Week 11
This week your baby is about 3.1 cm (1.2 in) long from crown to rump and weighs about 4 g (a seventh of an ounce), roughly the size of a fig. Babies vary. The embryonic stage is over: every major organ has formed, and from here the work is mostly growth and fine-tuning.
Your uterus is now about the size of an orange, still tucked inside your pelvis. Nausea and tiredness may still be strong, though some people notice the first hints of easing. You may also meet some lesser-known symptoms, like a blocked nose or gums that bleed when you brush. The big focus of the next few weeks is screening. You will be offered tests that look at your baby's health, and this week is a good time to understand your options.
Day 71 · 10 weeks 0 days
Your baby is officially a fetus now
Today marks a quiet milestone. Doctors call a developing baby an embryo for its first weeks, and a fetus from about 10 weeks of pregnancy onward. The word "fetus" simply means "offspring" in Latin. The change in name reflects a real change in what is happening.
During the embryonic period, the basic plan of the body was laid down. The heart, brain, spinal cord, lungs, liver, kidneys and gut all exist in early form. The arms and legs have elbows and knees. Even the tiny tail-like end of the spine has disappeared into the body.
From now on, the main job is growth and maturing. Organs that are already in place will get bigger and start to work. Over the next 30 weeks, your baby will go from a few grams to a few kilograms.
This also means the most sensitive window for major birth differences, the time when organs are forming, is largely behind you. Healthy habits still matter every day, but if you have been worrying about something that happened very early on, this is a good point to talk it through with your care provider.
Try this: Write down one thing about your baby's development that surprised you this week, to look back on later.
Day 72 · 10 weeks 1 day
Screening tests and diagnostic tests are not the same thing
Over the coming weeks, you will likely be offered tests for chromosomal conditions such as Down syndrome. Before choosing, it helps to know there are two very different kinds.
A screening test estimates the chance that your baby has a particular condition. It carries no risk to the pregnancy, because it uses a blood sample from you, an ultrasound, or both. But it cannot give a yes or no answer. A screening result is usually described as "low chance" or "higher chance".
A diagnostic test looks directly at your baby's cells, taken from the placenta or the fluid around the baby. It can tell you, with near certainty, whether a condition is present. Because it involves a needle, it carries a small chance of miscarriage.
Most people start with screening. If a screening result comes back as higher chance, they can then decide whether to have a diagnostic test. Some people go straight to diagnostic testing, and some choose no testing at all.
Every one of these choices is valid. Testing is offered, not required. What matters is that you choose with good information, in a way that fits your values.
Try this: Ask yourself and your partner one question today: "What would we do with this information?" There is no wrong answer.
Day 73 · 10 weeks 2 days
A simple blood test can now screen for some conditions
From 10 weeks, you may be offered a test called NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing), also known as cell-free DNA screening. It uses an ordinary blood sample from your arm.
Your blood carries tiny fragments of DNA, and some of those fragments come from the placenta. The lab counts them to estimate whether there is an extra or missing chromosome. NIPT picks up more than 99 percent of pregnancies with Down syndrome (trisomy 21), and a little fewer with trisomy 18 and trisomy 13. It can also reveal the baby's chromosomal sex, if you want to know.
NIPT is very accurate, but it is still a screening test. Because the DNA comes mainly from the placenta, the result occasionally does not match the baby. A "high chance" result should always be confirmed with a diagnostic test before any decisions are made.
Sometimes the lab cannot give a result, often because there was not enough placental DNA in the sample. This happens more often early in pregnancy or in larger bodies, and it does not mean something is wrong. A repeat sample usually works.
Depending on where you live, NIPT may be offered to everyone, to some people, or only at a cost.
Try this: Ask your care provider whether NIPT is offered to you, whether there is a cost, and when results come back.
Day 74 · 10 weeks 3 days
Why your nose feels blocked all the time
If you feel like you have had a cold for weeks, you are not imagining it. Many pregnant people get a stuffy, runny nose with no infection at all. It is called pregnancy rhinitis.
