Now at the 11-week mark in your pregnancy, you're nearing the end of your first trimester. Around this time you can expect to experience a host of changes. You'll find that it's normal to have gained a little more weight at this point. Because of this, it's important to try to stick to a healthy, well-balanced diet and take prenatal vitamins to ensure your baby is developing well. In terms of your fetal development, your baby will be nearly the size of a strawberry and will soon grow even more. Read on to learn more about what to expect during the 11-week mark of your pregnancy.
Key Points of 11 Weeks Pregnancy
- At 11 weeks pregnant, you are close to the end of your first trimester.
- During this time, it's normal to experience morning sickness, dizziness, and headaches.
- Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet, including fruits, vegetables, and protein.
- Your baby is nearly the size of a strawberry and will grow even more in the next few weeks.
- Fetal developments at this time include the formation of external genitals, hair follicles, and teeth.
Body Changes at 11 Weeks Pregnant
By 11 weeks pregnant, most women have gained very little weight. It is important to stick to (or start) eating a healthy diet. You will only need about 300-500 calories extra a day while you are pregnant. Make those calories premium, they help your baby grow.
Avoid junk foods and try to ensure that you are getting a variety of fruits and vegetables and protein. One note about protein, even in pregnancy it does not have to come from meat. There are a lot of successful vegetarian pregnancies.
It is also important that you wear a well-supporting bra throughout your pregnancy, which will give your breasts plenty of support.
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Other common body changes you may notice at 11 weeks of pregnancy include dizziness and nausea if you haven't experienced these symptoms yet. By about this time, your uterus is just thinking about popping up above your pubic bone. Once this happens you will start showing a bit more. Many women start noticing physical changes including rapidly growing hair and nails.
Some headaches appear as a result of changes in your hormone levels. Prevent them before they start by eating regularly, drinking plenty of fluids, getting adequate sleep, and keeping stress levels low. Ask your care provider if you can treat headaches with Tylenol (acetaminophen), a pain medication that is considered safe for pregnant women. If you experience frequent headaches, if the headache is the by-product of a fever, or if it causes visual disturbances or puffiness in the hands and face, call your doctor immediately.
Your Baby's Development at Week 11
During pregnancy week 11, your baby is almost large enough for you to nestle in your palm. Most babies are just under 1 ½ inches long by now and may weigh as much as .3 ounces. Your baby's skin is still transparent, once your baby reaches full term he will start to fill out, and you will no longer be able to see your baby's blood vessels showing through his skin. Most babies will double their size during the next three weeks. The iris will begin to develop this week and fingernails appear.
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- Incredible variety with 10+ weekly meal options, delivered directly to you.
- Easy to prepare meals ready in 30-minutes or less.
Week 11 of pregnancy marks the end of the embryonic period. From now on, your baby is called a fetus. It also marks the period when your baby is out of the danger zone for the development of most congenital complications. Other developments that are happening around this time are the external genitals moving outside of the body, the hair follicles of the skin forming, and teeth beginning to form.