What does the 11th week of pregnancy mean for mother and baby
Pregnancy is a very special time in a woman's life. The prospect of becoming a mother and the presence of another small body inside your belly can certainly scare you, but with the right support from doctors, family and friends, the path from discovering pregnancy to childbirth will certainly be easier. The eleventh week marks the transition from the first to the second trimester, when the experience of pregnancy becomes more pleasant and less traumatic, but what exactly happens in this phase of development and growth? Read this article and find out all the information. you need to know for sure what is happening to you and your baby 11 weeks after conception!
But before you read this, watch this video and find out how to pamper the baby you are carrying.
What does the fetus do during the eleventh week?
After eleven weeks, the baby begins to move inside the belly. Often, it happens that it turns over on itself, but you cannot yet perceive these movements because the baby is too small at this stage. Usually it is from the 20th week onwards that women begin to feel the motor activity of the baby within themselves.
Once in the eleventh week, the fetus not only moves the body, but also the mouth. In fact, it is usual to open and close it to absorb the nutrients coming from the mother.
It also happens that, once the diaphragm formation is completed, the baby has hiccups at the end of the first trimester. Also in this case, it is a totally imperceptible phenomenon from the outside and functional to the correct respiratory activity of the baby which, thanks to the movements of the rib cage, ensures that the amniotic fluid does not infiltrate the lungs, with the risk of strangling it.
What month does the eleventh week correspond to?
If you have been pregnant for 11 weeks, you are towards the end of the first trimester and, more precisely, in the second half of the third month.
What changes in the mother's body?
During the first months of pregnancy, the body of pregnant women undergoes countless changes, during which it prepares for the reception, development and future expulsion of the fetus. At 11 weeks, future mothers may have gained 2 kilos, but there are cases in which, instead of gaining weight, they lose weight due to lack of appetite and nausea typical of the first trimester. Skin, hair and nails also undergo a significant transformation, thanks to hormonal activity and increased blood flow which contribute to improving their appearance. However, it should be noted that the experience of gestation varies from woman to woman and is rather subjective, so it is not surprising that some mothers witness a weakening of their hair and nails at the beginning of pregnancy.
At the end of the first trimester, the belly, not yet fully evident, acquires a few more centimeters due to the dilation of the uterus which is now about the size of a grapefruit.
Some of the most obvious symptoms of the 11th week concern the mother's mouth. During this period, in fact, pregnant women tend to produce greater quantities of saliva, often characterized by a metallic taste. In addition, they may experience frequent cases of gingival sensitivity, resulting in bleeding. This phenomenon is very common during pregnancy and is due to a general increase in progesterone, the presence of which tends to weaken the tissues.
The development and growth of the fetus: organs, weight and length
In this period of gestation, during which the second trimester is progressively approached, the fetus proceeds with its own development. The baby now weighs around 4-5 grams and is 3cm long. His limbs have developed almost completely and it is already possible to distinguish the fingers from the hand. Above all, the cephalic extremity has grown, which, towards the end of the three months, turns out to be larger than the rest of the body. The formation of the ears is shortly missing: once completed, the baby will begin to hear sounds coming from outside and to perceive the heartbeat of the mother.
Have you already chosen the name of your little one? If your ideas are unclear, let yourself be inspired by our list of names for all tastes!
What the partner has to do
The person who supports the pregnant woman is a figure of fundamental importance. The fact that he does not carry a baby in his womb does not in fact empty him of any usefulness. The partner must give constant support to the future mother, standing next to her in times of need as well as in carefree ones. Furthermore, its presence is absolutely essential as it is reassuring during gynecological visits and the pre-birth course, useful for the training of both parents and not just mothers. The partner or the partner of the pregnant woman may think of even starting to write a diary, in which to vent and fix their emotions and feelings and collect photos and thoughts of these particular months. Another "thing that the future parent can do during the gestation of the partner or wife is to collect as much information regarding their role through neonatology and pedagogy books.
Some useful tips
Here are some tips to better cope with pregnancy and prepare for the arrival of your baby:
- Practice regular physical activity: prefer free body gymnastics and postural exercises for the back. The movement will help you feel more energetic and supple, making you ready for delivery. In addition, motor activity stimulates blood circulation throughout the body, preventing the swelling episodes that characterize pregnancy. Also, if you suffer from nausea and have digestive problems, we recommend that you take short walks following a meal. Moving around after eating helps you digest faster and feel lighter.
- Follow a rich and varied diet, eating healthy and balanced. Tasting very different foods will prepare the baby's taste buds to welcome ever new flavors. In particular, try to eat foods rich in magnesium (almonds, lentils and wholemeal bread), calcium (vegetables and fish) and iron (apples, parsley and nuts). Also, stock up on folic acid, a vitamin essential for the normal development of the fetus, found mostly in green leafy vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
- Avoid excessively fatty, spicy, fried foods and, in addition to alcoholic beverages, do without coffee. These foods, in fact, can cause irritation and consequent heartburn.
- Drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and facilitate the formation of teeth in the fetus. Plus, heavy drinking throughout the day will help prevent urinary infections. In this regard, be sure to always urinate both before and after sexual intercourse and to practice proper intimate hygiene.
- Limit sun exposure as much as possible, especially during the hottest hours. The combination of sun rays + hormonal changes could lead to the appearance of some unpleasant spots on the skin. If your pregnancy affects the summer period, remember to wear brimmed hats wide and to apply a protective cream with a very high index (50+) over the whole body several times.
Sex in pregnancy
Don't be afraid to indulge your libido. It is not uncommon for many couples to progressively stop having sex during pregnancy. However, being sexually fulfilled while waiting for the baby to be born is not only legitimate, but also recommended. There is no danger in having sex while pregnant: the fetus is protected by the amniotic fluid and you must absolutely not fear that the penis may tear the membrane and touch the baby because between the bottom of the vagina and the baby's head there are 5 cm apart. As for microbes, however, the cervix is perfectly blocked by a mucus that blocks their passage. Furthermore, the fetus will in no way witness the sexual activity between the parents, while instead it will be able to perceive the pleasure experienced by the mother during orgasm because the hormones cause uterine contractions. In that case, the baby will be lulled into a bubble bath!
Always staying on the subject of sex, communicate as much as possible with your partner. It is possible that during the first trimester you may feel low and do not feel sexual desire. The body undergoes many transformations and it is normal for you to feel physically unwilling. In addition, the initial alteration of the vaginal walls could make the penetration painful as well as the transformation of the breast, now larger and more painful, the contact. Do not withdraw into yourself and try to share all your doubts and fears with your partner: talking about them will help you preserve the harmony of your relationship.
All visits to be done from the eleventh week
Below, you will find a complete list of all the tests that can be carried out starting from the 11th week of pregnancy. These checks are necessary to monitor the health of the mother and baby as well as the development of the latter:
- First trimester visit with gynecologist and obstetrician
- First ultrasound between the 10th and 11th week of pregnancy, through which it will be possible to detect the dimensions of the biparietal diameter (ie of the head), the length of the femur and the circumference of the abdomen.
- Test for prenatal diagnosis and screening of some genetic diseases (possibly to be carried out between the 10th and 14th week)
- You can also organize yourself for a possible amniocentesis, feasible between 15 and 18 weeks of gestation, to identify possible alterations in the genetic makeup.
