Pregnancy is a creative work in progress. Your unborn baby begins developing as soon as the egg and sperm meet up, as life begins to unfold in a series of complex cell divisions. By the time you have missed your period, your baby is the size of this "C".
The embryo has a head fold and a tail fold and over the next several weeks other structures will develop. Soon he or she will have a lower jaw and voice box. The opening for the mouth will develop and the beginning of an inner ear and a leg bud appears. A simple one-chamber heart can be seen beating on ultrasound.
Your baby at 10 weeks
By the time you reach 10 weeks, all the organs needed for life are represented and nearly all the major structures are formed. From this point on, your baby's primary mission is to grow in size. At 10 weeks along, your baby is about 1 inch long and weighs about 0.1 ounces.
If you have an ultrasound now, the doctor can predict your due date within two days. The baby's fingers and toes are separated and your baby can squint his eyes. All tooth buds are present, and if your baby is a boy, the testes begin to produce the male hormone testosterone.
You at 10 weeks
While all of this is very exciting from the baby's point of view, you on the other hand, may be feeling terrible. Nausea, breast tenderness, fatigue and increased urination can make sleeping miserable and mornings unpleasant.
These symptoms are caused by hormones produced by the placenta. In a few more weeks these symptoms will pass. In the meantime, try to keep crackers, flat soda, water, gum and any other trick that helps with nausea nearby, and get plenty of rest.
Prenatal Care
This is the time to seek out prenatal care as it is critical to your health and the health of your baby. Your physician will want you to have an ultrasound and certain laboratory tests to try to identify anything that may be a problem during your pregnancy.
You will be asked to start taking prenatal vitamins, which must include a dose of folic acid, or folate, to prevent birth defects. You will see your physician regularly for the next nine months. This is an exciting time, enjoy it and take this opportunity to take good care of yourself.
References
- 2006 Compendium of Selected Publications. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
- The Encyclopedia of Women's Health and Wellness. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. 2000
- "The Miracle Within": McCubbin and Shaffer. 2006. Barkman Creek Press
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