10 Weeks Pregnant : What to Expect
At 10 weeks pregnant, it’s important to know that your little embryo is completely out of the embryonic period, and is fully into the fetal period, making it a fetus. The best news about the 10th week is that there is less risk for congenital abnormalities. You and your baby are not fully in the clear when it comes to avoiding abnormalities or deformities, however the most critical weeks of development are over and with continued care, resistance of toxins and medical attention, you are well on your way to having a healthy baby at the end of your pregnancy term.
Symptoms and Body Changes at 10 Weeks
Although you’re not quite showing yet, while traveling through your 10th week of pregnancy, you probably feel like you are. You’ve gained 1-3 lbs, yet you feel like you’ve gained much more. The bloating feeling hasn’t gone away yet, however as you reach the end of your first trimester, other pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness are subsiding. Hopefully during the 10th week, you are feeling much more positive about your pregnancy since your first check-up has come and gone and you were able to hear your baby’s heartbeat. This moment can be very exciting for future parents, and can counteract the negative emotions felt by the heightened levels of estrogen and progesterone within your body. Hang in there!
Your Baby’s Development
You have been told up until this point that your baby is growing rapidly. However, now that he or she has reached the fetal period, ‘growing rapidly’ doesn’t come close. Last week, your baby was the size of a large grape. This week, your baby is the size of a lime. That’s quite a difference, and week-to-week from here on out, your baby will continue to grow at this rate. As internal organs continue to grow, your baby’s vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, intestines and brain start functioning on their own. Over the course of the next three weeks, the length of your baby will also grow significantly. Details, such as toenails will begin to come into focus, and if you look close enough, you might be able to see peach fuzz on your baby’s skin.
Pregnancy Week 10 Tips
If you had your first check-up and your partner didn’t go, the next time around you might want to include him. This will enable your partner to ask questions they might be having, get to know your health care provider and hear the heartbeat, as well as see the baby via ultrasound. All of this will help your partner feel closer and more involved in the pregnancy, which is very important as bonds are made at conception. You may also want to begin shopping for maternity clothes, including your partner in this process too. Doing things like these together can add excitement and joy to both of your lives. Also if aches and pains are getting unbearable consider trying pregnancy acupuncture through a licensed acupuncturist trained on pregnancy acupuncture points. This is very important as your hormones continue to rule. Next is pregnancy at 11 weeks.
