Pregnancy Week 11

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You are now in the last month of your first trimester at week eleven. You are precisely in the third week of the last month of your first trimester. You have 2 weeks to complete your first trimester and six months away from labor.

Take a peek at your baby

Take a Peek


Itty-bitty fingers and toes

Your child’s webbed fingers and toes separate and resemble human body parts. Fingernail and toenail beds are also developing.


Baby’s brain

Your baby’s head accounts for approximately half of his total body length.


Ears

Your baby’s ears have moved closer to their final position on either side of its little head.

Take a Peek


Itty-bitty fingers and toes

Your child’s webbed fingers and toes separate and resemble human body parts. Fingernail and toenail beds are also developing.


Baby brains

Your baby’s head accounts for approximately half of his total body length.


Ears

Your baby’s ears have moved closer to their final position on either side of its little head.

How is my baby developing at week 11?

By this time, your baby is now looking more like a normal human baby than before. The head-to-body ratio has changed drastically. The head now makes up one-third of your baby’s structure.

The intestine that was in the umbilical cord will return fully into the abdominal cavity by week 11.

At this time, your baby or babies are making a lot of movement, but you still wouldn’t be able to feel the movement.

Your baby’s nipple will become visible by week 11. The upper and lower limp will no longer be disproportionate. At this stage, your baby would have developed a tongue.

At week eleven, the eyes are almost in the normal human position and are closed. The nose is becoming smaller.

The neck of your baby is now much more defined and distinguished. The ears will begin to move towards their normal position.

How big is my baby at week 11?

At week eleven, your baby is about 1.61 inches in length. This roughly equals the size of a large strawberry and weighs about 7 grams. 

FETAL GROWTH

WEEK 11:

Your baby is about the size of a large strawberry

LENGHT

WEIGHT

1.61

7.0

Inches

grams

From head to heel

FETAL GROWTH

WEEK 11:

Your baby is about the size of a large strawberry

LENGHT

WEIGHT

1.61

7.0

Inches

grams

From head to heel

Baby Bump at Week 11

At this stage, your baby is growing at a considerably fast rate. This makes your uterus more and more enlarged. Also, your uterus is getting into the abdomen, so you may notice a rounded belly or too tight feeling in the waistband of your favourite jean, which is the first sign of a baby bump. 

How many weeks do I have to go?

At 11 weeks pregnant, you have about 29 more weeks to complete your pregnancy journey.

What is happening in my body at week 11?

Although progesterone does an excellent job of maintaining a healthy pregnancy, some side effects include bloating and passing gas. Progesterone relaxes muscle tissue in your body by slowing digestion and allowing more time for nutrients from food to be absorbed into the bloodstream and passed to your baby.

The unpleasant feeling of fullness in the abdomen will only worsen for some women, mainly after eating. As your uterus expands, it will compress the stomach and intestines, putting more pressure on the digestive tract and making you feel more bloated. You can reduce bloating and gas by grazing instead of eating a large amount of food and by avoiding gas-producing foods like soda, beans and fried foods.

Your appetite might be increasing, which is a good thing. It’s a sign that your morning sickness is wading off and that your need is preparing to help you nourish your baby and your body. Try to gain weight as efficiently as possible by eating nourishing foods and avoiding junk foods.

Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 11


Heartburn

Heartburn this week is due to the hormones progesterone and relaxin. They both weaken the muscular gateway between your stomach and your oesophagus. This gateway is called the sphincter. Weakness of the sphincter will allow acid contents from the stomach to move up to the oesophagus causing heartburn.


Frequent urination and constipation

Excessive urination this week can be blamed on the pregnancy hormones,which causes increase in blood flow to the pelvic area, this triggers frequent urination in pregnancy. Your expanding uterus is also responsible for your frequent trips to the bathroom this week, because it presses against the bladder and rectum which causes you to urinate more and be easily constipated.


Mood swings

There are several factors contributing to your mood swings this week, but the biggest culprit is the increase in the estrogen and progesterone hormones which can have an effect on brain chemicals(neurotransmitters) that regulate mood.


Fatigue and Dizziness

Pregnancy will require that your organs get more blood, and to make this possible, your heart begins to work harder. It releases more blood faster than usual. This causes you to become easily fatigued and constantly dizzy.


