Goodbye critical phase – Welcome open joy

How is your baby growing?

How wonderful – now, in the 12th week of pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage has decreased dramatically. Hurray – now you can announce to the world that you are going to be parents. Of course, you can do it earlier – but many parents-to-be wait until the 12th week of pregnancy.  

Your baby continues to be quite active: its little hands clench into tiny fists, its wrists and elbows bend, and its mouth opens and closes. Your baby now drinks amniotic fluid, yawns, and sometimes has hiccups – all of which are important exercises for the development of the respiratory and digestive systems. This is because all the organs of the digestive system are now taking their final form. And in the head, which is still disproportionately large, a lot is happening: the eyes with eyelids are moving closer to the center of the face, a small nose is visible in profile, and the ears are moving higher.

How is your belly growing?

The risk of miscarriage has decreased significantly, and you can talk about your pregnancy. However, you probably don't have a visible baby bump yet. On the other hand, nausea may now be a thing of the past, so you may feel stronger again.  

Your thyroid gland changes in the 12th week of pregnancy. Its size and productivity increase so that it can provide your baby with iodine.

You now have an increased need for iodine. That is why you should regularly eat cooked sea fish (mackerel, cod, haddock, etc.). However, sushi with raw fish is still off limits.

You can read here what you can and cannot eat during pregnancy: Link to nutrition during pregnancy

What makes you grow as a family?

How nice it is to be able to talk openly about your pregnancy now. Have you thought about how you want to announce the happy news? We have put together some ideas for you in our guide. 

Regarding the reaction of those around you, here's some advice from mom Viola:

Get used to the fact that everyone has their own opinion, because you'll notice this right from the start. Whether it's about whether you want to reveal the baby's gender, whether you'll travel again, whether you should rest more even though you feel fine... Someone will always tell you that they do things differently and, of course, they will always have advice to give you.

The sooner you get used to ignoring such comments, the more relaxed your pregnancy and the period with your baby and toddler will be.

If you want to have your baby tested for genetic abnormalities, now is the right time. The tests are not covered by insurance and you will have to pay for them yourself. Discuss with your partner in advance whether you want to have the tests done and, if so, which ones and how you will deal with the results.