Week 12-- Developments and Changes

So apparently this week is the week that I am supposed to start "glowing." This is due to an increased blood supply. That's about the only change I should experience, but the baby has a lot more going on, so let's check in.

The baby should be 2.5 inches long and weigh approximately 0.3 to 0.5 ounces.

Fetal developments that usually occur during week 12 include the following:

• A skeleton of cartilage is forming
• The gallbladder secretes bile from the fetus
• The lungs are completely formed
• The thyroid gland and pancreas are now complete
• The liver is functioning to make blood cells
• The liver accounts for about 10 percent of the entire weight of the fetus
• The baby's first urine is made and eliminated into the amniotic sac
• The baby's intestines can now fit into his/her abdomen instead of stretching into the umbilical cord.

Also, the fetal muscles are sufficiently developed to allow spontaneous twitches, so if you touch it's forehead it will turn it's head away. So before too long the baby should start wiggling around all by him/herself. Yay!