Eleventh week of pregnancy

By week 11 of pregnancy, your belly may start to show more. You’ll probably start to feel better and regain your appetite, even though other ailments may continue to bother you.

Weight and length at 11th week

How many months is 11 weeks pregnant?

At the 11th week you are in the middle of the third month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy, you can use our conversion table .

How your body changes

To each its own weight

Your uterus is now the size of a grapefruit and begins to grow outside your pelvis , making your pregnancy more visible. You probably haven’t gained weight yet , or if you’re feeling sick, you’ve lost weight .

For a woman of normal weight, in the first trimester , it would be good not to exceed 1.5-2 kilos more . The expected weight gain , however, should always be related to the future mother’s situation before pregnancy and her personal history , as well as her body mass index .

Digestion problems

For some pregnant women, the eleventh week marks the beginning of a newfound well-being : nausea begins to subside and appetite returns , although some odors can still cause discomfort. Other expectant mothers, on the other hand, find themselves struggling with digestive disorders such as wind in the stomach , abdominal swelling and meteorism , but also constipation  and acidity , which are particularly pronounced in the case of a twin pregnancy .

If you too are experiencing these symptoms, try to follow a diet rich in vegetables and fruit and drink often to keep yourself hydrated. And don’t forget to do some physical activity !

Fairytale hair

If your  hair grows  quickly and your  nails grow quickly , know that it is a normal phenomenon, which depends on the increased blood flow to the tissues and hormonal changes.

If you feel hot , feel a greater  sense of thirst or suffer from excessive salivation , report these symptoms to your gynecologist or midwife: they will advise you on the most suitable remedy!

How the child grows

It is about 3 centimeters long , about the size of a lime , and weighs about 4 grams .

First yawns!

Your baby is growing so fast that, by the end of this week, his size will have nearly doubled . Right now, however, his little feet could stand on an adult’s fingernail . At this stage, half of its length is taken up by the head , which still appears very disproportionate to the body. The auricle is almost fully formed, although hearing is not yet fully functional. But the most surprising news is that he can already open and close his mouth and even… yawn!

An important milestone

The blood vessels of the placenta increase and supply more and more nutrients and oxygen for your growing baby. Meanwhile, all vital organs (brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and intestines)  are now formed  and begin to perform their function. This concludes the most critical part of embryonic development  and the rest of the pregnancy will be dedicated to the growth and maturation of all organs, so that your little one can face life outside the womb.

Breathing exercises

The diaphragm (the body’s main breathing muscle) is fully developed, and even if you can’t feel it yet, your baby may be hiccuping . Don’t worry: it’s not annoying! On the contrary, it is a very useful reflex to exercise the muscles of the rib cage and prepare your little one to breathe on his own .

Do you know that…

The 11th ^week ends the embryonic period. From now on, therefore, your little one will no longer be called an embryo but a fetus.

For the dad

During the nine months of pregnancy, of course, all attention is paid to the expectant mother. Even future dads, however, shouldn’t be neglected! Take care of yourself , follow a healthy diet and try to carve out some space to distract yourself: your physical and mental well-being is also important to be able to offer the right support to your partner.

Checks and exams to do

• CVS

Between the 10th ^and 13th week ^of pregnancy, CVS can be performed , an invasive diagnostic test that allows the identification of any genetic abnormalities in the fetus . Usually, this test is done after noninvasive tests  (such as nuchal translucency, bi-test, or fetal DNA testing ) have shown an increased risk of abnormalities.

Click here to see the tests you can take for free within the 14th week of gestation.

The advice of the 11th ^week of pregnancy

Do you also find yourself battling symptoms such as  swollen belly , constipation and heartburn ? Here are some simple tips to cope with digestive problems in pregnancy.

• Drink often, but preferably away from meals: you will relieve constipation without running the risk of filling your stomach too much.

• Limit fried foods or foods high in sugar and fat, which slow down digestion and promote gas production. For the same reason, it’s better to give up sodas and caffeine.

• Avoid large meals, in order not to burden the stomach and intestines too much and favor acidity.

• Chew slowly , in order to limit the swallowing of air.

• Keep active: a short walk after meals is good for digestion. Furthermore, regular physical activity reduces anxiety and stress , which can often increase the production of intestinal gas.

• After eating, wait at least 2 hours before going to bed: lying down immediately after meals slows down digestion and can contribute to or exacerbate heartburn.