11 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 11

11 Weeks Pregnant: Common Signs and Symptoms

At 11 weeks pregnant, your hair will grow faster and less of it will fall out, leaving you with thicker, longer tresses. This is the result of the hormones estrogen and androgen in your body.

Your nails may also change at this stage due to hormonal effects. They may either grow faster and longer or they may break more often. Keep your nails trimmed, and avoid chemical-laden nail polish and removers.

You are still in the first trimester.

11 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s Development

Your baby is 2½ inches long and will grow more from now on until week 20. To support this surge in growth, the blood vessels in the placenta are increasing in size and number.

At 11 weeks pregnant, the baby’s ears are migrating toward their proper position on either side of her oversized head.

Baby’s delicate skin is still tender and transparent, but its bones are continuing to harden and its fingernails are forming. Its nasal passages are taking shape. The flat muscle that separates the baby’s chest and abdominal cavity, which is called the diaphragm, is developing.

11 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care Tips 

• At week 11 of pregnancy, start talking to women who have already gone through pregnancy and learn from them.

12 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 12

12 Weeks Pregnant – Common Signs and Symptoms

At 12 weeks pregnant, the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) in your body is beginning to level off, and this means you may begin to feel relief from morning sickness. The hCG levels are moderating because your placenta is now generating the hormone progesterone.

Your uterus is expanding up and out of your pelvis and is now positioned in your lower abdomen. It might be starting to protrude slightly.

This shift in position might take pressure off your bladder, and this will slow your constant need to urinate. At this juncture, you will notice that most of your clothes don’t fit, even if the bump isn’t showing yet.

Increased pigmentation causes irregular dark patches on your forehead, upper lip, and cheeks. They will last until your pregnancy ends.

12 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s Development

Your baby weighs about 1 ounce and fills up your uterus.

At 12 weeks pregnant, there is enough room in the baby’s abdomen for the intestines to move into position within it and the kidneys are starting to function. The amniotic fluid that baby swallows passes into the kidneys and becomes urine, which gets released into the bladder.

Your baby’s bone marrow begins making white blood cells, the pituitary glands start to secrete hormones, and your baby’s vocal cords form.

Finally, the baby’s brain synapses are strengthening, and its face is continuing to take shape, with the baby’s eyes moving steadily closer together as they near their final destination.

12 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care Tips

• Restock your wardrobe with new clothes. Your old ones are beginning to feel tight, and you need to be comfortable during your pregnancy.

13 Weeks Pregnant – Pregnancy Week 13

13 Weeks Pregnant – Common Signs and Symptoms

At 13 weeks pregnant, you have begun your second trimester. You may already be feeling less nauseated and exhausted and may even be experiencing a boost in energy. The second trimester is generally considered the easiest one.

Do not expect all the difficult symptoms to disappear at once during this week. Some women have a gradual shift to feeling better.

Sexual desire returns along with energy for some pregnant women.

13 Weeks Pregnant – Baby’s Development

Baby’s head will start matching the size of its body from this week on. The baby is almost 3½ inches long.

At 13 weeks pregnant, the baby’s skin is still transparent and delicate. Soft, fine hair known as lanugo starts to cover it.

Your placenta is still growing and developing, providing your baby with oxygen and nutrients and filtering out waste.

13 Weeks Pregnant – Self-Care Tips

Start expanding your healthy eating habits. At 13 weeks pregnant, boost your intake of calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium because they help to support the baby’s rapidly growing bones and teeth.

Healthy choices include;

Calcium: Dairy, fortified almond or soy milk, tofu, broccoli, and bok choy.

Vitamin D: Egg yolks, fatty fish and sardines.

Magnesium: Raw spinach, squash, pumpkin seeds, avocados, soybeans, and lentils.

Pregnancy Week Guides & Information: