10 Weeks Pregnant --Time to Run a Quick Check

You’ll now be setting up the healthcare that will support you over the coming months

Your baby is now unmistakeably human and is undergoing many sophisticated changes, such as development of the sense organs. To mark his new status, he’s now called a fetus. If pregnancy hasn’t seemed quite real to you so far, it soon will. It’s time to get down to such practicalities as your first antenatal check. Procedures such as ultrasound scans and blood tests are about to become part of your normal pregnancy routine.

Fetus at 11 Weeks Pregnancy

1.The eyelids are sealed shut and will remain this way until the 26th week.

2.The ear has started to move into its final position.

3.The neck has lengthened, allowing the baby to nod and shake his head from side to side.

4.The ovaries or testes are beginning to develop.

5.Your growing uterus may begin to cause discomfort as ligaments and muscles stretch to make room.

6.The diaphragm is complete, and your baby can make breathing movements.

7.The placenta will get larger as pregnancy progresses. As well as allowing food and wastes to circulate, the placenta helps to prevent harmful micro-organisms and substances from reaching the baby.

8.Within the amniotic sac, the baby is becoming very active, kicking and squirming. You cannot feel any movements yet.

9.The fetus measures 4.1cm (1.6in) from crown to rump.

By now the apple of your eye is of the size of a lime. Your adorable little baby is starting to look more human inside, and you start to glow from inside, out.

Your Baby’s Development After 10 Weeks of Pregnancy

Your baby is now half inches long and is almost pretty much formed. Though she is already going to be kicking and stretching inside, her tiny movements won’t be felt so prominently by you. His or her water ballet will continue, which will soon turn into a full-blown dance. For another month or two, you will not be able to feel your baby’s ballet – as of now you might notice him or her hiccupping, which is coming from the baby’s diaphragm, which is in the formation stage.

It isn’t far away when you baby is going to be fully formed and will spend the rest of the pregnancy bouncing and growing, just like you!

Soon your baby’s hands are going to open and close into tiny little fists. Even his or her testes and ovaries will start to form. By the 11th week, your little one’s head is quite well formed and all the facial bones are now beginning to appear. The ears would have migrated closer to the set location, so would have her tongue and palate formation. The nasal passage at the tip of the nose is quite well formed by now too. Not to forget, on the journey of becoming a beautiful mane, his or her hair follicles have also begun to form at the crown of the head.

Your baby’s body is more or less straightening out while becoming more and more proportionate, although his or her head is probably much bigger when compared to the entire body. Your baby is doing whole lot of wriggling and stretching inside (may be somersaults or forward rolls too!) inside your womb. Just visualising it made you smile, right?

Packed with forming distinct human characteristics, your baby is growing and developing from each and every part of human body.

Changes in You at 10 Weeks Pregnancy

While your baby is expanding inside your belly, so is your body. It is interesting to note that around next ten weeks of pregnancy, you are going to witness rapid growth and development. You will have to consume more of food and water as your body is going to make more of sweat, blood, oil and amniotic fluids. You might feel thirsty most of the times. Always carry a bottle of clean, fresh and homemade beverage with you as it will help in keeping the fluids level up and running.

The increased levels of estrogen and progesterone in your body might be continuously contributing towards increased and frequent levels of urination. Earlier produced by corpus luteum, progesterone is responsible for pumping up the uterine blood flow and giving rise to placenta while stimulating the growth and nutrient production of lining of uterus (which is scientifically known as endometrium).

Apart from this, your placenta is secreting human placental lactogen – a hormone that is responsible for contributing towards the mammary gland growth. Pivotal for lactation, this gland helps in increasing nutrient levels in your blood. Your body is also secreting corticotrophin-realising hormone – a hormone that determines for how long you will be pregnant and how will your baby grow and develop. Lastly, another major organ your body produces is call relaxin – a hormone that can lead to pelvic pain, constipation, and overall pains in the body. Because of the rise of these hormones, you might experience some unpleasant pregnancy symptoms, such as morning sickness and mood swings.

By the 11week of pregnancy, your uterus continues to expand in order to accommodate the increased size of growing baby inside of you. You might experience light twinges on your vagina because of it.

One of the biggest good news is that by the 11th week of pregnancy you will be glowing like a sun! Whatever you might have heard about expectant mother’s glow is about to get all real by now. Thanks to the higher levels of blood volume, your skin will be looking flushed, sun-kissed and fuller. Not only this, the body’s hormones tend to increase the amount of oils on your face, giving you soft, supple and dewy skin. Because of this you might also suffer from acne-prone skin. This is all because of increased oils on your skin. But don’t worry, they are soon going to disappear post you give the birth.

You might also be feeling a lot hungrier by now, which is a good sign as you might be bidding goodbye to the irritating morning sickness. Your abdomen will start to protrude a bit. But this might be accompanied by a bit of bloating and lot of burping. This mainly happens because progesterone relaxes tissues in the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, slowing down your digestion and allowing the nutrients to take up much more time for absorption. But the best part of all this is that baby is oblivious to all your intestinal distress!

