You are 11 weeks pregnant. 1-3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 Born & Birth stories

Your baby continues to grow and is now approximately the size of a large lime! The crown-to-rump length of your developing child is 1.75 to 2.4 inches. The weight of the fetus is approximately 8 grams at this point. The growth of your baby is phenomenal now and your babys length will double in the next three weeks. The head is grossly out of proportion and is almost half of the babys length.

You are almost at the end of your first trimester and while changes continue to occur quickly in your baby, they are happening at a slower rate in you. Your uterus has been growing with the fetus inside of it and is now almost big enough to fill your pelvis. Your uterus may be able to be felt in your lower abdomen, above the middle of your pubic bone. You are not able to feel the baby moving inside of you at this time. Some women think that they have felt fetal movements now, but it is either gas or a wrongly dated pregnancy. You might also be noticing changes in your hair, fingernails, or skin around this time. Some women notice an increase in hair growth and nail growth during pregnancy and others lose small amounts of hair. You are burning up calories at a faster rate than you did before you became pregnant! The amount of blood being pumped around your body will increase and you might feel warmer than usual.

This is the last week of the embryonic period. From now on, your baby will be called a fetus. As development continues, the fingernails appear this week. External genitalia are beginning to show distinguishing features and the development of male or female will be complete in three weeks. The placentas blood vessels increase to provide your baby with the nutrients and oxygen he needs for continued growth. The ears are gradually moving from the neck towards the sides of his head. Inside of the developing abdomen, the intestines are developing. Because the intestines are so large, some of them project into the umbilical cord and they will return to the abdomen within the next week or two.

At the size of a plum, your baby is now able to swallow. The urinary system functions. The baby swallows and urinates the amniotic fluid and the fluid is continually replaced. The baby is kicking but the mother cannot feel it yet. All vital organs are formed and, for the most part, function normally. From now on, they will grow in size and efficiency.

As a preparation for breastfeeding, your baby now has learned to swallow. Babies swallow amniotic fluid in the uterus.

See also:

Exercise during pregnancy

Prenatal visits