When you're 10 weeks pregnant, the greatest positive news you must know is that your baby now has very few risks of developing congenital defects. Though neither you nor your baby is completely safe from developing abnormalities, still the most perilous week of embryo development is over after the 10th week of pregnancy. Now your little baby has grown from being an embryo to a fetus heralding a new fetal period of development after completing the embryonic period.
This also means that if you can continue with the same caution, care and medical supervision, you would have a very healthy baby at the completion of your pregnancy.
What Are the Pregnancy Symptoms at 10 Weeks?
At ten weeks pregnancy, your baby’s growth is now causing your uterus to enlarge so that it can accommodate your baby. Your womb now would be almost the size of a grapefruit. At this point of your pregnancy, it would be placed above the center of your public bone where you might even be able to feel it. By this time, you would not be requiring larger clothes, but you must have felt your waist widening. Even at this point of your pregnancy, you might still be feeling the symptoms of fatigue, sickness and dizziness and it would be better to refresh the reasons why it is so good to be pregnant.
How Does Your Baby Grow When You're 10 Weeks Pregnant?
At this stage of your pregnancy, your baby is still very small both in terms of weight and size, yet she has completed the most important phase of its development. In her tenth week of development, most of your baby’s essential organs have been formed and have started to perform their tasks. Now red blood cells are also being produced to take the place of yolk sac. Other organs of your baby are starting to develop and to assist this development it is taking in a lot of fluid. Even smaller details like nails, fingers and toes also start to appear in this stage of development. The overall size of your baby is about 1 and a quarter inch which would almost double in the next few weeks. If you could just peep inside your womb and see your baby, you would be able to see its spine and nerves growing. You would also see that your baby’s fast developing brain which in the 10th week comprises half the size of your baby.
You can watch this video and get more information about how your baby grows at 10 weeks pregnancy:
How Does Your Life Change When You're 10 Weeks Pregnant?
In your tenth week of pregnancy, you can take part in a number of different pursuits provided your fitness level is good. You would also do well to continue walking and swimming throughout your pregnancy period because it would provide you with strength, stamina and would shape your muscle which would help you withstand the physical stresses of both pregnancy and post pregnancy.
When you will next visit your physician, you would now be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat. Most mothers get moved by the sound of their baby’s tiny heart and it would be a moment to savor. As far as changes within your body are concerned, now your uterus which was about the size of a pear before you got pregnant is almost the size of a grapefruit. Your increasing waist would have made your regular clothes uncomfortable and you might even be using maternity wear by now. Your bras would also be getting strained because of your blooming breasts at this point of time.
What About Diet at 10 Weeks Pregnancy?
When you're 10 weeks pregnant, the addition to your calorie intake should be about 300 calories. This is equivalent to 2.5 cups of low fat milk. Though you are now supposed to eat for both yourself and your baby, you should not increase the amount of your normal diet. You should supplement your normal diet with calcium, minerals and vitamins. For this purpose, fruits and yogurt are the best food sources.
You can watch this video to acquire more information about safe food for pregnancy:
What Can You Do at 10 Weeks Pregnancy?
1. Include Your Partner in Your Pregnancy
- Check-up with Your Partner
Since bonds are made at the inception of pregnancy, it is an ideal time to make sure that your partner is more close to the baby. In case, your partner did not accompany you in your first visit, it is a must that he goes with you this time. This would enable him to know details about your health, get to know your physician and also listen to the heartbeat of the baby.
- Shop for Maternity Clothes with Your Partner
In the tenth week of pregnancy, the physical changes are setting in and it is the right time to buy your maternity clothes. Make sure that your partner is with you while you are shopping as doing these things together would strengthen your bond with your partner.
- Do Exercises with Your Partner
There are a lot of different pursuits in which your partner can join you to do his share while you are pregnant. These pursuits include tennis, walking, golf and swimming.
The importance of doing exercise together is that you and your partner can spend some quality time having fun and excitement.
2. Try Pregnancy Acupuncture to Ease Pains
If the pain and physical stress of pregnancy is getting more and more difficult for you to bear, you can get the services of a licensed acupuncturist. The acupuncturist should perform acupuncture on pregnancy points so that you can get some respite from your over bearing pain.
3. Buy Some New Bras and Undies
As your breasts are blossoming, your older bras would be making your breast feel tensed and uncomfortable. In case you have conceived for the first time, your breasts would increase a bit more in size. A good sales person can help you in getting the right size, or you can opt for maternity bras which would provide extra support to your breasts. You can also try one or two maternity briefs, thongs or bikinis just to see if you feel comfortable while wearing them.
4. Get a Chorionic Villus Sampling (CVS) Test
If someone in your family has a genetic disorder, then there is a strong chance that your baby might contract it as well. To check for such genetic abnormalities, the doctors suggest the Chorionic Villus Sampling Test. You must also have this test done if your age is above 35 years.
