Your baby’s development
Your baby now measures 4 cm and grows as much in the coming week as he has done in the previous eleven! The placenta compensates for this rapid growth by developing more blood vessels to provide the baby with even more nourishment. The brain, lungs, liver and kidneys, although minute, have all formed.
Your baby’s head is half their body length which shows how much brain growth is going on. They can suck, swallow and even yawn! Your baby can also ‘breathe’ amniotic fluid and urinate. Now that their fingers have separated, they will soon be able to open and close their fists and grasp things in the womb. All organ systems are functioning but will keep developing and maturing in preparation for birth.
You & your body
The most important vitamin supplement in pregnancy is folic acid, so do continue taking this up to at least week 12. Folate or folic acid is a nutrient that has a role in DNA synthesis and low levels in early pregnancy are associated with neural tube defects in the baby. These congenital abnormalities such as spina bifida result from failure of the neural tube to close 22 to 27 days after conception.