Eleventh Week of Pregnancy: What to Expect

Welcome to the eleventh week of pregnancy! In the last few weeks, your child has already developed strongly.

In the 11th week of gestation, the baby performs a veritable water ballet in your belly. It moves around a lot and spontaneously in its amniotic sac. Water also becomes an issue for you, which is reflected in both thirst and an increased urge to urinate.

This was hard work for your body, and that’s why you might have felt bad at times. Morning sickness was not uncommon. Now the curse is mostly over and more changes are coming. Your belly is growing, your hips are getting wider. These are things that unfortunately cannot be avoided. Everything is adjusting to the birth. Take it easy if you put a few kilos more on the scales from now on.

In the eleventh week of gestation, the head is still larger than all other parts of the body.

Currently, the baby weighs about 15 grams and is five centimeters long. Already about three weeks later, this size will have doubled. From the eleventh week onwards, it is not uncommon for a strong growth phase to take place.

A lot of fine work is done: The fingers separate and no longer look like webbed fingers. The ears are slowly coming into their correct position and the gums are also forming. With it, the first milk teeth emerge, which only break through and become visible a few months after birth. Furthermore, nails grow on the toes and fingers. The skeletal structure forms and the rib cage finally emerges.

The skin layers are not yet fully formed, so the baby still appears slightly transparent. Hairs are already growing on some parts of the body, which will eventually form a down on the complete body. There is a lot of growth on the eyes. The fetus already has eyelids, which close. Only from the sixth month of pregnancy the child opens them again. The sexual organs are also slowly forming. If it is a boy, the base of a penis can sometimes be seen. However, it is not yet possible to determine the exact sex. Only a few weeks later this can be determined by ultrasound.

The neural tube developed into the spinal cord and brain. The weeks before, the risk of a neural tube defect was still high if there was a folic acid deficiency. That is why many doctors recommend dietary supplements during pregnancy to prevent a deficiency. Folic acid supplements can be taken throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Your baby is quite active in the womb now. He is discovering his arms and legs. Of course, it also wants to move them. In the meantime, it can even do this purposefully. Furthermore, the fetus can swallow and makes its hand into a fist. Since your baby is still quite small, you will not feel its movements yet.

Only between the 16th week and the 20th week will you feel and notice the strength of your belly inhabitant.

You in the eleventh week of pregnancy

From the eleventh week of pregnancy, most pregnant women no longer have the complaints that often occur in early pregnancy. Vomiting, nausea, and listlessness are over.

Unfortunately, there are other problems that crop up from time to time. Don’t worry: if you take precautions, you can avoid them.

Circulatory problems are not uncommon, and your pulse will also increase during this time. This is because the placenta is producing more blood to take care of the baby. It’s perfectly normal for your blood volume to increase by about 40 percent by the end of pregnancy. This means your heart is working overtime. Mild circulation problems are normal and can be easily remedied with water. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. If it is summer, avoid the heat and stay in places where it is cooler. Likewise, sit down more often and take breaks.

The increase in blood flow also has a positive side effect. You suddenly no longer have cold feet and hands.

In the cold season, this is definitely an advantage that you can welcome. Since you drink more during these weeks and the uterus presses on the bladder, you have to go to the toilet more often. Likewise, your nails and hair will grow faster.

In the first trimester, you will gain about two to three kilograms. In the later weeks of pregnancy, your eating habits will change. Above all, make sure that you provide your body with the most important minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. It is not the quantity of food that matters, but the quality. You don’t have to do without exercise during pregnancy. In fact, exercise has a positive effect on you and your child. However, it does not necessarily have to be pure pregnancy gymnastics.

The examinations in the eleventh week of pregnancy

Major examinations are not done during the eleventh week of pregnancy. Some doctors perform an ultrasound examination at every appointment. Others have the patient pay for each use of the ultrasound machine that is not mandatory. For voluntary exams, it’s best to listen to your gut. Don’t base your decision on other people, because everyone has different opinions on the subject.

Necessary examinations that must be performed for medical reasons are covered by health insurance. If additional tests are requested directly by the parents, they usually have to be paid for by the parents themselves. Except if there is special additional insurance. It is best to find out more about this from your health insurance company.

Even if you get out of breath quickly – get moving, it will do you good. Even a half-hour walk a day will get your circulation going. If you have already been active in sports, you do not need to give up exercising during the 11th week of pregnancy or afterward.

Properly dosed and performed, exercise has a positive effect on your well-being and that of your child – until the end of pregnancy. Exercise can also prevent gestational diabetes, prevent excessive weight gain and improve lung volume, which will be in short supply later on.

Regular physical activity also strengthens the pelvic floor, tendons, and ligaments, counteracts postural and back problems, and makes you less prone to illness and circulatory problems.

Optimal sports are quiet, low-impact activities such as:

• swimming
• aqua jogging/aqua fitness
• Tai chi
• yoga
• gymnastics
• quiet cycling

But strength training or running is also still possible, as long as you adapt your training (preferably with the help of a trainer) and you control the load accordingly (e.g. by pulse measurement).

Now you can tell others

The time has come to announce the pregnancy. Your friends and relatives will be happy. In addition, you should tell your employer now, if he does not know yet. He will need time to find a replacement for you. Therefore, it is only fair to let him know as early as possible. Depending on your job, you may even be sent home immediately or transferred to another department.

Be prepared for lots of conversations with your mother, mother-in-law, and other female relatives and friends. The men will be happy, too, but probably won’t want to know as much about it as the female family members. You may already be getting pregnancy or birth tips from them.