Pregnancy Week 13 Tips
You may begin to see stretch marks around your abdomen, breasts, hips, and buttocks. Gaining weight slowly can help reduce the chances of getting stretch marks, so its important you stick to a well-balanced diet.
Talk with your healthcare provider before applying any lotions or creams to try to stop the stretch-marks from forming.
Baby oil is a great option many women use. Simply lather yourself up as soon as youre done bathing as you would with any other lotion. Make sure you hit all areas mentioned in the beginning of this section.
What Does My Baby Look Like At Week 11
If you could see your babys hand, youd notice they have teeny, delicate fingernails. Their fingers and toes are starting to separate.
Your babys eyes have completely closed and wont open again until week 26.
Their kidneys are making wee and their stomach is producing gastric juice. Your baby no longer needs their nutrient-rich yolk sac, because other organs have taken over.
What Are The Symptoms Of Pregnancy In The Third Month
Many of the pregnancy symptoms from the first 2 months continue and sometimes worsen during the third month. This is especially true of nausea. Your breasts continue growing and changing. The area around your nipple the areola may grow larger and darker. If youre prone to acne you may have outbreaks.
You probably wont gain much weight during the first 3 months of pregnancy usually about 2 pounds. If youre overweight or underweight you may experience a different rate of weight gain. Talk with your nurse or doctor about maintaining a healthy weight throughout your pregnancy.
Miscarriage
Most early pregnancy loss miscarriage happens in the first trimester. About 15 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage during the first trimester. Learn more about miscarriage.
Also Check: Is It Safe To Donate Plasma While Pregnant
At Your Doctors Office
Prenatal genetic screening may continue this week with a nuchal translucency test. The nuchal translucency screening is an ultrasound that measures the fluid-filled space behind the baby’s neck. When the measurement is greater than expected, there is a chance the baby could have a genetic disorder such as Down syndrome.
However, it is just a screening test. Out of range results do not mean your child has a chromosomal issue, but they do mean that your doctor will likely recommend more testing. Plus, the timing of this test is very important. A false positive could result if the dating of the pregnancy is not correct. The best time for this ultrasound is between 11 weeks and 13 weeks 6 days.
This test is typically part of the first trimester screening, which also includes a blood test. Together, the tests provide more information. However, not all people go through both parts of the screening. You may have the blood work, the ultrasound, or both.
Your Baby When Youre 11 Weeks Pregnant
Your baby is ready for a growth spurt:
- Its about 4.5 cm from head to bottom. It weighs about 10 gm.
- The heart is completely formed and pumping.
- Fingers are growing nails.
- The brain and nervous system are almost finished developing.
- Nerves and muscles are starting to work together. This means that your baby is starting to make small, jerky movements. Its too early for you to feel them, though.
Don’t Miss: Vagisil While Pregnant
Your 11 Weeks Pregnant Belly
Theres a wide range of you begin to look pregnant. Its typical to start to show between weeks 12 and 16 weeks pregnant for a first-time pregnancythis is when your uterus starts to grow up and out of the pelvis to accommodate your growing baby. If youve been pregnant before, you may already be showing, since your body has stretched before. Bloating is also common at this stage of the game, so even if you dont have an official 11 week baby bump, you might already have trouble buttoning your jeans.
If youve been really nauseated, you might not have gained much weight so far, or even lost a pound or two. But first trimester weight gain is usually only three to four pounds, so thats usually no biggie.
Symptoms And Body Changes At 13 Weeks
Finally, the pressure on your bladder begins to subside as the uterus grows up and out of your pelvic bones. As your waistline thickens and the pressure is relieved from your bladder, you may begin to experience abdominal pains.
You may also begin to experience round ligament pain as the ligaments that support your uterus stretch and pull.
This pain can be severe, and it may cause you to think that you need to seek medical attention. While this pain is common and normal, you should always call your healthcare provider if you have questions.
If these pains are accompanied by blood leakage or any other type of fluid loss, you should definitely make an appointment with your healthcare provider immediately, as this could be a sign of something much more serious, such as miscarriage.
You may still be experiencing heartburn in the chest and throat. Your breasts are still growing and are probably extremely sensitive due to the colostrum they are producing. Your breasts are preparing for lactation and the mammary ducts are growing larger. Hang in there, Mom!
Also Check: Donating Plasma While Trying To Conceive
What’s Happening In My Body
You’ll probably think your “bump” is really obvious, as your waist starts to thicken â but most people will be completely unaware there’s a baby in there. Women who have been pregnant before tend to start showing earlier than first time mums. Do not worry if there’s nothing to see yet, your time will come.
As you start to bulge out a bit, your muscles and ligaments will stretch, and this could give you pains around your stomach. If it hurts a lot, then see your midwife or doctor as soon as possible.
Your body is now pumping around up to 50 per cent more blood than usual. The blood feeds your womb â but it can also make you feel hot, sweaty and dizzy. That’s your baby’s way of telling you to put your feet up and have a drink!
