Hey love,
I don't know if anyone's told you this yet, but… you're doing amazing. I mean it.
Even if you don't feel amazing. Even if you're currently dry-heaving into the bathroom trash can 🤢 while wondering how something the size of a lime is stealing so much of your energy. Even then — especially then — you are doing something powerful.
I remember being exactly where you are. Twelve weeks pregnant. Still scared to get too excited. Still checking the toilet paper every time I peed (because early pregnancy turns you into a certified detective 🕵️♀️). Still waiting for some official feeling to wash over me — like one day I'd wake up and feel pregnant. But the truth is… that moment never really came. It was more of a slow becoming. And while you're becoming, there are a few things I wish someone had told me.
Your Baby at 12 Weeks
At 12 weeks, your baby is about the size of a lime and has developed all critical organs.
The Reality of the "Glow"
You don't have to be glowing to be growing. At 12 weeks, I felt like a bloated raccoon with sore boobs, zero patience, and saltines in every purse pocket. People say "enjoy every moment," but I say — girl, just survive it. It's okay if you're not basking in a magical glow right now. You're growing a whole human. That's the magic.
And you're allowed to be both grateful and completely overwhelmed. That combo is real, and it doesn't mean you're ungrateful. It means you're human. No one warns you how joy and fear hold hands during pregnancy. Or how love for your baby might start off soft, like a whisper, not a thunderclap. That's okay. That love will grow. And so will you.
"You're allowed to be both grateful and completely overwhelmed. That combo is real, and it doesn't mean you're ungrateful."
Don't Rush the Nesting
Oh — and if you haven't bought a single baby item yet? You're not behind. I panicked and bought a wipe warmer (baby hated it), three pacifiers (she rejected all of them), and some fancy thermometer I still don't know how to use… before I ever bought a pair of maternity leggings. Turns out, babies don't need a Pinterest nursery. They need you. And that's more than enough.
First Trimester Essentials You Actually Need
- Comfortable maternity leggings (your regular pants are probably getting tight!)
- Prenatal vitamins that don't make you nauseous (ask your doctor for recommendations)
- A water bottle you'll actually use (hydration helps with nausea)
- Ginger candies or tea for morning sickness
- A pregnancy app that doesn't stress you out
If you're waiting on that first ultrasound, or you just had it and cried seeing that flickering heartbeat… soak it in. That's your little fighter. That's the proof, right there on the screen, that you're already a mom.
And please — don't let the forums make you spiral. Sometimes reading other people's symptoms helps, but sometimes it just freaks you out more. Give yourself permission to log off. Call your provider if you're worried. Trust your gut. She's already getting stronger — you'll see.
Common 12-Week Symptoms
Every pregnancy is different, but these symptoms are common around 12 weeks.
Remember This
And here's the part I really want you to remember:
You are enough.
Even on the days when you forget your prenatals.
Even if you eat a donut for dinner 🍩
Even if you're scared out of your mind.
You're showing up. You're already loving. You're already doing the work.
And when it feels like too much, just stop. Put your hand on your belly. Take a breath. Remember: one day, your baby will look at you the way you look at the stars ✨
You've got this. And on the days you don't feel like you do? That's okay too. We moms figure it out. Together.
With love (and a pack of peppermint gum just in case),
A Mom Who's Been There 💗
