10 Weeks Pregnant

Week 10 of pregnancy is like the one quarter mark. At this point you have three quarters to go! It is very important to make sure that you are drinking plenty of water and continue to do so throughout your pregnancy. One thing that you may notice at this time is that you are more emotional, maybe more irritable or teary. This does get better, but make sure that you get enough rest and maintain a healthy diet. You will feel much more tired than usual so take it easy and get rest when you need it.

At this point in your pregnancy, your baby’s brain is growing very quickly, producing 250,000 neurons a minute. At this time, your baby is 1.25 to 1.68 inches long and weighs about 0.18 ounces. This is about the weight of a quarter. Much of your baby’s development is occurring during this time and your little “peanut” is starting to look more like a baby. The eyelids are not transparent any longer and the outer ears are nearly finished forming. The tooth buds are beginning to form. In male babies, the testes begin producing the hormone testosterone.

Your baby’s fingers and toes are completely separated and the embryonic tail has completely disappeared. The skeleton is developing as the bones form and the eyes are no longer on the sides of the head, but now closer to the front of the face. This is also the time when your baby’s palate and roof of the mouth form as do the taste buds and neck muscles. The stomach moves into position and the clitoris develops in females while the ovaries begin their descent. The lungs are developing and the diaphragm starts to form a separation between the lungs and heart from the stomach.

Whew! It’s no wonder you are exhausted at this time! Your body is facilitating some tremendous growth in your baby. Your blood volume in increasing during your pregnancy. In fact, it will increase by 40 to 50 percent throughout your pregnancy and this could mean that you have some veins that are more noticeable in certain areas. This includes your legs, breasts and tummy. You may also notice that your complexion becomes blotchy with red, ruddy or dark patches on your skin and face. You may find that you are moodier than normal, maybe more irritable or teary than usual. You are likely noticing some weight gain and even some softening of your gums.

Since weight is often a big issue with women, particularly when they are pregnant. The typical (and acceptable) weight gain during pregnancy is 30 to 40 pounds. For a woman who is a normal weight prior to getting pregnant, she should look to gain 25 to 30 pounds and if she is overweight, then 15 to 25 pounds is acceptable.

A breakdown, in very general terms, of the weight gain is as follows:

•     7.5 pounds - baby
•     2.0 pounds - uterus
•     1.5 pounds - placenta
•     2.0 pounds - breasts
•     8.0 pounds - fluid and blood
•     7.0 pounds - fat

Now, of course some babies are larger than others and some are smaller, but this will give you an idea of where the weight goes during your pregnancy.