All about baby
As its tiny tail disappears, your baby looks less like a tadpole and more infant-like. Its facial profile shows a large forehead and button nose. Its upper lip is complete and eyes are formed, but its eyelids are still sealed and will stay shut until weeks 25 to 27. Brain cells continue to multiply rapidly.
Your baby's heart can be seen on an ultrasound scan, already pumping blood around the body. The stomach is developing and being connected to the mouth, as your baby develops taste buds. It's now getting all its nutrients from you, via the placenta.
The internal organs are continuing to grow and the beginnings of external genitalia appear. The skeleton is complete, yet still formed from cartilage, and more bone and muscle tissue continue to be laid down. By the end of this week, your baby will have distinct fingers and toes.
- Measures about 27-35mm crown to rump
- Weighs in at around 4 grams
Over to you
According to your 40 week calendar, you are already a quarter of the way through your pregnancy -yippee!
Having reached a peak at week nine, any feelings of nausea will now hopefully start to subside. However, you’ll probably still feel intensely tired and your body may be retaining more fluid – not exactly a sexy combination! You may also get mild cramping and PMS symptoms as your uterus grows, which can be worrying – though quite normal. Do speak to your midwife if you're concerned though.
As if these niggles weren’t enough to deal with, your increasing progesterone levels may make your gums bleed and the increased fluid in your eyes may affect your eye sight, causing long or short sightedness. That’s why it’s so important to take care of your health – and take advantage of the free dental treatment available during your pregnancy.
In the know
Booking your appointment
It's around now that you might have a booking visit, which marks the formal start of your antenatal care. This first antenatal appointment is a detailed check up with a midwife, a doctor or both, to discuss your health and lifestyle as well as any previous pregnancies and medical problems. All your details and family history will be recorded and you'll also discuss what sort of care you would prefer during your pregnancy.
Various tests and checks will be done during this appointment, which can be quite overwhelming! So here’s what you can expect:
- Your blood pressure will be checked
- Your urine will be tested
- Your height and weight will be checked
- You'll be given lots of advice about diet and lifestyle
- Your tummy will be measured
You will also be given a form to complete, which has been signed by your midwife or doctor, entitling you to free prescriptions and dental care throughout pregnancy, up until your baby turns a year old.
Blood tests
Your will also be given a series of blood tests, which vary according to where you live in the country. These first tests will probably check your blood group, rhesus (Rh) type and haemoglobin levels, as well as screening for infections and your immunity to rubella (German measles). Other blood tests may be offered depending on your medical history and ethnic background.
Ultrasound scan
Your first ultrasound scan is likely to happen between week 10 - 13. The experience of seeing your tiny baby for the first time can feel like quite a landmark - for some women it's when the pregnancy becomes a reality! The scan will confirm whether the size of your baby fits with your estimated due date and to check whether you are expecting more than one baby. This scan is also important if you are planning to have tests for Down's syndrome and/or spina bifida.
Screening for Down's Syndrome
Screening for Down’s syndrome and other abnormalities can be worrying, but it does help you to make well-informed decisions about your pregnancy. Depending on where you live, you should be offered either a nuchal fold translucency scan between 11-14 weeks, or a blood screening test called the triple or quadruple test between 14 and 22 weeks. These tests do not give a definitive 'yes' or 'no' answer but assess your risk factors. If you have a high risk result you may be referred for a diagnostic test such as amniocentesis. However, this carries a one per cent risk of miscarriage, so be clear about your wishes when discussing this option with your GP or midwife.
Chorionic Villus Sampling - CVS
CVS is used to diagnose conditions which otherwise couldn’t be detected until about week 16. This test is usually only carried out if a woman is considered to have a greater risk of carrying a baby with an abnormality. It may be carried out at 10-14 weeks, or possibly at 18-20 weeks if the second ultrasound indicates there might be a problem.
During the test an ultrasound is used to show the position of the placenta, a tiny fragment of which is removed for tests. Results are available fairly rapidly - from 2-12 days. It’s not certain what the miscarriage rate is for the CVS test in the first trimester, although it's thought to be about 2%. However, if CVS is performed around the 18 week stage, then the risk of miscarriage is probably about the same as for amniocentesis.
Go to next week's article: Pregnancy Week 11
Please note that the contents of this section are for information only and are not intended as medical advice or as a substitute to your doctor's advice. For medical care and advice, you should consult your doctor on a regular basis. If you have any problem which concerns you, consult your doctor immediately.
