What changes at 11 weeks of pregnancy in terms of the abdomen and fetal size? What month is it and why is the gestational age still given in weeks? Can you see on the ultrasound at week 11? already the sex of the child? What about the risk of miscarriage?
It will take more than half a year to wait for a baby, but in the 11th week of pregnancy, the new organism moves from embryonic to fetal phase, which will continue until birth. The curiosity of future mothers about what the baby looks like at 11 weeks can be satisfied to some extent thanks to ultrasound images.
11 weeks of pregnancy: ultrasound still using the vaginal method
In about a week, the fetus will be large enough for the examination to be performed with the head through the abdomen. In the 11th week of pregnancy, ultrasound is still performed with a vaginal probe - at a later stage this method is also used, e.g. to assess the length of the cervix or placenta. Thanks to the ultrasound in week 11 we will find out that the fetus is 33-42 mm long, from the top of the skull to the buttocks (the CRL measure does not take into account the length of the legs that have shrunken yet) and weighs 45 g. As in the previous weeks, knowing the size of the fetus in the 11th week of pregnancy can quite accurately determine the date of conception.
In the first weeks of pregnancy, the ultrasound does not show "what the baby looks like", but the 11th week is the time when the mother can see her future offspring quite clearly. It is also worth taking pictures of the abdomen to document changes taking place in the body in this way.
11 weeks pregnant: what month and trimester is it?
The size of the fetus increases by 1 and more mm per day - the difference can be seen from day to day, not to mention the week. In the further course of pregnancy, the size of the fetus does not change so quickly and its body is properly formed - however, it is not enough to know which month it is. In order to be able to accurately locate all the observed symptoms and ailments in time and provide such information to the doctor, the expectant mother should be aware at every stage of the month and week of pregnancy. Week 11 is the third month - the end of the first trimester is therefore approaching. It should be remembered that the actual age of pregnancy is determined not only on the basis of the date of the last menstruation, but mainly during the first trimester ultrasound. It should be remembered that the actual age of pregnancy is determined not only by the date of the last menstruation, but mainly during the XNUMXst trimester ultrasound.
In professional terminology a child to be born in the 11th week of pregnancy is not an embryo anymore, but a fetus. He has already developed all the organs, including the sexual ones, but to the frequently asked question whether the sex of the baby is visible at 11 weeks, the answer is usually negative at this stage. At 11 weeks in boys the penis lengthensand the testes begin to produce testosterone. On the other hand, the ovaries are formed in the girl. At this stage, the fetal brain is shaped and neurons begin to form rapidly. At 11 weeks of pregnancy, the baby has eyelids, tongue and vocal cords. He can swallow and may even start suck your thumb.
Is the sex of the baby visible in the 11th week of pregnancy?
In most cases, the sex of the baby is not yet visible at 11 weeks of pregnancy. The fetus has reproductive organs, but still no more than millimeters in size, so they are difficult to see on an ultrasound image. With high-quality apparatus, good visualization and favorable positioning of the fetus, the doctor may try to assess its gender, but in the first trimester it will not be 100% certain. The size of the fetus is not related to gender.
In 2014, a study was carried out in Iran, which proved that there is a certain chance of discovering the sex of the child at this stage of pregnancy. Out of 150 women who underwent ultrasound examination at 11 and 12 weeks of pregnancy in 1/3 the sex of the child could not be determined. However, among children who were found to be gender, this was confirmed later in 87.6% of boys and 96.8% of girls. There was a mistake in 9 of the children and the gender of 53 could not be determined. It follows that in the 11th week of pregnancy, it is not yet possible to speak of certainty about the sex of the baby.
If future parents are very anxious to get to know it as soon as possible, they can be recommended to do it testing of free fetal DNA from the mother's bloodwhich allows you to determine the sex at 11 weeks of pregnancy or even a week earlier.
11 weeks pregnant: the belly begins to grow
At the 11th week of pregnancy, a woman's belly will still be clearly visible only in tight-fitting or skimpy outfits. Very thin people will notice faster that their circumference has increased. Besides, in 11 weeks pregnant belly it is greater in future mothers who will give birth again and in multiple pregnancies. In a loose blouse, for example at work or in photos, the belly will probably still not stand out. Stomach pain at 11 weeks gestation are still related to the enlarging uterus rather than the size of the fetus.
In addition to abdominal pain in future mothers, it is also visible vertical dark line running from top to bottom through the navel. It's not entirely clear why it occurs, but it does have to do with the high amount of pigment in the skin during pregnancy. Pigmentation in the 11th week of pregnancy may also manifest itself in darkening warts or discoloration (chloasma) on the face.
Besides the belly that is slowly growing at 11 weeks gestation, there are others possible symptoms:
- nausea,
- pregnancy cravings,
- frequent visits to the toilet,
- dental problems, more intense salivation than before,
- flatulence
- dizziness.
Not every woman will develop the same symptoms - the above-mentioned ones are among the most common in expectant mothers at this stage of pregnancy.
11 weeks of pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage
The risk of miscarriage cannot be completely ruled out throughout your pregnancy, but around week 11 the risk of miscarriage is much lower. The fetus is "at home" in the uterus, its organs are shaped, and toxins and other harmful external factors have become less dangerous than before, when the embryo did not yet have any protective barrier. The longer the pregnancy lasts, the lower the risk of miscarriage becomes. Of course, if you experience severe cramping abdominal pain or bleeding, a medical check-up is necessary as soon as possible. Only ultrasound and examination of the fetal heart rate can confirm or rule out a negative scenario.
What else is worth knowing?
- An ultrasound performed from week 11 onwards - or more precisely between weeks 11,0 and 13,6 weeks - is sometimes called "Genetic ultrasound" and it is the first of three "compulsory" ultrasound examinations for the entire period of pregnancy for every expectant mother. If necessary or specific medical indications, they should be performed more often. The first trimester ultrasound allows not only to assess the structure of the fetus, but also to estimate the risk of its defects.
- Although in the 11th week of pregnancy, prenatal testing is already performed, the criterion determining the possibility of conducting it and assessing the risk of chromosomal defects of the fetus is a CRL above 45 mm - optimally, the test is performed through the abdomen in the following week. The cut-off value for the test is a CRL of 84 mm which the fetus reaches around 13,6 weeks of gestation.
- Starting from the 11th week of pregnancy, a general urine test can be performed - the second recommended for expectant mothers.
- More intensive salivation and deterioration of the teeth condition require regular inspection and, if necessary, dental treatment. In this case, please inform your doctor about the pregnancy.
Consultation:
Ph.D. n. med. prof. IMID Tadeusz Issat - Head of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic at the Institute of Mother and Child;
Maria Krowicka-Wasyl - resident physician in the course of specialization in gynecology and obstetrics, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Mother and Child.
Źródła:
Fetal Size and Dating: Charts Recommended for Clinical Obstetric Practice, ULTRASOUND, August 2009, Volume 17, No. 3
Estimating Fetal Gestational Age, Radiology Key
Gharekhanloo F. The ultrasound identification of fetal gender at the gestational age of 11-12 weeks. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 Jan-Feb; 7 (1): 210-212.
Fetal Development, Perinatology.com
