Eleventh week of Pregnancy
Development of the baby
By this time, all parts of your baby have been formed nicely, even though they would be small in both size and shape. The baby’s head is still large as compared to the rest of his body and almost covers half the body’s length. The toes and the fingers get completely separated during the eleventh week. The baby’s skin is thin and transparent; however the bones start to harden up. You may not be aware of the baby’s movement in your stomach as yet but you can be assured that by now your baby is quite active.
The baby’s length is about 2 ½ inches and weighs about ½ an ounce. Your baby can now swallow and all his/her vital organs are well formed and functional. As the urinary system is now functional, the amniotic fluid gets flushed out from the body in the form of urine.
11th week onwards, the organs start functioning efficiently and begin to grow in size. The baby now grows at a phenomenal rate and in the next three weeks to come, the baby’s length is likely to get doubled. Blood vessels of the placenta increase in order to provide the oxygen and the nutrients required for a speedy growth. The ears move to the side of the baby’s head from his neck. Intestines start to develop in the baby’s abdomen in week eleven. Tiny tooth buds also begin to appear under the gums at this time. Your baby can now open or close his/her fist and starts to stretch and kick around in the stomach. The baby may start experiencing his first hiccups as the diaphragm develops.
Changes in a mother’s body
Most women gain weight slowly and gradually, many would have paunch by this time. As the weeks go by, physical changes get more and more visible or noticeable. Nails and hair grow at a rapid rate for most women during their pregnancy period. This usually happens due to the increase in circulation and due to hormonal changes.
Your growing uterus fills up your pelvis by now and you can feel your uterus on top of the middle pubic bone in your lower abdomen. Some women may feel some kinds of movements in the stomach; however the fluttering in the stomach could occur because of digestive problems or gas. You may feel the body temperature rise as there is an increase in the quantity of blood getting pumped out in your body.
What to expect?
You can expect to feel slightly better during this week and the next as your body starts getting used to the morning sickness by now. Between the 11th and the 20th week, it is recommended to get your first external fetal ultrasound as you can know the condition of the fetus, its size and age and also if there are more than one fetus present. This also helps in finding out weather there are any abnormalities or defects in the fetus. It is best to check with your doctor about the kinds of food you must eat or avoid during your entire term.