11 Weeks Pregnant : What to Expect
During the 11th week of pregnancy, many changes are occurring with mom and baby. Mom has probably heard the baby’s heartbeat by this week, and most pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness are dissipating. Mom might even feel well enough to enjoy a night out on the town, without toxins of course. At 11 weeks pregnant most women will show signs of pregnancy, starting with the belly.
Symptoms and Body Changes at 11 Weeks
You and others will definitely know you’re pregnant by the 11th week as physical changes in your appearance occur. Weight gain is still slow, but there should be a little pooch in your abdomen that’s due more to your uterus and baby, rather than from pregnancy symptoms like bloatedness. Your uterus is growing at the same rate as your baby, so by this week you’ll be able to feel it in its whole. You might notice changes in your hair, toenails and fingernails too, as these things are growing like crazy. This, like most everything else, is due to the increase in hormones within your system. Most women think they are feeling the baby move around, however this is a false alarm and is due to fluttering within your stomach, as well as gas from your digestive tract. If you’re feeling hot flashes or are warmer than usual, this is normal and from the larger amount of blood pumping throughout your body. These are just some of the pregnancy symptoms that many will notice. As the first trimester comes closer to its end, most women should gain approximately 2-5 pounds.
Baby’s Development
Your baby is an amazing 2 ½ inches long and .5 ounce in weight in this week. The head makes up for half of that size, and you might feel like your baby is going to be a genius! The fingers and toes are completely separated and you can count all 20 of them by the end of the 11th week. Even though the baby’s bones are hardening, the skin is still transparent, making it hard to tell. Your baby is very active, but unfortunately he or she is still too small for mom or anyone else to feel. Surrounded by amniotic fluid, your baby has learned to swallow and is urinating the fluid from the sac, letting the doctors know that the urinary organs are functioning properly. Other organs are continuing to grow and form, and should be functioning normally, but by the end of the week they will start functioning more efficiently. Within the next 3 weeks, the length and size of the baby will double. Blood vessels in the placenta increase and provide your baby with the nutrients and oxygen it needs to grow so quickly. The ears move to the correct position, from the neck to the side of the head, and your baby is swimming around in its warm home.
Pregnancy Week 11 Tips
If you were underweight or overweight before your pregnancy, your doctor might’ve wanted you to either gain more or less during the first trimester. It’s important that you continue to eat correctly and follow your doctor’s instructions in order to give your baby the correct nutrients it needs. If you’ve gained more than the 2-5 pounds, you might want to rethink your eating habits, as you really only need an extra 300 calories a day to ensure your baby is healthy. Check out nutrition during pregnancy for more information. Next is pregnancy at 12 weeks.
