Month 3 · Weeks 9–12
Month 3 of pregnancy: weeks 9 to 12
The third month closes the hardest stretch of the first trimester. The scan that dates your pregnancy happens now, and for many women the nausea finally starts to loosen its grip.
Symptoms in month 3 of pregnancy
Most of month 2 is still with you at the start of this month, and much of it begins to ease by the end. What you are likely to notice:
- Nausea, often at its peak then starting to fade
- Tiredness still heavy, but lifting for some
- Waistbands getting tight before anything shows
- Visible veins across the chest
- Headaches, often from dehydration
- Mild cramping as the uterus grows
Not showing yet is normal, particularly in a first pregnancy, and says nothing about the baby's size.
The 12-week scan
In England this scan is offered "at around 10 to 14 weeks of pregnancy." Local practice differs, but the window is broadly the same, and it is the appointment that sets your due date.
The NHS lists what it checks: "how many weeks pregnant you are and work out your due date," "whether you're expecting more than 1 baby," "that the baby is growing in the right place," and "your baby's development."
You may also be offered screening in the same visit. The combined test pairs a blood test with a measurement of the fluid at the back of the baby's neck, called nuchal translucency. It is offered, not required, and the choice is yours.
This scan sets the dates your whole pregnancy is measured against, so it is worth booking rather than assuming it will be arranged for you.
Source: NHS
The baby in month 3
By week 9, "all of your baby's essential organs have begun to grow," and the toes can be seen. Between weeks 11 and 14, nails appear on the fingers and toes.
Formed is not the same as finished. The organs go on developing for the rest of the pregnancy. What changes this month is that the period in which they were being built for the first time is behind you.
The end of the first trimester
Two things change at week 12, and it is worth being precise about both.
Folic acid. The World Health Organization's recommendation of 400 micrograms daily runs "until 12 weeks of gestation." Ask your doctor what to continue, because a prenatal vitamin usually carries other things you still need.
Risk. Most miscarriages "occur during the first 7 weeks of pregnancy," and the rate "drops after the fetus's heartbeat is detected." So the reassurance is real, but it is tied to a confirmed heartbeat rather than to the number 12 on a calendar.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO) · MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
What's common
- Nausea, often at its peak then starting to fade
- Tiredness still heavy, but lifting for some
- Waistbands getting tight before anything shows
- Visible veins across the chest
- Headaches, often from dehydration
- Mild cramping as the uterus grows
When to call a doctor now
Contact a doctor or go to a hospital if any of these happen, whatever week you are in.
- Vaginal bleeding, especially with cramping
- Severe abdominal pain, or pain on one side
- Fluid leaking from the vagina
- A high temperature, or pain and burning when passing urine
- Fainting, or dizziness that does not pass on sitting down
- Vomiting so persistent you cannot keep fluids down
The scan that sets your due date is this month
Nawah keeps the appointment schedule, surfaces the lab work in the week you need it, and once your dates are confirmed it counts the weeks for you. The father sees the same week from his side. Arabic and English, free.
Get Nawah on Google PlayCommon questions
When should I tell people?
There is no medical rule, only a convention built around risk falling after the early weeks. Some people tell everyone early precisely so they will have support if something goes wrong. Both are reasonable. It is your news.
My nausea stopped suddenly. Is that a bad sign?
Usually not. This is the month it commonly eases, and it can ease quickly. But symptoms disappearing is worth mentioning to your doctor rather than sitting with, particularly alongside bleeding or cramping.
Do I stop folic acid after week 12?
The WHO recommendation for folic acid specifically runs until 12 weeks. That is not the same as stopping your prenatal vitamin, which usually contains iron and other things you still need. Ask your doctor what to continue.
Is the nuchal translucency scan compulsory?
No. Screening is offered, and you can accept or decline it. It estimates a likelihood rather than giving a diagnosis, which is worth understanding before the appointment rather than during it.
Sources
- 12-week scanNHS · retrieved 2026-08-21
- Fetal developmentMedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine · retrieved 2026-08-21
- MiscarriageMedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine · retrieved 2026-08-21
- Periconceptional folic acid supplementation to prevent neural tube defectsWorld Health Organization (WHO) · retrieved 2026-08-21
This guide is general information, not medical advice. It does not replace a doctor, and it knows nothing about your particular pregnancy. If something feels wrong, contact your doctor instead of waiting for the next scheduled visit.