11 Weeks Pregnant: Symptoms and Baby Development | Pampers (2024)

You've reached 11 weeks pregnant, and you’re nearly at the end of your first trimester—hooray! Pregnancy symptoms such as morning sickness and food cravings may be new to you or perhaps they’re subsiding and giving way to new symptoms, such as breast tenderness and growth. We have more information about the signs and symptoms you may experience at 11 weeks pregnant and the progress your growing baby is making.

Highlights at 11 Weeks Pregnant

Here’s a quick summary of what's going on at 11 weeks pregnant:

• Your little one’s head is growing, features are maturing, and tiny tooth buds are forming, as are your baby’s genitals.

• You might notice your breasts getting larger during this time.

• Your bump might start to show now or sometime soon, and you could consider snapping some pictures of your belly at 11 weeks pregnant and over the coming weeks!

• Even though it’s still too early to find out your baby’s gender, why not have some fun with our Chinese gender predictor:

11 Weeks Pregnant: Your Baby’s Development

So much baby development is happening this week, and you may be asking yourself “What does my baby look like at 11 weeks pregnant?” Here's what's going on:

• Your baby's facial features are slowly maturing, with the ears now moving toward their final position on the sides of the head, and the eyes set wide apart with eyelids fused shut.

• Genitals are forming too, although it’s still too early for your healthcare provider to tell if you're having a girl or a boy. But even though you don’t know your baby’s gender yet, why not start a list of your favorite baby names for boys and girls? Have some fun with our Baby Name Generator. You still have plenty of time to browse and find a name you love.

• Tiny buds that will eventually become teeth are developing.

• Your baby's head makes up half the total body length at this stage, although in the coming weeks their body will grow significantly. To support all this growth, your baby now needs more nutrients, so the placenta grows, and its red blood cells increase in number to meet this need.

How Many Months Is 11 Weeks Pregnant?

You know how many weeks pregnant you are, but how does that translate to months? At 11 weeks pregnant, you’re in your third month of pregnancy, even though you may have no symptoms or much of a belly bump!

How Big Is a Baby at 11 Weeks Pregnant?

At 11 weeks, the baby is about the size of a Brussels sprout. Your little one may measure more than 1 1/2 inches long.

Your Baby: What Does 11 Weeks Pregnant Look Like?

Check out the illustration below to see how things are shaping up inside your belly as you head toward the end of the first trimester.

Your Body at 11 Weeks Pregnant

Are you having unusual food cravings this week? They're quite common—an estimated 50 to 90 percent of women experience these cravings at some point during pregnancy.

No one knows for sure why pregnancy cravings occur; some medical experts believe that cravings are your body’s way of telling you what it needs, while others blame them on changing hormone levels. As long as your food choices are part of a healthy pregnancy diet, go ahead and eat up!

There is one type of craving that needs medical attention, however: If you crave non-food items like clay or dirt, contact your healthcare provider.

11 Weeks Pregnant: Your Symptoms

Every pregnancy is different. What you’re feeling at eleven weeks might not be what another pregnant person is feeling during this time. To help you feel more prepared, we’ve listed some of the possible symptoms you may experience at 11 weeks pregnant:

• Breast growth. Your breasts may be a little larger now, and you can expect to see even more growth as your pregnancy progresses. Some of this may be because the milk glands grow in preparation for breastfeeding. You might gain up to three pounds of breast tissue over the course of your pregnancy.

• Increased vagin*l discharge. Your body may be releasing more vagin*l discharge now. At 11 weeks pregnant, this is normal as long as the discharge is odorless and is clear or white in color. If you notice brown discharge, blood, itchiness, abdominal pain, or a foul odor in the discharge during your pregnancy, contact your healthcare provider to rule out problems.

• Dark abdominal line. You may have developed a dark vertical line that runs down the center of your belly. It’s called the linea nigra, or the “pregnancy line,” and it’s thought to be associated with hormonal changes. This line will likely fade after your baby’s birth.

• Leg cramps. At 11 weeks pregnant, you may be troubled by tight, painful leg cramping, particularly at night. This can make it tough to get a good night’s rest. Stretching can help with leg cramps, as can exercise. In some cases, mineral depletion may contribute to having leg cramps, so make sure that your diet is giving you enough calcium and magnesium, and take care to stay hydrated.

