Today I am 10 wks & 2 days Pregnant

Week 11 of Pregnancy

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOU THIS WEEK:

You may be suffering with more frequent headaches as a result of the change in your hormone levels. You can help prevent headaches before they start by eating regularly, drinking plenty of fluids, getting adequate sleep and keeping stress levels low. Ask your care provider if you can treat headaches with Tylenol (acetaminophen), a pain medication that is considered safe for pregnant women. If you experience frequent headaches, if the headache is the by-product of a fever, or if it causes visual disturbances or puffiness in the hands and face, call your practitioner immediately.

WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING WITH YOUR BABY THIS WEEK:

Your baby-to-be is about 50 millimeters crown to rump and weighs about eight grams (about a quarter of an ounce). The irises are now forming. The liver, intestines, brain and lungs are beginning to function on their own. The primitive "tail" is now gone. The intestines are beginning to migrate into the abdominal cavity and the external genitalia are present but difficult to distinguish. Now that most of the major organ work is done, your baby adds such details as hair, fingernails and toenails. While your baby's head is nearly as large as the rest of her body, head growth begins to slow during this period.

EATING FOR TWO

Actually, you aren't eating for two. You are eating for one and .000007865! Realistically, at this time, you only need to increase consumption by 300 to 500 calories per day. That's just one bran muffin and a baked potato! It's important that every calorie you consume be one that is nutrient dense. Okay, you can splurge on chocolate every so often, but you might not want to always gobble it down with a glass of milk. While milk is great for your baby, chocolate slightly decreases your body's ability to absorb calcium.

FACT OF THE WEEK

If you have begun to gain excessively, it may be time to nip bad eating habits in the bud. Are you giving in to unhealthy cravings? Practitioners often recommend that total weight gain be kept between 25 and 35 pounds. Gaining more than 35 pounds can make postpartum weight loss more of a challenge.