Week 10

Your baby is now one and a quarter inches (about the size of a prune) and can officially be referred to as a fetus! Here’s what’s happening and what to expect at ten weeks pregnant.

What’s my baby doing at ten weeks pregnant?

This week, you’ll notice your baby is starting to look more and more like a human, although she’s still got a huge bulge on her forehead as her brain develops. Bones and cartilage are forming and your baby is starting to get knees and ankles (cute!) Her arms can now flex, but are still so small you wouldn’t feel any little punches just yet!

Although your little one won’t get her pearly whites till she’s nearly six months old, this week the teeth will start to form under the gums. Your baby is also starting to function like she will on the outside world – the kidneys are producing urine and if you’ve got a little boy in there, he’ll already be producing testosterone!

What is my body doing at ten weeks pregnant?

The surge of pregnancy hormones is really starting to affect your body – the muscles in your bowel have relaxed and this can often cause constipation. Eating lots of fibre, drinking lots of water and keeping up the exercise can help.

Time to take a look in the mirror as you might notice the first signs of that growing baby bump this week! Look out for a slight roundness in the lower abdomen as your uterus starts to grow (at the moment it’s about the size of an orange). That said, this totally varies person to person, so don’t worry if you’re not seeing signs yet – you will do in a couple of weeks.

The next physical change you might be noticing is your veins looking more prominent than they were before. These will be more obvious if you have fair skin, but can appear on the breasts and abdomen. Again, this is normal and nothing to worry about – it’s your body’s way of getting all that extra blood to your growing fetus.

Other physical changes to look out for are spidery red lines (medically referred to as spider naevi) in your upper arm and chest. These are caused by the pregnancy hormone oestrogen, which is working to dilate your blood vessels. They usually disappear post pregnancy, so try not to worry about them just now. Whilst we’re talking about pregnancy hormones, it’s very common for higher levels of progesterone to cause dry skin or spots, so look out for this too!

Common symptoms to look out for:

•        Constipation: We’ve already spoken about this unpleasant side effect, but it’s a common one during the first trimester. Steer clear of foods that will make it worse like bread, rice and pasta and focus on packing your diet full of whole grains and fruit.

•        Mood swings: Be warned, those pregnancy mood swings will be felt most during trimester one and for the final few months of pregnancy. You’ll have a break soon, but for now, get used to feeling rather over emotional.

•        Fatigue: We’ve mentioned exercise being important this week, but so is resting. In about a month you’ll be feeling less tired, but for now, listen to your body and get an early night or two.

•        Heartburn: Another one you’ve probably already experienced by week 10, but in order to prevent it, try not to lie down too soon after you finish eating, no matter how tired you may feel!

•        Discharge From Vaginal: Another one caused by those pregnancy hormones, expect a thin, white, milky discharge as more blood flows to your pelvic area. Another one not to worry about, it’s completely harmless.

•        Feeling Faint Or Dizzy: One side effect to all this extra blood pumping round your body is to feel faint or dizzy. Remember to sit down as soon as you feel light headed, and to keep your blood sugar levels up by snacking.

•        Round Ligament Pain: This is a fancy way of saying ligament pain as your belly expands. This can be dull or sharp, but is very normal. The best thing to do is sit down and put your feet up, as it’s caused by the growing weight of your baby.

Things You Need To Do This Week

The following are what you need to do during this week.

•        Get more vitamin D: As we mentioned above, your baby is growing her teeth this week! If your diet is low in Vitamin D, now’s the time to talk to your doctor about a pregnancy-safe supplement.

•        Keep calm! What with keeping your mum-to-be status a secret for the next few weeks, battling morning sickness, tiredness and all the hormonal changes happening right now, it’s a good time to learn to relax. Exercise is a good way to release those feel-good endorphins, so unless your doctor has told you otherwise, joining a pregnancy yoga class this week could be a good idea. That said, if those overwhelmed feelings are creeping in when you’re not on the mat, try this simple yoga-style breathing exercise to help keep you stress free. Repeat the following a few times, then breathe as normal. It will help regulate the oxygen flow in your blood: Inhale to the count of two; exhale to the count of two. Inhale to the count of two; exhale to the count of three. Inhale to the count of two; exhale to the count of four. Inhale to the count of two; exhale to the count of five.

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