11 weeks pregnant: symptoms and baby development
They can open and close their fists.
First trimesterMonth 35 min read
By Solesia, from public clinical guidanceUpdated
There is a quiet handover this week. Until now the yolk sac has fed your baby; from here the placenta takes over, an organ you have grown for exactly this. The changeover can leave you tired and tearful for a few more days, and then, for many people, things begin to lift. Your uterus is rising out of the pelvis, and the ligaments that hold it are stretching to keep up, which is the pull you might notice low on one side when you stand or turn. If you have a scan around now, it may be the first time you see your baby move.
How big is your baby at 11 weeks
About the size of a lime
1.6 in long·0.25 oz
Baby development at 11 weeks
At 11 weeks your baby measures about 1.6 inches and weighs around 0.25 ounces, the size of a lime. The head is still about half of the whole length, but the body is growing faster now and the neck is lengthening, so the chin lifts off the chest. Tiny nail beds have appeared at the fingertips, and hair follicles are forming across the skin, though no hair yet.
The diaphragm, the sheet of muscle they will breathe with, is in place, and they are starting to make small practice movements with it. The loop of gut that spent three weeks out in the umbilical cord is moving back into the belly. The iris, the colored part of the eye, is forming behind the sealed lids, and the ears are nearly in their final shape.
On an ultrasound this week you might see them stretch, kick, or turn over: the nerves and muscles are linked well enough for whole-body movements. They are also beginning to swallow, and soon the fluid they swallow and pass will keep the pool topped up.
Your body at 11 weeks
Aches around your belly this week are expected. The uterus has risen above your pubic bone and the bands of tissue that anchor it on each side are being pulled longer, which you feel as a dull ache low in the belly or a brief sharp tug when you stand, cough or turn in bed. Moving more slowly, sitting when it starts, and a warm bath in the evening ease it.
Tiredness that will not shift is expected too, and this week it has a specific reason. The placenta is taking over from the yolk sac, and hormone production is shifting from your ovary to the placenta, which leaves you feeling wrung out and weepy for a few days. It is a handover, not a setback, and the second trimester lift usually follows within a couple of weeks.
Your body is now moving toward half again as much blood as before you were pregnant. That is real work for your heart, and it explains why the stairs leave you breathless and why your gums may bleed a little when you brush.
Common pregnancy symptoms at 11 weeks
- Aches low in the belly. Ligaments stretching as the uterus rises. Sit when it starts; warmth in the evening.
- Tiredness. The placenta taking over from the yolk sac. It lifts within a couple of weeks for many.
- Feeling weepy. A hormone handover this week. Sleep, food, and someone to say it to.
- Breathless on the stairs. Half again as much blood to move. Slow down; it is not lack of fitness.
- Gums that bleed when brushing. More blood flow to the mouth. A soft brush, and keep flossing.
- Nausea. Still around for many at 11 weeks. Small, frequent, plain; the tide is turning.
- Greasier skin. Oil glands under hormonal orders. Gentle cleanser, oil-free moisturizer with sunscreen.
When to call your provider at 11 weeks
Aches that come and go are expected. Pain that is severe, or does not ease, is worth a call the same day.
Two things are worth a same-day call at any point in pregnancy: bleeding that is more than spotting, and pain that is severe or does not ease. From the second trimester, add fluid leaking and any change in your baby’s usual pattern of movement. You do not need to be sure something is wrong to call; that is what the number is for.
What to do at 11 weeks
- Nuchal translucency scan. Between 11 and 14 weeks an ultrasound measures the fluid at the back of your baby’s neck, which helps estimate the chance of Down syndrome and some heart conditions. It is done on your belly, takes about 20 minutes, and is optional.
- First-trimester blood screen. Often paired with the scan: a blood draw for two placental proteins that, with your age and the neck measurement, gives one combined result. If you have already had cell-free DNA screening, your provider may skip this part.
- Sitting down when it pulls. A sharp tug at the side of the belly when you stand or twist is a ligament. Stop, breathe, and let it pass; it usually does in a few seconds.
- Who to tell, and when. There is no rule. Many people wait until after the 12-week scan, others tell close family now so that someone knows when it is hard. Your employer can wait until you are ready.
Common questions at 11 weeks
What is the nuchal translucency scan?
An ultrasound between 11 and 14 weeks that measures a thin layer of fluid at the back of your baby’s neck. Every baby has some; more than usual raises the chance of Down syndrome and a few other conditions. Combined with a blood test it gives a risk figure, not a diagnosis. The scan also confirms the due date.
Is it normal to have cramps at 11 weeks pregnant?
Yes. A dull ache or a brief sharp pull on one or both sides of the lower belly comes from the ligaments that hold the uterus stretching as it grows out of the pelvis. It is worst on standing, coughing and rolling over, and it passes with rest. Pain that is severe or does not ease with rest is worth a call the same day.
Can I feel my baby move at 11 weeks?
Not yet. Your baby is moving a great deal, and an ultrasound shows it, but at less than two inches long and floating in fluid they cannot yet reach the wall of the uterus hard enough for you to notice. First movements are usually felt between 16 and 24 weeks, later in a first pregnancy, and feel like bubbles or flutters.
When does the placenta take over?
Around now, between 10 and 12 weeks. Until this point the yolk sac and your ovary have supplied food and the hormones that keep the pregnancy going; the placenta gradually takes on both. Once it has, hCG falls from its peak, and that drop is part of why nausea and tiredness ease over the next few weeks.
Written from public clinical guidance, including NHS: Week 11, ACOG: How your baby grows, ACOG: Changes in your body, NHS: Stomach pain, NHS: Tiredness and NHS: Your baby’s movements. This page is general information, not medical advice, and does not replace your provider.