10 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect

As your baby has graduated from being an embryo to a foetus at the 9th week, the 10th week takes you through more of the finer points of pregnancy. The very first thing to ponder upon is that you are going to finish your first trimester in just two weeks! Read on to find more about what to expect at the completion of 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Video: 10 Weeks Pregnant – What to Expect

Your Baby’s Growth During Pregnancy – Week 10

Your little baby’s heart is now fully formed, and to say the least, fully functional. In fact, your little girl or boy’s heart will beat faster than yours. Your baby will resemble a real human person more and more in the coming weeks and the 10th week is no exception.

Other things that come under the growth of your baby include, the formation of the jawbone, the formation of the structure of the brain/head and the mass of which will increase. The other features that will have formed by now are limbs, abdomen as well as pelvis and bones.

What Is the Baby’s Size?

As mentioned earlier, though your little soon-to-be-delivered bundle of joy has pretty much grown most of its bodily features, it might shock you that he is still only as big as a strawberry as an accurate example 10 weeks pregnant baby size. The size of your cutie is barely 1.2 inches and still weighs around 4 grams. As each day of the 10th week progresses, your baby will keep growing a bit more.

Common Body Changes

As has already been discussed, your body changes during pregnancy and the 10th week will more or less drive the fact home! To start with, unless you are still having the same level of violent morning sickness as before, you should also gain at least a kilo. As the uterus continues to expand, your belly is going to be rounder, a trend which will only get popular every week.

Avoid wearing tight and well-fitted clothes as the rest of your body will also look rounder. Lastly, you will soon notice veins standing out! Not to freak out ladies, but since your blood volume has gone up, blood veins should start to show lightly or prominently in your belly and breasts, depending on your skin and traffic in blood volumes. However, remember that such changes appear at slightly different times for all women!

Symptoms of Pregnancy at Week 10

When it comes to pregnancy, every week is a learning curve and no two weeks are really the same. Go ahead and examine the following symptoms and see if it matches.

• Discontinuation of morning sickness (if you are lucky)
• Increase in vaginal discharge to protect the region from any infection
• Bloating and gas formation: Progesterone tends to slow the digestive process which can make you feel bloated and gassy
• Fatigue and mood swings which are the result of fluctuating hormone levels
• Increase in breast size: Hormones are largely responsible for this as it prepares your breasts for milk production. It’s not just the size, your nipples will grow darker, your breasts will become sore and you will even be able to see a few veins in the area.

Belly at 10 Weeks of Pregnancy

As already stated, your belly during the 10th week of pregnancy is bound to simply grow rounder. The earlier shaped tummy will be firmer than in the 9th week. In most cases, along with your breasts, blood veins will begin to show on your belly within the 10th week of pregnancy.

10 Weeks Ultrasound

As your baby has grown into a miniature human being (well, almost), your ultrasound at 10 weeks of pregnancy will reveal almost every function that a fully formed human being has in a very small size.

For starters, your baby’s organs are formed and functional. Your baby also has functional arm joints that can be flexed. Bones and cartilage have also formed making the process complete.

[Also Read: 10 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound]

What to Eat

This category again can be frustrating and sometimes baffling. Let’s explore what you can eat as 10th-week pregnancy food.

• Iron: Since this week onward your baby’s brain will only continue to develop, it is important to include foods that are rich in iron. Oily fishes, eggs, red meat, bread made of whole grains, green leafy vegetables, dry fruits, et.c are not only rich sources of iron, but other nutrients as well.
• Vitamin C: Along with iron, it might do well to include foods that have vitamin C to aid in the absorption of iron. Fruits such as oranges are great sources of vitamin C. Freshly made juices can also be included.
• Snacks: Even with your craving or aversion toward food, it’s important to keep some snacks handy to ease hunger. Try nuts as your healthy choice of snack.

Tips & Care

As you might have already started showing that you are pregnant, it may as well be worthwhile to keep up the good work of keeping yourself healthy and safe to deliver your wonderful bundle of joy. Explore the following options for suggestions that can help you and your baby keep safe.

Dos

Below is a list of things you should do to continue having a pregnancy without any issues.

• Drink plenty of fluids as you need to stay hydrated.
• Start stocking up on nutrients such as calcium, folate, iron, fibre and zinc.
• Eat foods that are rich in antioxidants as this is good for health in general.
• Give your body plenty of rest as you are likely to experience fatigue.
• Wear clothes you can breathe in as tight-fitting clothes may contribute to stifling blood circulation and breast pain.
• Visit a dentist as increased hormone levels make it difficult for pregnant women to fight off plaque.

Don’ts

Below is a list of things that you should refrain from doing in order to maintain a healthy body and pregnancy without hitch.

• Indulge in heavy workouts as you might overexert yourself.
• Go to unhygienic areas or noisy places, as this may lead to infections or stress
• Go near fumes and pesticides as you may have an allergic reaction to them.

What You Need to Shop For

There are some essentials you need to stock up on such as bigger bras that can help you with your expanding chest line. Now would be a good time to start collecting parenting and baby books. You should also be willing to invest in loose clothes and maternity pants.

Make sure that you get yourself a waist extender to help you fit into your gear. Buy practical and comfortable shoes, preferably with padding as your feet will swell at some point. Even though this is just the 10th week, it is a good time to invest in some lovely maternity wear as you will soon be needing it. Bella Mama’s maternity dresses and nighties are synonymous with comfort. And that’s not all! They’ve got some beautiful prints and colours to choose from!

Don’t forget to do some food shopping as your whole eating schedule has changed and will only continue to change. Also, invest in some good body lotions and moisturisers because your skin will certainly feel dry. Take care of oral health and invest in some nice toothbrushes and mouthwashes. Finally, get yourself some comfortable pillows because your aching body will need all the comfort you can get.

Conclusion

The 10th week of pregnancy can be a sign of relief for some as morning sickness tends to subside at this point. With your baby growing at a healthy pace, you can rejoice at how far you’ve come.

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