Your baby has previously been fed by a yolk sac, but a new organ called the placenta is now poised to take over, or it may have done so already. The placenta will nourish the baby and remove waste. While the switchover happens, the hormones involved could make you feel really tired and emotional.
Ultrasound At 12 Weeks What To Expect
At 12 weeks pregnant, you’ll finally be able to see your little one for the first time probably the first major event you look forward to when you’re expecting. The 12-week ultrasound scan can actually happen anywhere between 11 and 13 weeks. At this stage, believe it or not, all your baby’s limbs, organs, bones, and muscles will be fully-formed. However, you may be wondering what exactly happens at the scan. Read on to find out more.
Also Check: Vagisil Safe For Pregnancy
How Accurate Is Nuchal Translucency
NT results by themselves have an accuracy rate of about 70 percent. That means that the test misses 30 percent of babies with Down syndrome or other chromosome disorders. Including the NT as part of a first trimester combined screening improves detection to between 83 and 92 percent.
Pairing the results of the nuchal translucency with other screening tests in the first trimester further improves the accuracy. The integrated screen, which combines the NT screening, measurements of the hormone PAPP-A, and the quad screen, improves Down syndrome detection rates to between 94 and 96 percent.
The results of an NT screen can also be combined with noninvasive prenatal testing . NIPT is the most accurate of all prenatal screenings by itself, its 99 percent accurate at detecting Down syndrome.
Baby’s Got Fingers Toes And Other New Features
Hair follicles are forming not just on the crown, but on the rest of the body. And those tiny hands and feet have individual fingers and toes meaning goodbye to those frog-like webbed hands and feet.
Meanwhile, fingernail and toenail beds begin to develop this week in the next few weeks, the nails themselves will start to grow, so don’t forget to add a baby nail clipper to your to-buy list.
While you can’t tell what baby’s sex by will be yet, ovaries are developing if it’s a girl.
And by week 11 of pregnancy, baby has other distinct human characteristics: hands and feet in front of his body, ears nearly in their final shape, open nasal passages on the tip of his tiny nose, a tongue and palate in the mouth, and visible nipples.
Don’t Miss: Vagisil Wipes During Pregnancy
Weeks Pregnant Your Baby
When youre 11 weeks pregnant, fetal development is in overdrive. Your baby is forming hair follicles and both ears have moved to the side of the head. Open nasal passages have begun to form on the tip of your babys nose.
And, speaking of your babys cute little head, it now accounts for half your babys body length.
Major organs are now formed and functioning. Your babys brain and nervous system have almost finished developing.
Some of your babys bones are beginning to harden. Soon your baby will start to pass urine from tiny kidneys.
Nail beds are forming on individual fingers and toes, which arent webbed anymore. The nails themselves will begin to grow on those tiny fingers and toes in the next few weeks.
Your babys hands will also start to open and close into little fists.
Your babys body is beginning to straighten and the torso is becoming longer, starting to look more like its final shape.
For the most part, everything your baby needs is now supplied by the placenta.
You might like to read our article Home Dopplers: Are Fetal Dopplers Safe?
Your Body At Eleven Weeks Pregnant
You might notice that your appetite is finally returning as your morning sickness starts to subside. You may also discover that you are thirstier than ever as your body is now producing more blood, sweat, oil and amniotic fluid. You should carry bottled water at all times to keep yourself hydrated. You will need to start to wear looser fit clothes and may need to invest in maternity bras at this point for comfort as your breasts need more support.
Other symptoms you may experience at eleven weeks pregnant include food cravings and/or aversions, bloating, gas, heartburn and constipation, breast tenderness, dizziness, and excessive saliva.
Around this time you may start to experience that pregnancy glow that you may have heard about. This is due to the increase in blood volume which makes your skin look more flushed and full. Also the pregnancy hormones are causing your skin to be a bit more oily than usual. You might consider switching to oil free products as your skin is more sensitive and prone to breakouts during this time.
You May Like: Restylane While Pregnant
What Is Happening With Your Baby When Your 11 Weeks Pregnant
Your babys head accounts for almost half of his/her entire length. Both the fingers and toes have separated by week 11. The babys skin is still very transparent, and the bones are beginning to harden. The external genitalia has almost completely formed, and in several weeks you might be able to know if you are having a boy or a girl. Also, even though you cannot feel your baby moving, your baby is very active.
Weeks Pregnant And Headaches Anyone Else
BP is totally normal, but Ive been getting AWFUL headaches this week. Anyone else?
I am 11 weeks 3 days and had a terrible headache for three days straight! Finally gone today. I havent had any up until this week.
Yep! Stayed home from work with a migraine yesterday and Nothing seemed to help!