Nutrition for 10 Weeks Pregnant

• In the pursuit of eating for two, don’t just eat anything and everything: This is important as some foods might harbour bacteria or parasite making you feel sick and might even harm your baby. Foods such as meat, poultry, fish or eggs, cannot be in any way consumed in raw or undercooked form. Always heat refrigerated meats and never have them cold. Also as far as possible skip eating cold salads from deli or any buffet as they might be sitting in the open, unclosed view, for hours. Also, in order avoid your exposure to methylmercury totally avoid eating shark, mackerel, tilefish or swordfish.
• Steer clear of these drinks too:Harmful drinks, such as alcohol of any sort, carbonated sodas, unpasteurised juice, eggnogs and unpasteurised milk should be totally avoided in pregnancy. This is because drinks travel quickly from your bloodstream to your baby, posing hazardous risks for your baby. Also avoid drinking large amounts of caffeine, present in the form of soft drinks, teas, colas and chocolates.
• Protect yourself from food poisoning:Try and consume cooked meats and vegetables at home. When cooking meats, do check with a food thermometer to test the internal temperature of meat and to gauge at whether it is pink in the middle or not! Avoid eating leftovers and make sure you are thoroughly washing and peeling your daily dose of fruits and vegetables. Use an alcohol-free soap and hot water to wash your hands before eating. Especially follow this practice when you are cooking with raw meats and poultry. Do not depend much on perishable and ready-to-eat foods as they can have shorter shell life and can be packed with preservatives.

Nutrition for Baby

• When feeling feverish, opt for natural remedies: It is quite common for you to feel feverish during pregnancy. During such times, make it a point to not run for over-the-counter medicines; instead you should opt for a bowl of hot chicken soup, vegetable soup or khichdi. Totally avoid relying on over-the-counter cough syrups, cold remedies and other medicines that have ibuprofen in them.
• Fight fatigue: Well let us be honest running a baby-making factory isn’t an easy task, hence you are bound to feel fatigued all day long. Aren’t just sitting and lying down your two favourite activities? Try and keep your blood sugar levels spiked up snacking frequently in the form complex carbohydrates and proteins, say cheese and crackers or nuts and dried fruits. Also exercise often and listen to your body closely – when it asks you to take a break, take one!
• Stay active: While staying active during the 11th week of pregnancy is easier said than done, but it is important to be motivated by performing regular bouts of exercises. Perform yoga once a week helps in keeping anxiety and depression at bay, along with lowering your chances of premature birth and postpartum depression. Eat a well-balanced diet and do ask for help whenever you need one!

Common Worries at 10 Weeks of Pregnancy

• Get checked for chromosomal abnormalities:Your doctor is going to perform an ultrasound on you to check for chromosomal abnormalities, including Down syndrome. Also, during this term, your doctor will be performing the nuchal translucency, or NT, test on you using ultrasound in order to gauge at the translucent space at the back tissue of the fetus's neck. 
• Breast tenderness and acute changes in breasts: Your growing breasts might be a turn-on for your mate, but for you your achy boobs might just be a nuisance. Be open to communicate to your partner about your extra sensitive boobs as he must know why you might not be liking that heavy-duty hugging.
• Gagging at the smell of your favourite food? A symptom, which is soon going to fade away, at this stage you might have freaky food preferences, which is totally okay. Just treat to your taste buds to full heart’s content and relish this era of pregnancy fully!

What do the Experts Suggest for 10 Weeks Pregnant ?

“By the 11th week, it is hard to believe for first time moms that a baby has been growing inside for the past 3 months. Some moms do not show by the 11th week, however you start sporting a baby bump. During this week you might experience skin glow, fuller hair and stronger nails. It is also common to have blemishes and unwanted hair growth such as on your face. Morning sickness is the most common symptom but you might also experience heartburn and nausea. Acne can also be an issue for pregnant women.

It is advised to eat a healthy diet that is rich in nutrient content. The appetite will also start getting back to normal slowly. Regular exercise will keep both the mother and the baby fit. Some women may also feel exhausted and tired than usual, which is absolutely normal, it is recommended to take proper and enough rest as your body works continuously for hormone production. “

Dr. Birbala Rai, M.B.B.S., M.S. in Obstetrics & gynaecology, Senior Consultant at PSRI Hospital, New Delhi

Seasonal Pregnancy Care 

Summer –Summer might be making your chaff a bit, but the best part about summer is long park walks and super lightweight and comfy cotton clothes. Not to forget fun baby print dresses! Opt for light-coloured clothes as they keep you from overheating and allows the sweat, especially between your boobs, to evaporate fast, keeping rashes at bay.

Monsoon –Be extra cautious about your diet and food intake during monsoon as long kept and raw chopped fruits and vegetables might absorb extra moisture and air tarnishing the taste and nutrient value of foods. Always carry an umbrella or raincoat with you and wear rubber soled shoe outside and rubber slipper at home. Never touch open wires and keep washing your hands often to avoid rainy season ailments.

Winter – Consult with your doctor to include some extra vitamin and immunity boosting supplements during winters in order to maintain a robust immunity level. Keep your skin hydrated at all times by using natural moisturisers and oils.