You are 11 weeks pregnant

Your baby
This week your baby graduated from embryo to foetus - and she is about to go through a major growth spurt. Between now and the 20-week mark, your baby will quadruple in length and put on about 30 time...Read more

Your body
Get ready - you’re about to get your first real glimpse of your baby! You’ll have an appointment for an ultrasound. You’ll get a jelly-like gloop rubbed on your belly and the technician will mov...Read more

Your life right now
Need a holiday? Now’s a good time to start planning a babymoon - you know, your last child-free getaway for what’s probably going to be quite a while. Any nasty pregnancy symptoms, like morning si...Read more

Mums like me
‘I loved the Bella Band! Not only is it great now because you can get away with wearing some of your trousers unbuttoned, but it became essential later in pregnancy because it gave a little extra su...Read more

This week your baby graduated from embryo to foetus - and she is about to go through a major growth spurt. Between now and the 20-week mark, your baby will quadruple in length and put on about 30 times her current weight. Her head, which is nearly as big as the rest of her body these days, will grow more slowly during this time - allowing everything else to catch up and become more proportionate. Right now, her liver, intestines, brain and lungs are beginning to function on their own, the intestines are beginning to migrate into the abdominal cavity and the external genitalia have developed into a clitoris and labia majora (or, in the case of a boy, a penis). Your baby now looks like a boy or a girl! It’s just too soon to see it in an ultrasound. The ears, which up to this point were set down low on baby’s head, will also begin to move up into place. And little details like fingernails and toenails will begin to emerge now that most of the big organ development is done.

Get ready - you’re about to get your first real glimpse of your baby! You’ll have an appointment for an ultrasound. You’ll get a jelly-like gloop rubbed on your belly and the technician will move a handheld device over your lower abdomen. The transducer, as it is called, emits sound waves that bounce off your baby - completely harmless, of course - and (hey presto!) produce an image that appears on a video screen. You may be able to pick out arms, legs, fingers and toes, her belly, even the curve of the tiny nose on her face. You’ll also be able to hear the muffled, but rhythmic sound of her heart beating - which is almost equally magical. That’s the basic black-and-white ultrasound, but these days hospitals may be offering 3-D ultrasounds, which show an even more realistic picture of your baby-to-be. Your doctor will use the ultrasound to see how the baby is growing and adjust your due date, if necessary, based on her size and stage of development. And - bonus! - you’ll probably get a print-out of your little one to bring home. Next, it’s time for the nuchal translucency test. It uses ultrasound to measure the clear (translucent) space in the tissue at the back of your developing baby's neck. Foetuses with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid at the back of the neck during the first trimester, causing this clear space to be thicker than average - this is considered a marker. Your GP will also perform a blood test. The blood results combined with the ultrasound findings will assess your baby's risk of having Down syndrome and some other chromosomal abnormalities as well as major congenital heart problems.

Need a holiday? Now’s a good time to start planning a babymoon - you know, your last child-free getaway for what’s probably going to be quite a while. Any nasty pregnancy symptoms, like morning sickness, will likely go away in the coming weeks and you’ll feel more up for an adventure. Plus, you won’t be so big that you’re feeling cramped in economy on a long flight or waddling uncomfortably from one sightseeing spot to the next. One bit of advice: Talk to your doctor before you whip out your credit card and start booking. With most uncomplicated pregnancies, flying and other travel issues are perfectly fine up until about the 35- to 36-week mark. But it’s always a good idea to check in. Happy travels!

‘I loved the Bella Band! Not only is it great now because you can get away with wearing some of your trousers unbuttoned, but it became essential later in pregnancy because it gave a little extra support for my big baby belly!’ – popjen