Pregnancy Week Eleven
Welcome to week eleven of pregnancy! This week, your two inch bundle of joy is pretty busy growing his or her hair follicles, finger and toenails and if your baby's a girl, her ovaries. Your baby's facial features are very developed as he or she has open nasal passages, almost developed ears and a tongue and palate in their mouth. He or she also has tiny yet visible nipples. Their fingerss and toes are also no longer webbed. Your baby looks more human by the day.
As for you, this week you may begin to feel some sweet relief from those horrible symptoms. Morning sickness and fatigue specifically should be starting to lighten up now. If they don't, no worries, they should in a couple of weeks. And don't worry if you gained much weight. This is due to the morning sickness and is normal. Some women only gain 2-5 pounds in the first trimester, if you can believe it. The weight gain will come soon enough and it will be a pain when it comes! You may start to regain your appetite this week, so the weight gain is definitely on its way.
How's Mom Doing?
Right now, you might be feeling pretty hungry! Well its about time. That morning sickness should be letting up this week a bit. Over the next few weeks your appetite is going to increase so that you may nourish yourself and your baby. But don't believe the hype, you don't have to eat for two. Eating healthy, eating enough and taking your prenatal vitamins will keep you and the little one well nourished. Don't go overboard now that your appetite is coming back. Doctors only recommend pregnant women gaining a total of 25-35 pounds before the end of their pregnancy. Honestly this is a struggle for ALL pregnant women as they either gain too little or two much. I was on fire until my third trimester. Now I struggle to stay in the right weight range and I only have three weeks left!
Also this week now that your appetite is coming back and digestive system is running on low, you may start to experience more gas and bloating. Yes now comes the icky side of pregnancy. There are lots of things you can do to help relieve and prevent these symptoms. The biggest thing is to avoid certain greasy, fried foods, sweets and soda as they are HUGE causes of gas. However, you can call me a hypocrite because I couldn't avoid them. I still pigged out. But there are other things you can do. Check out my the first part of my Pregnancy Symptoms and Relief hubs for more advice on relieving bloating.
Last Week
What's Going on With Your Baby?
This week,your little one has grown to about two inches. He or she is moving a lot more in your womb, though you still can't feel it. Another few weeks and you'll feel the first flutters. Just give him or her time to grow!
Your little one's developing skin is paper thin and transparent but still a protective barrier around their body. In a couple more weeks, he or she will have soft down hair covering that skin to protect them further and keep them warm. His or her little fingers and toes are now separate and unique, no longer webbed. He or she can also clench their little fists. He or she also has tiny little tooth buds popping up under their gums.
And did I mention your baby can have hiccups now as his or her diaphragm is developing?
Next Week
Suggestions and Advice for Week Eleven
Suggestion
This weeks suggestion is pretty simple. There are many things that have harmful toxins that you should avoid consuming. These foods and drinks include:
- Unpasteurized milk
- Cold Deli Meats (though some women have no problem with this)
- Raw or undercooked fish
- Shark, swordfish, king mackerel and golden or white snapper
- Unwashed vegetables
Advice
There's a lot of controversy as to whether or not seafood if good or bad for pregnant women. To put it plainly some of it's good and some of it's bad. Seafood is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Both these nutrients are beneficial to the development of your baby's vision and brain. There's many different types of fish that are safe to eat during pregnancy such as: shrimp, clams, crab, canned light tuna, canned salmon and cod. You should only eat about 12oz. of safe fish per week. However do not eat more than six ounces of tuna because like shark, swordfish and king mackerel, their mercury content is too high. High mercury levels could potentially harm your little one.
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