Baby's Growth and Development at 10 Weeks Pregnant
It’s official! After weeks of life as an embryo, by the end of the 10th week of your pregnancy, your baby becomes a foetus*. Here are some of the other changes your baby is going through during your 10th week of pregnancy:
- By the 10th week of pregnancy, your baby measures more than one inch, or roughly the length of a quarter. By the end of the 1st trimester, your baby will grow to be about 3 inches — around the length of a kiwi fruit. This measurement doesn’t even take into account arms and legs. That’s because in the 1st trimester, your baby is measured from the top of the head to the bottom of the rump.
- By the beginning of the 10th week of pregnancy, all of your baby’s vital organs have formed.
- His embryonic tail, located at the bottom of his spinal cord, has disappeared.
- His bones continue to develop. On an ultrasound, your baby’s bones appear white.
- At 10 weeks pregnant, his ears get close to their final form.
- His teeth buds emerge and his eyelids develop further.
- His testes start producing the male hormone testosterone around the 10th week of pregnancy.
- Tiny fingers and toes are fully separated (no more webbing).
- Plus, your baby’s brain growth really takes off. Every minute, 250,000 new neurons (or first brain cells) are produced.
* According to the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy
Your Changing Body at 10 Weeks Pregnant
Like your baby, your body also is continuing to change. At 10 weeks pregnant, you might notice that:
- You experience pressure in your lower abdomen. Most likely, you’re feeling your uterus starting to grow or sensing increased blood flow. This pressure also might cause you to urinate more often.
- During the 10th week of pregnancy, you might notice some changes with your eyes:
- The outer layer of your eye — the cornea — gets slightly thicker. This is due to fluid retention during pregnancy.
- Dry eyes or puffy eyelids also might occur during pregnancy.
- These symptoms are temporary and your eyes return to normal after you give birth.
- Speak with your doctor if eye changes seem intense, if you see spots, or if blurred vision occurs suddenly. Your doctor might want to check your blood sugar or blood pressure for diabetes or high blood pressure. These symptoms might not occur at all. If they do, they are only a temporary symptom of pregnancy.
Wellness and Nutrition at 10 Weeks Pregnant
Nutrition at 10 Weeks Pregnant: Striving for a Healthy Balance
By choosing good foods from all of the food groups, you’re nourishing your baby with a broad range of different nutrients.
| Food Groups | Recommended number of servings per day |
|---|---|
| Rice and Alternatives
(Do include the recommended whole-grain serving as part of the Rice and Alternatives serving needs.) Whole-grains | 6-7
3 |
| Fruit | 2 |
| Vegetables | 3 |
| Meat and Alternatives | 2 1/2 |
| Milk
(Do include the recommended milk serving in addition to the Meat and Alternatives serving needs.) | 500 ml |
It is also important to limit food that is high in fat, salt and sugar and ensure that you get a good mix of vitamins and minerals.
- When your baby is growing at his fastest, add about 300 calories a day to your diet. That's equivalent to a bagel, an egg with toast, a banana with milk, or slightly larger portions of your normal meals.