Higher hormone levels and a larger volume of blood make the lining of your nose swell. The same changes can make the small blood vessels there more fragile, so nosebleeds become more common too. Both usually settle soon after birth.
Simple things help. Saline (salt water) sprays or rinses are safe to use as often as you like. A humidifier in the bedroom, an extra pillow at night and plenty of fluids can ease the congestion. Avoid decongestant pills and medicated nasal sprays unless your care provider or pharmacist says they are fine for you, as some are not recommended in pregnancy and sprays can make congestion worse with regular use.
For a nosebleed, sit up and lean forward, not back. Pinch the soft part of your nose firmly for 10 to 15 minutes without letting go to check. Call your care provider if a nosebleed lasts more than 20 minutes, is very heavy, or keeps coming back, or if a blocked nose comes with fever, facial pain or green discharge.
Try this: Keep a small bottle of saline spray by your bed and use it before you lie down tonight.
Day 75 · 10 weeks 4 days
Tiny fingers, nails and tooth buds
Your baby's hands are no longer paddles. The webbing between the fingers and toes has gone, so each digit is separate. The very beginnings of fingernails and toenails are forming at the tips.
Inside the gums, buds for all 20 baby teeth have started to develop. They will not come through until months after birth, but the groundwork is being done now. This is one reason calcium and a varied diet matter throughout pregnancy.
The kidneys are close to producing urine, and the liver has begun to help make blood cells. The external genitals are starting to develop too, though they will not look clearly male or female on a scan for several more weeks. Your baby is also moving: small jerks, stretches and turns. You will not feel any of this for a while yet. A baby this size has plenty of room, and movements are far too small to reach you. Most people first notice movement somewhere between 16 and 22 weeks.
The head is still large compared with the body, about half of the total length. That will change as the body catches up over the coming months. Try this: Look at your own fingertips for a moment today and picture a set the size of grains of rice taking shape.
Day 76 · 10 weeks 5 days
Deciding when to share your news is your call
Many people wait until the end of the first trimester to tell others, because the chance of miscarriage drops after that point. Others tell close family right away, so they have support whatever happens. There is no rule. Some things to think about: Who would you want to know if the pregnancy ended? Who would you rather tell in person? Is there anyone who might share the news before you are ready? Are you struggling with symptoms that are hard to hide?
You and your partner may feel differently. One of you might want to tell everyone, while the other wants more time. It helps to agree on a plan before the first announcement, including who tells whom.
You can also tell people in stages. A few close people now, a wider circle after a scan, and work when it feels right. Telling work has its own considerations, which you will read about next week.
If you have already told people, that is fine too. And if you would rather not make an announcement at all, your news is still yours.
For your partner: Ask your partner how they feel about telling people, and listen fully before sharing your own view. Then make a plan together.
Day 77 · 10 weeks 6 days
Gums that bleed when you brush are common
You may notice a little pink in the sink after brushing, or gums that look red and puffy. This is called pregnancy gingivitis, and it affects more than half of pregnant people.
Pregnancy hormones increase blood flow to the gums and change how they react to plaque. Gums become tender and bleed more easily. Vomiting can make things worse, because stomach acid irritates the gums and softens tooth enamel.
You read earlier why dental checkups are safe and worthwhile in pregnancy. Daily care at home matters just as much. Brush twice a day with a soft brush and fluoride toothpaste, and clean between your teeth once a day with floss or small brushes. If you have been sick, rinse with water or a mild fluoride mouthwash rather than brushing straight away. Some people develop a small red lump on the gum, called a pregnancy tumour or pyogenic granuloma. Despite the name, it is harmless and not cancer. It often shrinks after birth.
Call your care provider or dentist if your gums are very painful, swollen or bleed heavily, if a tooth hurts, or if you see a lump that bleeds a lot or gets in the way of eating.
Try this: Swap to a soft-bristled toothbrush today if yours is medium or hard.