby movements
In the 12th week of pregnancy, the fetus moves freely in the amniotic sac - it still has a lot of space surrounded by amniotic fluid. The umbilical cord connects it to the placenta "built-in" into the uterine wall, from where it receives oxygen and all the necessary nutrients. He can open and close his mouth as well as wrinkle his forehead.
Referring to the common question about week 12 of pregnancy, baby movements they are still difficult to see, although sometimes they can be seen on ultrasound. But it is definitely too early for the expectant mother to sense them.
Prenatal testing at week 12
Prenatal testing is performed to assess the anatomy of the fetus and check for early structural defects. As for the first and second trimesters, they are carried out when the baby - fetus - reaches 45 mm of CRL, which usually falls on week 12 of pregnancy.
Contrary to popular belief, prenatal tests at this stage are usually not invasive and are not associated with a risk for the future mother and child. These include, first of all, the 12st trimester ultrasound performed at week 2 (or within the next 13,6 weeks - up to XNUMX weeks), often called "genetic ultrasound". Its purpose - apart from assessing the size of the fetus, determining the duration of pregnancy and the date of delivery - is to examine individual internal organs.
During the first trimester ultrasound, the doctor checks the so-called neck translucency (NT, he smelled translucency), that is, the distance between the skin and the subcutaneous tissue of the fetus near the nape of the neck. Too high translucency may signal the aforementioned chromosomal disorders. The measurement of this parameter is reliable when the fetal CRL (parietal-seated length) is between 45 and 84 mm - at week 12 it is usually closer to the lower limit.
Other non-invasive prenatal tests, such as the PAPP test, although recommended, are not reimbursed for all future mothers.
12th week: prenatal tests for women over 35
In the case of women over 35, reimbursable prenatal tests include the so-called combined test, i.e. fetal ultrasound with determination of the level of 2 substances: pregnancy protein A (PAPP-A) and free beta hCG (beta chorionic gonadotropin subunits) in the mother's blood. With a higher risk of fetal genetic defects, chorionic villus sampling (trophoblast) is recommended. This is the earliest invasive prenatal test performed (between 11,0 and 13,6 weeks) - in future mothers who have reached 35 years of age, it is also reimbursed by the National Health Fund. A trophoblast biopsy also allows you to find out the gender of your baby.
However, if the PAPP-A test result is abnormal, chorionic villus sampling is rarely performed. Amniocentesis is performed much more often (after 15,0 weeks). Both chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis are invasive methods with the risk of miscarriage or infection.
The well-being of the future mother in the 12th week of pregnancy
The uterus begins to move up and forward - more and more space is needed in the belly of a 12-week pregnant woman. This shift can bring some relief when it comes to pressure on the bladder and the need for constant visits to the toilet. However, pressure on the intestines can at the same time lead to problems with excretion and gas. Some future mothers confuse the baby's movements, which are not noticeable even in the 12th week of pregnancy, with these changes in the abdomen. As for the size, the uterus may already resemble a melon.
Dizziness and pressure problems - this is due to the outflow of a significant amount of blood to the placenta. When it comes to abdominal size at 12 weeks gestation, first-time mothers tend to have only a slightly firm, rounded belly at the bottom. Future mothers who will give birth once again usually have bigger belly and a less pronounced waistline in pregnancy.
In addition to the fluctuating size of the abdomen, the characteristic symptoms are hypersensitivity to odors and heartburn. Some women experience nausea for most of their pregnancy, but some expectant mothers end up around the 12th week of pregnancy.
Consultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
Źródła:
Fetal Size and Dating: Charts Recommended for Clinical Obstetric Practice, ULTRASOUND, August 2009, Volume 17, No. 3
Estimating Fetal Gestational Age, Radiology Key
Fetal Development, Perinatology.com
