You are 11 weeks pregnant which means you are in the middle of the 3rd month. Your little one looks no longer like beans, but a baby. In the 11th week of pregnancy, she has a large head, because the brain is the organ that develops the most dynamically in the prenatal period.

11. week of pregnancy: how is your baby developing?

In the 11th week of pregnancy, the baby has all the internal organs formed, which will only grow and mature from now on. Therefore, in the 11th week of pregnancy, the fetus focuses on growth. In a week it will almost double its length - a week ago it measured 30-40 mm, now it is about 60 mm.

  • The most important stages of a baby's development in the belly

Irises develop, which in the future will protect the eyes from too strong rays of light, the kidneys start working, which is connected with urine output. It goes into the amniotic fluid, and from there into your blood and kidneys, from where it is finally excreted.

The heart already has four chambers, but some parts of it will not be formed until after birth. However, this does not prevent him from pumping blood and delivering it not only to blood vessels and organs, but also to the umbilical cord, which supplies blood to the developing placenta.

  • What problems may arise with the umbilical cord?

In the 11th week of pregnancy, the baby's skin begins to develop, as well as the delicate hair that covers the baby's body and is responsible for maintaining body temperature.

What must not be done in the first trimester of pregnancy?

11. week of pregnancy: what's happening to you?

In the 11th week of pregnancy, your body does not change from the outside, but inside - yes! Have you started going to the toilet more? This is because the fluffed uterus grows larger and puts pressure on the bladder. Additionally, hormones begin to relax ligaments and joints so that your body can make room for the growing baby, which also relaxes the sphincters, which are not holding their urine as tightly as they did before pregnancy.

  • How do hormones influence the behavior of a pregnant woman?

The volume of your blood increases all the time, which under the influence of estrogen and progesterone circulates faster now, so you have warm hands and feet and you don't get cold so quickly. In the 11th week of pregnancy, you can haveAlso, more thirst: your body needs water because it needs water now for metabolic processes, blood production, etc. So it retains fluids in your body, which can make you feel swollen and show up as an extra kilo on weight.

  • How to deal with puffiness in pregnancy?

You may still suffer from morning sickness, heartburn and constipation - hormones are still being produced by your pregnant body, so you experience these types of discomfort. Also, don't be surprised if you get a metallic taste in your mouth: many women complain of a bad taste, which is normal due to hormones that affect the senses.

She also teases some expectant mothers with excessive drooling. Try to always have a mint sugar-free chewing gum or lemon water on hand to minimize the unpleasant taste.

  • Where do the cravings in pregnancy come from?

11. week of pregnancy: the most important recommendations

Between weeks 11 and 14, you should do the recommended ultrasound. This is called a genetic ultrasound because it can detect genetic defects in the fetus. During the examination, the doctor assesses the child's internal organs (excluding e.g. hydrocephalus, spinal and abdominal hernias, heart defects) and looks for the so-called markers, i.e. features that indicate possible problems.

The most important of these is the assessment of the translucency of the nuchal fold (NT), which - when enlarged - may indicate Down's syndrome and delayed ossification of the nasal bones (NB), which may occur in Down, Edwards, Patau and Turner syndromes .

  • The most common birth defects in children

During the ultrasound examination, the doctor will also assess the size of the fetus by measuring its length from the crown to the end of the torso. On this basis, it can more accurately determine the age of pregnancy and the approximate due date, which, as is known, is calculated based on the date of the last menstruation rather than the date of conception.

  • Check how the pregnancy calculator works

If you want to get more detailed information about your baby's he alth, you can decide to take the PAPP-A test, which is done simultaneously with the genetic ultrasound (between 10 and 14 weeks of pregnancy). It is a very reliable non-invasive test (it consists in examining the mother's blood) that allows to detect many genetic defects. The PAPP-A test is not reimbursed by the National He alth Fund, so if you want to do it, you have to pay for it (about PLN 200).

Also read:

  • First trimester of pregnancy
  • 10. week of pregnancy
  • 12. week of pregnancy
  • 13. weekpregnancy
About the authorMałgorzata Wójcik The editor in charge of the website. Journalist with 25 years of experience. From the beginning, she was associated with the subject of children and he alth - she worked, among others. in the magazine "M jak mama". At mjakmama.pl, she specializes in pregnancy and childbirth. Privately - mother of three adolescent children. He is eager to read and walks in the woods with his dog.

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Pregnant examinations