You are now one week away from completing your first trimester. You should be feeling a sense of relief. The morning sickness should all have disappeared and the fatigue you may have experienced is subsiding as well. You should be slowly gaining weight; doctors recommend by the first three months a weight gain of 3 to 4 pounds is a good place to start.
Don’t be discouraged if it turns out that you gained a bit more or less. Some women tend to lose weight in the first trimester due to morning sickness. Your doctor is monitoring your weight and they will let you know if they think the weight is too much or too little.
In this stage of pregnancy, this would be the best time to travel if you have any plans to do so. Once you are in the third trimester, it is not recommended that you travel far or travel often. So the second trimester is the best time to do so. You will start to see your stomach expanding a little bit. The more the uterus grows the more you will start to show. Try to include your partner in everything that you are feeling, they cannot experience the changes that are happening so it would make them feel more included if you were to share your experiences.
Baby’s Development
At week eleven of your pregnancy, the baby is completely formed and will continue to grow and develop until the day the baby is born. The baby’s head becomes a major part of the baby; in fact the baby’s head is about half the length of the body. The fingers and toes are separated completely and the baby’s bones are starting to harden. If you look at the sonogram, you will see that the skin is still transparent.
The baby is continuing to grow but you won’t be able to feel the baby kick until the sixth or seventh month. The baby measures in around 2-1/2” and weighs about a half an ounce. In this stage, the baby will be able to swallow and urinary system is working as well. This may sound strange but the baby urinates amniotic fluid and the fluids are constantly being replaced. All of the organs are now fully formed.
In the coming weeks, these organs will start working normally. They will grow in size and will gain more function as time goes on. In the next three weeks, the baby will double in size. The blood vessels in the placenta will start to increase and this will give the baby more nutrients and oxygen that they will need for continued growth.
Changes To Your Body
By week eleven you are going to start to see some changes in your physical appearance. You may not start showing off the baby bump yet but weight gain may become a bit more noticeable. In some women, they may experience some changes in the pigment of their fingernails and toenails. This is due to hormone changes and increased blood circulation.
It can be disappointing because the baby is growing so fast inside you that you want to show it off on the outside. But don’t worry that will happen soon enough. The baby has grown to the size of the pelvis. You can now feel the uterus in the lower part of the abdomen right about the middle pubic bone. Keep in mind that every pregnancy is different, some women may be able to feel the baby move at this time. If you don’t it is perfectly normal, most women don’t start to feel the baby move until the sixth or seventh month.
Due to the growth of the baby, the body will feel warmer than before and that is due to increase in the blood flow. You may start to notice that you are thirsty all the time; this would be the reason why. Keep hydrated and stay away from caffeine drinks they may make you even more thirsty. You may experience a weight gain of about 2 to 5 pounds in the first trimester. Your doctor is monitoring your weight and the baby’s weight closely. If you have any questions, now is the time to ask.
What To Expect
Now that you are into week eleven, you can expect that you will start seeing some physical changes coming very soon. In some women, you will start showing the baby bump and others it may take a few more weeks before that happens. On your next doctor visit, you will start the monthly routine of fetal sonograms.
These are the best part of pregnancy, seeing the way your baby changes month after month. You will be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat as well. This is the best sound in the world. It may sound fast to you but don’t panic. The baby’s heartbeat is about 150 beats per minute. By having these tests, the doctors will be able to detect any abnormalities.
By this time, if you are carrying multiple babies, the eleventh week is the time to tell. There is a list that doctors keep on hand that tells you what foods and drinks that you should be staying away from. Now is the time to ask the doctor for that list. They may also have a list of over the counter medications that are safe to take. You have to be careful what you are putting into your body right from the start. This ensures good health for the baby.
Tips/Advice
At the eleventh week of pregnancy, you are at the end of the first trimester. Gone are the bouts with morning sickness and you will start to feel better both mentally and physically. You will have a brand new outlook on your pregnancy. You will start to embrace the pregnancy and really start to enjoy it. Take it one day at a time and before you know it, it will be time for the baby to be born.