Increased vaginal discharge

This is an effect of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen is needed in pregnancy for the formation of new blood vessels. These blood vessels around your uterus will cause increased blood flow to the pelvic area, stimulating the body’s mucous membranes, leading to an increased vaginal discharge this week


Slight abdominal pain

Abdominal pains this week imitate the mild period pain. This pain is due to the increasing size of your uterus. The ligaments around your uterus are stretching to support your growing bump. You probably don’t have to worry about the pain if it is mild and fades when you change position, do a poo or pass wind.

Pregnancy Symptoms at Week 11


Heartburn

Heartburn this week is due to the hormones progesterone and relaxin. They both weaken the muscular gateway between your stomach and your oesophagus. This gateway is called the sphincter. Weakness of the sphincter will allow acid contents from the stomach to move up to the oesophagus causing heartburn.


Frequent urination and Constipation

Excessive urination this week can be blamed on the pregnancy hormones,which causes increase in blood flow to the pelvic area, this triggers frequent urination in pregnancy. Your expanding uterus is also responsible for your frequent trips to the bathroom this week, because it presses against the bladder and rectum which causes you to urinate more and be easily constipated.


Mood swings

There are several factors contributing to your mood swings this week, but the biggest culprit is the increase in the estrogen and progesterone hormones which can have an effect on brain chemicals(neurotransmitters) that regulate mood.


Fatigue and Dizziness

Pregnancy will require that your organs get more blood, and to make this possible, your heart begins to work harder. It releases more blood faster. This causes you to become easily fatigued and constantly dizzy.


Increased vaginal discharge

This is an effect of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen is needed in pregnancy for the formation of new blood vessels. These blood vessels around your uterus will cause increased blood flow to the pelvic area, stimulating the body’s mucous membranes, leading to an increased vaginal discharge this week.


Slight abdominal pain

Abdominal pains this week imitate the mild period pain. This pain is due to the increasing size of your uterus. The ligaments around your uterus are stretching to support your growing bump. You probably don’t have to worry about the pain if it is mild and fades when you change position, do a poo or pass wind.

Health tips for week 11

Eat healthily

Avoid junk, they are unhealthy for pregnant women. Eat food that contains enough protein and healthy fats. Eat lots of vegetables too. Avoid eating spicy foods and drinks that have too much gas. This helps prevent heartburn.

Drinking enough water

Drinking enough water will help with the issue of constipation and bloating. It will also keep you hydrated.

Perform moderate exercise

Doing this will help prevent unhealthy weight gain during pregnancy. It will also help improve your mood when you’re down.

Take your medications

You should adhere to all medications prescribed for you by your health care provider, do not discontinue any medication before talking to your doctor. If you have horrible side effects, speak to your obstetrician about this. They will know if to discontinue the medication or replace it with another one.

Genetic Testing

Tests for genetic abnormalities in your baby can be done at this time. This may be important if you’ve had babies with genetic abnormalities or you are over 35 years.

Warnings for your week 11 of pregnancy

Anemia: During pregnancy, you are at high risk of iron deficiency (anemia), a condition where there are not enough healthy red blood cells to transport adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues. When this occurs, enough nutrients won’t get to your baby. This may cause your baby to arrive early(preterm birth) or not to grow to a healthy weight.

Fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, chewing ice, or craving for non-food items are some of the symptoms of anemia. However, the symptoms of anemia are often similar to pregnancy symptoms. If you are worried about your level of fatigue or any other symptoms, please talk to your healthcare provider.

Miscarriage: Fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, chewing ice, or craving for non-food items are some of the symptoms of anemia. However, the symptoms of anemia are often similar to pregnancy symptoms. If you are worried about your level of fatigue or any other symptoms, please talk to your healthcare provider.

Urinary Tract Infection(UTI): Fever, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, burning sensation while urinating and pelvic pain are symptoms of UTI. Speak with your Ob-Gyn or midwife if you experience any of these. Your obstetrician will give you some baby-safe antibiotics to use.

 Chronic Illnesses: Pregnancy can worsen chronic conditions. Conditions like hypertension and diabetes can cause a lot of harm to you and your baby. Take all prescribed medication and exercise regularly. Also, regularly checking your blood pressure or blood sugar level is important.

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