• Fatigue. Right now, your levels of the pregnancy hormone progesterone are increasing, which can sometimes make you sleepy when you’d rather be alert. And, if you’ve been waking to pee or having leg cramps or getting heartburn during the night, your sleep may be suffering too. Eliminating caffeine and following a relaxing bedtime ritual every evening can help fight pregnancy fatigue.

• Mood swings. You can thank your elevated hormone levels if you’ve been dealing with mood swings or moodiness lately. Try to avoid stressand ensure you’re getting enough iron in your diet. Practicing yoga, doing simple meditations, or relaxing while listening to soft music might help you feel a little better. You could also ask your healthcare provider for advice on dealing with your mood swings, particularly if they’re interfering with your daily life.

• Morning sickness. You might experience morning sickness at 11 weeks, which may involve queasiness and even vomiting and can occur at any time of day. Morning sickness often subsides in the second trimester, though, and you’re almost there!

How Big Is a Pregnant Belly at 11 Weeks?

At 11 weeks pregnant, it may be difficult to distinguish between a pregnancy bump and bloating. You may not notice much difference in your pregnant belly’s size at 11 weeks, but you may gain some weight as your baby, uterus, and breasts grow. Even if you’re 11 weeks pregnant with twins, a baby bump doesn’t usually show until around weeks 12 to 16. This is when your uterus starts to move outside your pelvic area.

Can you feel your baby move at 11 weeks? Though your little one is probably moving around inside your uterus, they’re likely too small for you to feel those movements. If you’re wondering when you can feel the baby move for the very first time, quickening, as it’s known, tends to happen around 16 to 20 weeks.

What Does 11 Weeks Pregnant Look Like?

Check out the image below to see what your belly might look like in your third month of pregnancy, around 11 weeks pregnant.

11 Weeks Pregnant: Things to Consider

There are many things to consider when you’re 11 weeks pregnant and throughout your whole pregnancy journey. Check out our list and tips below, and think about giving your body some love at 11 weeks with a healthy diet as well as announcing your pregnancy to friends and family.

• While you’re pregnant, you’ll need about 80 to 85 milligrams of vitamin C every day to help your baby develop healthy bones and teeth. Try adding oranges and other citrus fruits along with strawberries, tomatoes, and broccoli to your diet to boost your vitamin C intake. If you’re in any doubt about whether you’re getting enough vitamin C, check in with your healthcare provider. For additional tips, read our articles on eating well during pregnancy and on prenatal vitamins.

• Consider where you will give birth. You don’t have to make a decision just yet, but you might want to start researching your options and looking around. Ask your healthcare provider for their advice, and ask other moms in your area for their opinion, too.

11 Weeks Pregnant: Questions for Your Healthcare Provider

It's natural to have plenty of questions and concerns throughout your pregnancy journey, so feel free to consult with your healthcare provider at any point. Here are some questions that often come up at 11 weeks pregnant:

• Is it time for the Rh test (to determine my blood compatibility with my baby’s), and does my partner need to be tested?

• Would an ultrasound at 11 weeks pregnant reveal a baby’s gender?

• What is the chance of miscarriage at 11 weeks pregnant?

• What if any genetic testing is recommended?

• Is chorionic villus sampling recommended?

• Is a nuchal translucency ultrasound recommended?

11 Weeks Pregnant: Your Checklist

As you make your way through week 11 of your pregnancy and ready yourself for the weeks to come, you might find the following to-dos helpful:

□ Download our Pregnancy Guide for more tips and information on the coming trimesters.

□ Check your insurance plan or contact your healthcare provider to learn more about your prenatal coverage, or visit Healthcare.gov to find more options, if necessary.

□ Get started on your baby registry. Even though plans for your baby shower might not be underway yet, and you may not have even shared news of your pregnancy, you can still start creating a wish list so that you’ll have one less thing to worry about later on.

□ If you're thinking of throwing gender reveal party you could start making plans now or sometime soon, even though midpregnancy is likely when you'll learn whether you're having a boy or a girl.

_{How We Wrote This ArticleThe information in this article is based on expert advice found in trusted medical and government sources, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. You can find a full list of sources used for this article below. The content on this page should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult medical professionals for full diagnosis and treatment.}