During week 11 of your pregnancy, your baby is starting to look more like a baby – an actual human baby!

As with other earlier weeks, week 11 is no exception when it comes to rapid growth and huge developmental strides.

Your baby is not only busy growing but also moving around like a tiny acrobat. He or she is busy stretching and rolling around within your uterus.

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At 11 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a fig.

At this stage of your pregnancy, you may continue to experience physical pregnancy symptoms such as:

  • increasing appetite with or without food cravings or food aversions
  • nausea and vomiting
  • fatigue, although you may begin to feel more energetic
  • bloating, gas, constipation, or heartburn
  • breast tenderness and changes
  • excessive saliva
  • faintness or dizziness

While some women begin to notice their morning sickness is slowly starting to improve, some are not so lucky. If you are one of the lucky ones, you may notice that you are craving certain foods or experiencing certain food aversions. Either way, be sure you try to eat a balanced and healthy diet.

If you have begun to tell people that you are pregnant, you might be getting lots of hugs, which may not feel so great. Your breasts may be feeling quite large and tender, so do not be caught off guard if your family and friends’ best of intentions cause you some mild discomfort. Even though you may not have much of a pregnant belly, you may want to ask for a belly rub instead.

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By the time you are 11 weeks pregnant, your baby’s nasal passage is open, and hair follicles have formed.

At 11 weeks pregnant, some of the rapid fetal developments underway include:

  • Head and neck: Hair follicles form, head is the same length as his or her body.
  • Chest: Nipples are visible.
  • Ears: Shape is almost completely developed.
  • Mouth and nose: Nasal passages are open, tongue present, tooth buds continue forming
  • Limbs: Hands and feet are now placed in front of his or her body with individual fingers and toes. Nail beds are developing. Bones start to become hard.

Baby’s size at 11 weeks pregnant

Your baby is the size of a fig, measuring 1.5-2 inches in length. He or she will now weigh about one-third of an ounce.

During this week, the baby’s torso will be lengthening, and its body will be straightening in posture. It will be able to stretch, roll, and somersault inside the uterus.

Throughout your pregnancy, you will experience variations in certain hormones that contribute to many of the pregnancy symptoms you experience. Following implantation of the fertilized egg, your body begins to secrete a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) – the hormone used to detect pregnancy in a pregnancy test. This hormone is also responsible for regulating estrogen and progesterone and contributes to frequent urination.

Progesterone rises throughout your pregnancy and continues to do so until the birth of your baby. In early pregnancy, progesterone is responsible for increasing uterine blood flow, establishing the placenta, and stimulating the growth and nutrient production of the endometrium (lining of the uterus).

Progesterone also plays a vital role in fetal development, preventing premature labor and lactation, as well as strengthening the pelvic wall muscles to prepare your body for labor.

Alongside progesterone, the placenta is vital in secreting hormones during the pregnancy such as:

  • Human placental lactogen: responsible for mammary gland growth that will be important for lactation. Additionally, it plays a role in increasing nutrient levels in your blood, vital to the growth and development of your baby.
  • Corticotrophin-releasing hormone: this hormone is not only responsible for determining how long you will be pregnant, but also for your baby’s growth and development.

Another vital hormone in pregnancy is estrogen, which is responsible for fetal organ development, placental growth and function, and mammary gland growth.

Because of the rise in progesterone and estrogen, you may experience some unpleasant pregnancy symptoms such as mood swings and morning sickness. Another hormone, relaxin, can cause physical symptoms such as pelvic pain, balance difficulties, and constipation due to its role in relaxing maternal muscles, ligaments, and joints.

It is important to speak with your doctor to determine if genetic testing and certain prenatal screening is right for you. Some prenatal screening tests can begin around 10 weeks gestation.

From weeks 11-14, an ultrasound may be obtained to evaluate your baby’s nuchal translucency – the amount of fluid behind the baby’s neck. This is important in testing for some medical conditions that may affect your baby, such as Down syndrome.

There are three blood tests offered to women during their pregnancy to screen for a variety of genetic abnormalities including Down syndrome, Trisomy 18, and spina bifida.

These tests include:

  • Sequential integrated screen: This test is capable of identifying 92 percent of Down syndrome pregnancies.
  • Serum integrated screen: This test is capable of identifying 88 percent of Down syndrome pregnancies. The test is typically carried out in cases when the nuchal translucency ultrasound is unavailable.
  • Quad marker screen: This test is capable of identifying 79 percent of Down syndrome pregnancies. Women who did not get the first portion of the serum and sequential tests (as above) are eligible to undergo this testing.

Another test offered to women during this time of pregnancy, weeks 10-12, is chorionic villus sampling (CVS). CVS is typically offered to women who have other abnormal screening results, are aged 35 years or older, have a prior history of a chromosomal abnormality found in pregnancy, or have a family history of certain genetic abnormalities.

CVS is used to evaluate for genetic abnormalities such as Tay-Sachs disease, cystic fibrosis, and certain chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome. This is not a blood test or an ultrasound screening method as discussed above. Instead, during this test, a sample of placental chorionic villi are removed and tested.

There are many lifestyle modifications that need to be made during pregnancy and after delivery.

General health

During pregnancy, you will need to take care of yourself and your developing baby. Be sure not to drink alcohol or smoke during pregnancy, and avoid all other toxic substances such as drugs during this time. Be sure to discuss all medications you are taking with your doctor to check that they are still safe to take.

To nourish yourself and your baby, make sure you eat a healthy diet and take a good prenatal vitamin. Another way to maintain your health during pregnancy is to get regular exercise. Speak with your doctor about your current or desired exercise regimen to make sure it is safe.

Beauty

Using permanent hair color is not recommended during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Instead, consider using semi-permanent dye.

Food

While it is safe to eat fish during pregnancy, it is recommended that you limit your intake to 8-12 ounces of fish and shellfish per week.

Some examples of fish that are safe to consume during pregnancy include shrimp, salmon, canned light tuna (note: mercury varies can to can), pollock, cod, catfish, and anchovies. If you plan on eating albacore tuna and tuna steak, it is recommended that you limit consuming this fish to 6 ounces per week.

It is important to avoid eating shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel while pregnant, as they have high levels of mercury, which can be harmful to your baby’s brain and nervous system. If eating fish from a non-commercial source – a fish you or your family caught, for example – be sure to check with the local health authorities that the waters in which it was caught are safe.

Always make sure your food is fully cooked and not raw or undercooked. Also, avoid uncooked smoked or pickled fish. Additionally, it is important to avoid unpasteurized soft cheese, refrigerated pâté, raw or undercooked meat and poultry, cold cut deli meat, foods containing raw eggs (Caesar dressing, etc.), and unpasteurized juice, milk, and eggnog.

Caffeine is OK during pregnancy but should be consumed in moderation. Try to keep caffeine consumption at or below 200 milligrams daily.

If you have questions regarding your pregnancy, be sure to contact your doctor.

This Medical News Today Knowledge Center feature is part of a series of articles on pregnancy. It provides a summary of each stage of pregnancy, what to expect, and insights into how your baby is developing. Take a look at the other articles in the series:

First trimester: fertilization, implantation, week 5, week 6, week 7, week 8, week 9, week 10, week 11, week 12.

Second trimester: week 13, week 14, week 15, week 16, week 17, week 18, week 19, week 20, week 21, week 22, week 23, week 24, week 25, week 26.