10 weeks pregnant

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The Baby
Your baby is now almost two inches (4.5 centimeters) tall and weighs 5 grams. It's not much, but he is complete! In your belly sits a miniature person who in no way resembles the tadpole of a few weeks ago. You can recognize his little face and the eyelids are clearly visible. The vocal cords are forming and the inner ear and auricle have been formed, too. The first downy hairs are becoming visible. The process of ossification is in full progress; the fingertips are hardening and soon they will get miniscule nails. A bit later the toes will follow, because the development of an embryo (and of a baby as well) takes place from top to bottom.



Although the gender already has been determined, you can't see whether it will be a boy or girl yet. At this stage, the umbilical cord between the embryo and the wall of the uterus starts to function and a lot of work is done on creating the placenta. That's because from now on your baby-to-be will grow rapidly and that's only possible when he's provided with a sufficient amount of nutrients via the placenta and the umbilical cord.


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This week is somewhat of a landmark for your developing baby. By now, your baby's complete body plan is laid down. Your baby will continue to develop and grow for the remainder of the pregnancy. The fingers and toes have separated and the tail has dissappeared now. Your baby has taste and tooth buds at this point, which will continue to develop. The brain will continue to grow at an amazing rate and nearly a quarter of a million new neurons are produced every minute! The embryonic heart is completely developed. External genitalia are not apparent until next week, but a male's testes will already be producing testoterone.

Because you have high hormone levels at this time, you may notice an abundance of emotional and physical effects. Most pregnant women find themselves getting distressed easily and have frequent mood swings. Common physical changes include the beginning of real weight gain, potential softening of the gums and slightly swollen thyroid glands. Common emotional changes include feelings of unattractiveness, feelings of inadequacy and concerns about what the future holds. Some women are not excited about their pregnancy at first and question the condition. It is not uncommon to get upset easily, cry at the slightest things, feel moody or drift on daydreams.

You may have gained a little weight already. Average weight gain during pregnancy is about 28lbs(13kgs), but most of that is gained in the second and third trimester.