Week 10: Fingers and Toes
Your baby's vital organs are fully formed and starting to function. Fingers and toes have separated, and tiny nails are beginning to grow.
Medically reviewed by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN
Nursing Informaticist · United States Navy Nurse Corps · Last reviewed
Your baby is the size of a...
🍓 Strawberry!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓All vital organs are formed and beginning to function
- ✓Fingers and toes fully separated
- ✓Tiny fingernails and toenails starting to grow
- ✓Bones are beginning to harden (ossification)
- ✓Kidneys produce urine
- ✓Brain is producing 250,000 neurons per minute
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Round ligament pain (sharp pains in lower abdomen)
- •Visible veins across chest and abdomen
- •Thicker, shinier hair
- •Increased vaginal discharge (leukorrhea)
- •Morning sickness may start improving
- •Growing belly — you might need bigger pants
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
Week 10 is when most miscarriages have already declared themselves; if you have a documented heartbeat and no bleeding, your loss risk drops below 5% (ACOG, 2018). It's also the earliest you can do NIPT — non-invasive prenatal testing — which screens fetal DNA from your blood for trisomies 21, 18, 13 and sex chromosome variants. NIPT is a screening test, not diagnostic; a 'high risk' result needs CVS or amnio to confirm. If you'd want diagnostic testing, CVS is available 10-13 weeks and amnio after 15 weeks. Round ligament pain — sharp, brief stabs in the lower abdomen with sudden movements — typically starts now as the uterus pulls those ligaments taut. It's harmless. What's not harmless and worth flagging: pain that is constant, escalating, one-sided, or paired with bleeding. Fingernails are forming and the baby is now urinating into the amniotic fluid, which gets recycled every 2-3 hours.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Constant or escalating abdominal pain — call
- !Heavy bleeding — ER
- !Burning with urination, lower back pain, fever — call (UTI workup)
- !Severe headache with visual changes — call
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Round ligament pain — brief sharp stabs with movement
- ✓Visible blue veins on chest and breasts
- ✓Faster, fuller hair growth
- ✓Hunger returning as nausea begins to ease for some
✅ To-Do This Week
- Consider genetic screening tests (NIPT, CVS)
- Start shopping for comfortable maternity basics
- Begin a baby name list
- Eat iron-rich foods (lean meats, beans, spinach)
- Take photos of your growing bump
- Research birthing classes in your area
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?Should I get the NIPT (non-invasive prenatal testing)?
- ?Is round ligament pain normal?
- ?How is the baby measuring?
- ?When can we find out the sex of the baby?
- ?Are there any concerning findings so far?
- ?What dental care should I be aware of during pregnancy?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Committee Opinion No. 762: Prepregnancy Counseling. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(1):e78-e89.
- [2]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 200: Early Pregnancy Loss. Obstet Gynecol. 2018;132(5):e197-e207.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...