Week 11

For some, all those symptoms including nausea, vomiting, and extreme fatigue, start to ease near the end of the first trimester as the placenta starts to take over.² However, it is also common to still feel like you’re in survival mode with peak nausea and tiredness as some women don’t feel a difference until closer to 16–20 weeks.³

By this point, you may be feeling like you have to eat for two as you may experience heightened hunger cues. This is your body’s way of telling you it needs more energy to sustain the rapid growth and development needs of your baby! However, it is important to try and achieve healthy weight gain during pregnancy for your overall health.⁴

• Nausea (with or without vomiting) known as “morning sickness” but can occur at any time of the day¹
• Breast tenderness¹ and nipple changes⁵
• Frequent urination¹
• Bloating and gas¹
• Food cravings and aversions¹
• Dizziness¹
• Acne⁵
• Some weight gain⁵

By 11 weeks, your strawberry-sized baby may already weigh around 7g!¹

During this week, your baby’s eyelids close and won’t open again until around the 28th week of pregnancy.⁶ Another feature that takes shape is his/her ears, as they are now situated more closely to the side of their head.¹ A lot is happening in week 11, as a process called apoptosis helps to separate their fingers and toes through programmed cell death to look less like webbed panels and more like tiny hands and feet!^1,7

• Consistently taking folic acid is recommended,⁸ or if you haven’t already, consider taking a prenatal supplement that has the recommended amounts of vitamin A and D, iron and calcium⁹
• Staying active and keeping a healthy weight can help support fertility and overall health⁴
• Try to avoid alcohol consumption and smoking – both are known as risk factors for miscarriage^10,11
• Nourish your body with pregnancy-safe foods (if nausea and morning sickness allow)    
  You should try to avoid foods high in mercury, such as mackerel and tuna, raw seafood, undercooked meat, poultry and eggs, unpasteurised foods and cheese with a mould rind such as brie, unwashed fruits and vegetables, and any type of herbal tea¹²
• Limit caffeine consumption to no more than 200 mg per day¹³           
  As a guide:           
  1 mug of coffee contains 100 mg of caffeine           
  1 mug of tea contains 75 mg of caffeine           
  1 can of cola contains up to 40 mg of caffeine           
  1 bar of chocolate contains up to 50 mg of caffeine   

During your first antenatal appointment, your healthcare provider will want to evaluate your overall health, any family medical history or risk factors that could affect your pregnancy, and they will also establish how many weeks pregnant you are using your last menstrual period. This is referred to as the gestational age.^13,15

If you have any concerns, or are struggling with any pregnancy-related symptoms, this appointment is a great time to speak to your healthcare provider as they can provide additional support, if needed.

Your healthcare provider may also ask about your mental wellbeing during your first antenatal appointment. It is important to be honest about how you’re feeling as hormones have a huge effect on mood and depression during pregnancy affects 12–13% of women.¹⁶