Week 11: Tiny Acrobat
Your baby is now doing flips, kicks, and stretches — a tiny acrobat! The head makes up about half the body length, and tooth buds are continuing to develop.
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...
🟣 Fig!
👶 Baby Development
- ✓Baby is very active — kicking, stretching, and hiccuping
- ✓Ears are moving to their final position on the head
- ✓Nasal passages are open
- ✓Hair follicles are forming
- ✓Genitals are developing (but not yet distinguishable on ultrasound)
- ✓Red blood cells forming in the liver
💊 Common Symptoms
- •Bloating and gas — progesterone slows digestion
- •Leg cramps, especially at night
- •Skin changes — some women get a 'pregnancy glow'
- •Occasional headaches
- •Feeling warmer than usual (increased blood volume)
- •Morning sickness may begin to ease
🩺Clinical Context — From a Nurse's View
Week 11 opens the window for first-trimester combined screening — nuchal translucency ultrasound (11-14 weeks) plus PAPP-A and free beta-hCG bloodwork. NT measures the fluid behind the baby's neck; values above 3 mm warrant follow-up. Many practices have shifted to NIPT as the primary screen because of its higher sensitivity for trisomy 21 (about 99%) versus combined screening (about 85%). Both are options, not requirements; what you screen for is your call. Nausea begins to ease for many people between weeks 11 and 14 as hCG plateaus and starts falling. If yours is still severe, that doesn't mean something is wrong — about 10-15% of pregnancies have nausea that lasts past 20 weeks. Cramping with no bleeding is almost always uterine stretching. Cramping with bleeding, or pain that won't let up, gets a call.
Written by Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN — Emergency Department nurse, US Navy Nurse Corps officer.
🚨 When to Call (or Go to the ER)
- !Heavy bleeding — ER
- !Pain that doesn't resolve in 1-2 hours of rest — call
- !Persistent vomiting with weight loss — call
- !Burning with urination — call
✅ Normal — Even If It Feels Worrying
- ✓Leg cramps at night — usually responds to hydration and stretching
- ✓Increased warmth and slight sweating from the higher metabolic rate
- ✓Mild headaches from hormone shifts and dehydration
- ✓Bloating and gas
✅ To-Do This Week
- Start thinking about announcing your pregnancy
- Research strollers, car seats, and cribs
- Eat small, frequent meals to manage bloating
- Stretch before bed to prevent leg cramps
- Stay hydrated — dehydration can cause headaches
- Schedule nuchal translucency screening (weeks 11-14)
🩺 Questions for Your Doctor
- ?Is the nuchal translucency measurement normal?
- ?How accurate are the screening tests?
- ?When should we plan the anatomy scan?
- ?Are leg cramps a sign of a deficiency?
- ?Is spotting at this stage concerning?
- ?Can you recommend good prenatal classes?
📚 References
- [1]ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 175: Ultrasound in Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(6):e241-e256.
- [2]ACOG Committee Opinion No. 762: Prepregnancy Counseling. Obstet Gynecol. 2019;133(1):e78-e89.
Editorial review: Samantha L. Fox, RN, BSN, MSN. Last reviewed: see footer.
Your baby is the size of a...