All moments of a pregnancy are special and even magical (sometimes you have to forget about nausea to believe the latter 🙂), but near the end of the first trimester a series of wonderful changes will be triggered in the baby, and in yourself.
In addition, you will feel much more secure and confident, and we do not forget that although pregnancy is a natural process (and not a disease) some concerns tend to arise sporadically, however week 11 brings greater awareness in mothers and gives way to qualitative transformations in the fetus. What is happening to your baby? Well, in general it continues to grow almost vertiginously, and at the same time its structures develop without stopping.
We have been saying for a few weeks that in this period the head is usually larger, and in fact it still is (it is almost half of his body, although this is normal); but now his neck is starting to get longer, and a new specialization appears: the chin.
So the appearance is of a head more separated from the little body that is still covered by a very fine skin. Its approximate size (and there are variations between some babies and others) will be between four and 6 centimeters, and it could be weighing 9 grams, perhaps 8. We will also tell you about the changes that you will experience, but from normality, that is: understanding that all the transformations and all the symptoms that you could experience are completely natural. It is necessary to understand pregnancy also taking into account that the body that houses the new being must 'transform' and adapt in order to give life.
Week 11 of pregnancy:
If you think about it, everything that is happening is very exciting; Nowadays mothers have a lot of information about pregnancy, sometimes this makes it more difficult than helpful, but in any case Knowing how the little one is growing is helpful.
By the way, although you are reading this, we advise you not to overdo the information sought, you must also trust yourself and your instinct. And always turn to the professionals who monitor your pregnancy when you want to find out, or suspect that something could be wrong. The thickness of your baby's skin is such that if you could see him live, you would also observe the organs forming, his veins or the incipient skeletal system. On the other hand, you will still not notice the movements, and these continue to be reflections, yes: they are acquiring surprising complexity.
Another important characteristic is that the external formation of the organs has finished, inside they must still mature a lot until they can function after birth; Except for the brain, they present a similar appearance to the definitive one.
More changes in the 11-week fetus.
Can you believe it? Your daughter / son is already producing urine, in fact a good part of the amniotic fluid will begin to be made up of this fluid, thanks to the contribution of the kidneys. There comes a time when the fluid that the membranes filter into the amniotic sac is not enough to protect the fetus in case of blows, or other circumstances. It is very interesting that they are able to swallow.
The bones also harden and the formed fingers are ready to start moving in a few days; small teeth also begin to form inside the gums. With only 11 weeks of gestation the fetus kicks and also stretches, the aquatic environment gives a lot of itself; she also has hiccups as her diaphragm is also maturing, and little by little she prepares for extra-uterine breathing.
The mother in the 11th week of pregnancy.
As we mentioned in week 9, the first pregnancy ultrasound can be done in week 12, except in exceptional situations it will not be necessary to do it before. But now we are going to talk about the changes in the mother: to begin with, the uterus has grown up to above the symphysis pubis, this makes some moms notice that the size of their belly has increased.
You may not have nausea but you will continue with that feeling of sleep that has been with you for weeks (I am telling you this half jokingly, but it is a way of getting used to the sleep that you will go through after delivery, and while the child is a baby or a very small; it takes wonderfully - by the way -, considering its purpose). You may feel abdominal pain because the round ligaments stretch and shrink.
No nausea but heartburn?
Maybe yes, and constipation will also appear. To combat these discomforts you should have a very balanced diet with the presence of fiber and foods of plant origin; it is also important that you drink plenty of water. You may have headaches or leg cramps, rest as much as you can and although paracetamol is allowed during pregnancy it is better to ask your doctor first.
In summer, in addition to need extra hydration, you should consider protecting your skin (especially the face) to avoid the 'masks' that the sun causes. The midwife will already be telling you: you will not have gained much weight, however do not forget to eat only what you need (in pregnancy you do not eat for two, did you know?). Hormones do not act the same in all pregnant women: some lose their hair and break their nails, others grow stronger both.
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For our part, We have little more than to invite you to follow us in this special Pregnancy Week by Week; We will be back next week with a new installment 🙂.