If you are 11 weeks pregnant, your baby has now reached the size of a large strawberry and his bones are beginning to harden. Life is getting better for you now, as you nausea and fatigue may be subsiding and your baby bump is showing!
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11 Weeks Pregnant – Fetus
At 11 weeks pregnant, your baby looks very human now, and he/she keeps developing fast. His body is almost fully formed, now measuring 1.6 inch/ 4.1 cm, about the size of a large strawberry, and he weighs 0.3 of an ounce/ 8 grams. The baby’s bones are already hardening. Tongue and teeth continue to develop, and tiny nipples may be visible on his chest. The baby will soon begin flexing his fingers, and is busy moving around in your uterus, tiny feet and hands kicking and flailing.
You still have a month or so until you begin feeling these movements, especially if this is your first pregnancy, when you still don’t know what to look for. When you do feel the baby move or kick, these movements will be so light that you might mistake them for a minor muscle twitching. The sensation resembles a tiny bubble popping in your belly – so curious and exciting!
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11 Weeks Pregnant – Symptoms
Your belly is probably showing a bit now, especially if this is not your first pregnancy, and your breasts may still feel tender. Some women hate their breasts to be touched while pregnant, others actually enjoy the increased sensitivity and generally feel incredibly sexy during their second trimester. Whatever your case is, don’t hesitate to let your partner know how you feel about it.
Your nausea may be subsiding, so you may notice you’re more hungry than usual, which often comes with weird food aversions or even weirder food cravings. If you still suffer from nausea and feeling exhausted, don’t worry, these symptoms are soon to pass, and you’ll be able to begin working on that weight gain.
You may be experiencing heartburn, constipation or gas and feeling bloated. Thanks, pregnancy hormones! Excessive salivation and feeling dizzy or lightheaded are common too. Do your best to eat small, frequent meals, avoid fatty and acidic foods and drink a lot. If you exercise (and you definitely should, if possible!), avoid workouts that involve balance or carry a risk of falling.
Related: Should I Have the Flu Vaccine During Pregnancy?
11 Weeks Pregnant – Questions
The first trimester of pregnancy is almost over, but you have two more to go! Let’s see what’s left for you to take care of.
1. What is First Trimester Screening and why do I Need it?
First trimester screening combines the results of an ultrasound and a blood test, usually conducted between the 11th and the 13th pregnancy weeks, to rule out possible birth defects, including trisomy 18 and Down syndrome.
During the ultrasound, (or the nuchal translucency -NT test), your doctor will measure the thickness of the tissue at the back of the fetus’s neck. Increased thickness can be a sign of Down’s syndrome. The blood tests measure the levels of the pregnancy hormone beta human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG) and the protein PAPP-A in your blood. High levels of hCG and low levels of PAPP-A may indicate certain abnormalities.
Related: Rules of 10 in Pregnancy
2. What Should I Worry about During Pregnancy?
It might sound funny but we’ll say it anyway: It’s best to avoid being ill. Sick colleagues, kindergartens and unwashed hands (yours), fruit and vegetables, uncooked meats and unpasteurized dairy products are all risk factors you should take into account. The less medications you take during pregnancy, the better.
3. Is it Safe to Have Sex During Pregnancy?
Yes, having sex during pregnancy is generally safe, unless you have any complications. If you have a normal, healthy pregnancy, there is no reason not to enjoy sex right until labor, unless you don’t feel like it, which is completely understandable, especially during the third trimester.
Sex will not cause premature birth and your partner’s penis doesn’t touch the baby at all, it just doesn’t reach beyond your vagina into your uterus. And unlike some mothers-to-be believe, the contractions you have during orgasm will not cause premature delivery. Oral sex is safe too, as long as your partner doesn’t blow into your vagina – this could be dangerous. If you have any complications, your doctor may advise you to abstain from sexual activities.
Possible complications include:
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Risk of premature delivery
- Unexplained vaginal bleeding or cramps after intercourse (in case those cramps do not subside by themselves after a few minutes).
- Cervical insufficiency (also called cervical incompetence, when the cervix widens and thins, which may cause a miscarriage or preterm delivery during the second or third trimesters).
- Placenta previa (when your placenta is lying very low in your uterus, next to the cervix or covering it, which can cause bleeding and may mean that you will have to deliver your baby earlier than planned or have a cesarean delivery.)
- Another factor is a partner who lives in an area where Zika virus was found,in which case you should use condoms.
Related: 10 Weeks Pregnant – Fetus
Related: 12 Weeks Pregnant – Fetus
