11 week fetal development

The article was professionally consulted by Doctor Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Immediately after the egg is fertilized by the sperm, a complex but predictable process takes place to form a baby. Let's find out the development of the fetus at week 11.
Fertilization usually takes place two weeks after the start of the last menstrual period. By convention, the due date is calculated 40 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual period, which means that the duration of the period is also included in the time of pregnancy, despite the fact that fertilization has not yet occurred. happen.

The 11th week of pregnancy (equivalent to the 9th week after fertilization) is in the first trimester of pregnancy, and it is not until now that the baby is officially described by the word “fetus”.
The 11-week-old fetus develops very quickly, the appearance of the fetus has a typical human shape. The fetal head is about half the total length of the fetus, the body begins to develop rapidly. The baby's face is wide, the eyes are far apart, the eyelids are closed. The ears have almost reached their final shape, the nose has appeared an airway, the mouth has formed a tongue and a cleft palate, future tooth buds appear. The nipple is visible. Hands and feet in front of the body, no longer a paddle shape, but fingers and toes have appeared. Red blood cells begin to form in the fetal liver. By the end of the 11th week, the external genitalia begin to develop (to become a penis for a male fetus, or a clitoris and large labia for a female fetus).
Details of fetal development week by week, every parent should learn:

Pregnant women at this stage will wonder what the 11-week fetus knows how to do and is quite sensitive to the baby's every movement, not knowing if the 11-week fetus is already mechanical. In fact, 11 weeks pregnant can kick legs, stretch, even hiccup, but pregnant women will not feel these movements, ie not feel the fetus because the size of the fetus is too small.
Fetal length at this stage is about 41mm (1.6inches) and weighs about 45g (0.03 ounces).

Frequent urination: The hormone hCG secreted during pregnancy makes pregnant women feel the need to urinate often. Remember not to reduce the amount of water you drink for fear of frequent urination, but instead reduce caffeinated beverages - diuretics. Breast changes and increased sensitivity: This can be uncomfortable for some women. Nausea and vomiting, changes in appetite: The good news is that the symptoms of morning sickness will soon end, most often between 12 and 14 weeks. Bloating: The hormone progesterone slows down the digestive process, making pregnant women feel full.

The first trimester is the most sensitive time during pregnancy. In order for mother and baby to be healthy, parents need to pay attention to:
Understand early signs of pregnancy, pregnancy poisoning, bleeding during pregnancy. Timely, correct and sufficient first prenatal check-up, avoiding too early/too late. Fetal malformation screening at 12 weeks detects dangerous fetal malformations that can be intervened early. Distinguish between normal vaginal bleeding and pathological vaginal bleeding for timely intervention to maintain pregnancy. Screening for thyroid disease in the first 3 months of pregnancy avoids dangerous risks before and during delivery. Vinmec currently has many maternity packages (12-27-36 weeks), in which the 12-week maternity package helps monitor the health of mother and baby right from the beginning of pregnancy, early detection and timely intervention of health issues. In addition to the usual services, the maternity monitoring program from 12 weeks has special services that other maternity packages do not have such as: Double Test or Triple Test to screen for fetal malformations; Quantitative angiogenesis factor test to diagnose preeclampsia; thyroid screening test; Rubella test; Testing for parasites transmitted from mother to child seriously affects the baby's brain and physical development after birth.

Reference source: mayoclinic.org; webmd.com.