Im 11 weeks tomorrow Ive had bad headaches on and off since like 7 weeks
I am 11 weeks tomorrow and been up since 3am today with a headache. I havent had any since being pregnant so I hope this doesnt last long. I use to suffer from horrible migraines so I know how horrible it can get. Cold wash cloth over eyes. Peppermint oil on temples. Dark room! Lots of fluids and I know Tylenol sucks but I try to keep on top of it every 6hrs. Try the extra strength also!!
Yes! I mean I also have Covid at the moment so not sure which is causing them but the headaches this week are intenseeeee. Tylenol helps sometimes … I take the extra strength.
Water! And if you stare at a computer all day, I got blue light glasses and they seemed to help.
SAME!! I stare at a computer in a dim lit room for 12 hours a night. Blue light blocking glasses saved my life!!
Yessss. I have had some degree of a headache every day for 12 days nonstop now. I’m 10w3d. Tylenol does nothing and I work full time in the public so I can’t exactly put and ice pack on my head. I’m miserable. My coworker says her headaches lasted throughout her entire pregnancy
Recommended Reading: Is It Ok To Use Vagisil While Pregnant
Reducing Fatigue During Pregnancy
Pregnancy fatigue is par for the course when you’re pregnant, especially in the first and third trimesters. After all, your body is growing another human being in the form of your little baby, which is a heck of a lot of work around the clock!
In the meantime, fight fatigue by eating energy-boosting snacks like nuts, dried fruit, cheese and crackers and other healthy foods that can give you a kick. You should also indulge in cat naps whenever possible, take breaks when you’re wiped out, and engage in pregnancy-safe exercises like walking, which can help combat the sleepies.
What Happens During Week 9
The embryo develops into a fetus after 10 weeks. Its 11.5 inches long. The tail disappears. Fingers and toes grow longer. The umbilical cord connects the abdomen of the fetus to the placenta. The placenta is attached to the wall of the uterus and it absorbs nutrients from the bloodstream. The cord carries nutrients and oxygen to the fetus and takes waste away from the fetus.
You May Like: Nutraburst While Pregnant
Before Your 11 Week Ultrasound
It is quite common to want to keep your pregnancy on the down-low in these early days before that first scan, so if you are planning on announcing it after, you are almost there.
The first trimester can be a bit of a roller coaster of emotions, nausea, and restless nights, but thankfully the second trimester is just around the corner and this is often considered the best part of pregnancy. All the new hormones should settle down, sickness should start to go away, and you might even get that lovely ‘glow’ we always hear about!
Did you know that your body is now pumping up to 50% more blood than usual? This is all going straight to your womb, it could make you feel a little hot and dizzy at times so remember to stay hydrated, and rest often.
At 11 weeks pregnant, your body has been busy growing a whole new organ, the placenta, which is getting ready to replace the yolk sac and do its amazing job of feeding your baby. You might feel a little worn out and emotional due to an influx of hormones, these will settle we promise!
While your body is adapting to accommodate its new resident, you may experience some pains as your muscles and ligaments stretch, this is normal but if it hurts a lot or you have any concerns, contact your MD.
Tips For You This Week
Get your flu shot
All pregnant women are with child sometime during flu season, October to May, which is why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all moms-to-be get the flu shot. And being pregnant doesnt up your risk for shot side effects, notes a recent study.
Embrace loose styles
Your doctor can feel your growing uterus by touching your abdomen, but your belly may not be sporting a bump. Until you’re ready for maternity wear, shop for looser or stretchy clothes, like empire-waist maxi dresses, drawstring pants and lightweight sweaters.
Start doing Kegels
Pushing your baby through your pelvis and into the world is demanding not only on you, but also on your pelvic floor muscles which have to stretch to proportions previously unimaginable.
Doing pelvic floor exercises can ease pregnancy symptoms and lead to a faster post-birth recovery. Squeeze the pelvic floor muscles for up to 10 seconds, shooting for three sets of 20 a day.
Building these bladder- and uterus-supporting muscles reduces your chance of bladder issues and eases a host of other pregnancy and postpartum symptoms.
Steer clear of alcohol
The warning labels on the sides of beer, wine and alcohol bottles are there for a reason. Drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can have serious consequences for your baby, including birth defects and complications.
Rethink hair removalStay hydratedKnow which foods to avoid
You May Like: Vagisil During Pregnancy
Whats Going On In There: Fetal Development At 11 Weeks Pregnant
At 11 weeks pregnant, your baby is about the size of a Brussels sprout or lime now and weighs in at just seven grams about as much as a toonie. He has lost the webbing on his hands and feet and now has 10 tiny fingers and 10 tiny toes. His head is still oversized, accounting for anywhere from one-third to one-half of his length. The bones in his little face have formed, and he has ear buds, nasal passages, hair follicles, nail beds and a tongue.
Thanks to his brand new diaphragm, he is breathing small amounts of amniotic fluid in and out and maybe even getting the hiccups. Though you probably wont be able to feel any of this at 11 weeks, he is starting to stretch out, do somersaults and kick, practising those moves that will have you groaning closer to the end of your pregnancy.
