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Week 11 How Big Is Your Baby? By this week, the crown-to-rump length of your baby is 1.75 to 2.4 inches (44 to 60mm). Fetal weight is about 0.3 ounce (8g). Your baby is about the size of a large lime. How Big Are You? While big changes are occurring in your baby, changes are probably happening more slowly with you. You are almost at the end of the first trimester; your uterus has been growing along with the fetus inside it. It is almost big enough to fill your pelvis and may be felt in your lower abdomen, above the middle of your pubic bone. You won't be able to feel your baby moving yet. If you think you feel your baby move at this time, you either have gas or are further along in your pregnancy than you thought. How Your Baby Is Growing and Developing Fetal growth is rapid now. The crown-to-rump length of your baby doubles in the next 3 weeks. As you can see in the illustration on page 103, the head is almost half the baby's entire length. As the head extends (uncurls or tips backward toward the spine), the chin rises from the chest and the neck develops and lengthens. Fingernails appear. External genitalia are beginning to show distinguishing features. Development of the fetus into a male or female is complete in another 3 weeks. If a miscarriage occurs after this point, it may be possible to tell if it is male or female. All embryos begin life looking very much the same, as far as outward appearances are concerned. Whether the embryo develops into a male or female is determined by the genetic information contained in the embryo. Changes in You Some women notice changes in their hair, fingernails or toenails during pregnancy. This doesn't happen to everyone, but if it happens to you, don't worry about it. Some fortunate women notice an increase in hair and nail growth during pregnancy. Others find they lose some hair during this time. Some doctors believe these changes occur during pregnancy because of increased circulation throughout your body. Others credit the hormonal changes occurring in you. Still others explain these differences with a change in ôphaseö of the growth cycle of the hair or nails. In any event, these differences are rarely permanent. There is little or nothing you can do about them. How Your Actions Affect Your Baby's Development Traveling during Pregnancy Pregnant women frequently ask whether travel during pregnancy can hurt their baby. If your pregnancy is uncomplicated and you are not at high risk, travel is usually acceptable. Ask your doctor about any travel you are considering before making firm plans or buying tickets. Whether you travel by car, bus, train or airplane, it's wise to get up and walk at least every 2 hours. Regular visits to the bathroom may take care of this requirement. The biggest risk of traveling during pregnancy is development of a complication while you are away from those who know your medical and pregnancy history. If you do decide to take a trip, be sensible in your planning. Don't overdo it. Take it easy! You Should also Know Ultrasound in Pregnancy By this point, you may have discussed ultrasound with your doctor. Or you may already have had an ultrasound test. Ultrasound (also called sonography or sonogram) is one of our most valuable methods for evaluating a pregnancy. Although doctors, hospitals and insurance companies (yes, they get involved in this, too) don't agree as to when ultrasound should be done or if every pregnant woman should have an ultrasound test during pregnancy, it definitely has its place. The test has proved useful in improving the outcome in pregnancy. It is a noninvasive, safe test, and there are no known risks associated with it. Ultrasound involves the use of high-frequency soundwaves made by applying an alternating current to a transducer. A lubricant is placed on the skin to improve contact with the transducer. The transducer passes over the abdomen above the uterus. Soundwaves are projected from the transducer through the abdomen, into the pelvis. Soundwaves bounce off tissues they are directed toward and back to the transducer. The reflection of soundwaves can be compared to ôradarö used by airplanes or ships. Different tissues of the body reflect ultrasound signals differently, and we can distinguish among them. Motion can be distinguished, so we can detect motion of the baby or parts of the baby, such as the heart. With ultrasound, a fetal heart can be seen beating as early as 5 or 6 weeks into the pregnancy. Ultrasound can detect fetal motion. Your baby's body and limbs can be seen moving as early as 7 weeks of embryonic growth (9th week of pregnancy). You will be asked to drink a lot of water before an ultrasound examination. If you have had an ultrasound exam during a previous pregnancy, one of the main things you may remember is how uncomfortable you were with your bladder full to overflowing!
Your bladder is in front of your uterus. When your bladder is empty, your uterus is harder to see because it is farther down inside the pelvic bones. Bones disrupt ultrasound signals and make the picture harder to interpret. With your bladder full, your uterus rises out of the pelvis and can be seen more easily. The bladder acts as a window to look through to see the uterus and the fetus inside. The ultrasound vaginal probe, also called the transvaginal ultrasound, can be used in early pregnancy for a better view of the baby and placenta. A probe is placed inside the vagina, and the pregnancy is viewed from this angle. You don't have to have your bladder full for this one! Some couples ask for ultrasound to determine whether they are carrying a boy or girl. If the baby is in a good position and it is old enough for the genitals to have developed and they can be seen clearly, determination may be possible. However, many doctors feel this reason alone is not a good reason to do an ultrasound exam. Discuss it with your doctor. Understand ultrasound is a test, and tests can occasionally be wrong. Physical Injury during Pregnancy Trauma (physical injury) occurs in about 6% to 7% of all pregnancies. Accidents involving motor vehicles account for 66% of these cases; falls and assaults account for the remaining 34%. More than 90% of these are minor injuries. If you experience trauma during pregnancy, you may be taken care of by emergency-medicine personnel, trauma surgeons, general surgeons and your obstetrician. Most experts recommend observing a pregnant woman for a few hours after an accident. This provides adequate time to monitor the baby. Longer monitoring may be necessary in a more serious accident.
Dental Care Don't avoid your dentist or ignore your teeth while you're pregnant. It's a good idea to see your dentist at least once during pregnancy. Tell your dentist you're pregnant. If you need dental work, postpone it until after the first 12 weeks, if possible. You may not be able to wait if you have an infection. An untreated infection could be harmful to you and your baby. Antibiotics or pain medications may be necessary. If you need medication, consult with your physician before taking anything. Be careful with regard to anesthesia for dental work during pregnancy. Avoid general anesthesia. If general anesthesia is necessary, make sure it's administered by an experienced anesthesiologist who knows you are pregnant. Sally called the office because she had problems with bleeding gums. She was sure something was wrong with her teeth. I told her that a pregnant woman's gums can change during pregnancy. Gums may be affected by the hormones of pregnancy and become sensitive and bleed more easily. I advised Sally to floss and to brush regularly, and that using mouthwash and gargles was also OK. Bringing Children to an Office Visit Some women bring their children with them to an office appointment. Most office personnel don't mind if you bring your children with you occasionally. They understand it may not always be possible to find someone to watch your children. However, if you are having problems or have a lot to discuss with your doctor, don't bring your child. Think twice before bringing your children to the office. If a child is sick, has just gotten over chickenpox or is getting a cold, leave him or her at home. Don't expose everyone else in the waiting room. Some women like to bring one child at a time to a visit if they have more than one child. That makes it special for you and for them. Crying or complaining children can create a difficult situation. Ask your doctor when it's good to bring family members with you before you come in with them. Previous Week > Contents > Next Week
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