12 weeks and 7 days pregnant

This 2D black-and-white ultrasound scan is similar to the scan you may see and may be given. The baby is the central white area, and the amniotic fluid is black. This type of scan is the best way to measure your baby’s length at this stage.

Your hormones have done all the hard work to establish your pregnancy and as they settle down, so should your nausea.

Morning sickness usually subsides around the start of the second trimester. It’s believed that the rapid hormonal changes required to establish and maintain the pregnancy in the early stages may cause the sickness. By this stage your pregnancy is well established and your baby’s major internal organs and support system are fully formed, so these hormone levels start to stabilize. This may be why the nausea passes. Furthermore, there is a theory that nausea is the body’s way of protecting your baby from harmful substances in the early crucial stages of development, so you become naturally adverse to alcohol and junk food, for example.

If your nausea and sickness hasn’t begun to subside by this stage don’t worry as for some women it does continue into the second trimester. See your doctor or midwife if you are concerned about your level of sickness.

Your immune system weakens during pregnancy to stop your body rejecting your developing baby.

This, unfortunately, makes you more prone to colds and bugs. As an added burden, pregnancy hormones can worsen a blocked nose and nausea.

My partner hasn’t wanted sex at all since I’ve become pregnant. Will he ever fancy me again?

Yes! Although it’s difficult, try not to take his reluctance to have sex personally. When I was pregnant, my husband didn’t want to have penetrative sex, and most of his fears centred around harming the baby or me. This was made worse by the fact that I’d taken a long time to get pregnant, and was also having a difficult pregnancy, with lots of nausea and sickness.

We spoke to our midwife and she was able to reassure my partner that he couldn’t harm the baby in any way by having penetrative sex. She also told us that it wasn’t uncommon for either partner to experience a reduced sexual desire in pregnancy for a variety of reasons. Although many women experience an increased libido at this stage of pregnancy, the same may not be true for their partner.

It’s important that you talk to your partner to find out his fears and explain your own thoughts and feelings. Don’t let this issue cause an argument between you. Each couple is different and you will need to talk to each other to find your way through this problem.

You may also find it helpful to talk to someone who isn’t so closely involved, such as your midwife, doctor, or a trusted friend.