What’s going on?
Both you and your baby are making amazing progress in terms of growth this week. While your baby’s tissues and organs grow and mature rapidly, you might find yourself sporting a rounder belly due to your ever-growing uterus.
Baby at Week 10
Your baby’s crown to rump length sits at approximately 3.8cm at Week 10, which is about the size of a kumquat. He/she is starting to grow into a tiny little being inside of you!
The beginning of the jawbones are set in place, and they contain your baby’s future milk teeth already – although the pearly whites won’t be showing up yet until your baby is at least 6 months old. Your baby is also starting to swallow fluid and produce digestive juices. What’s more, he/she has started kicking up a storm and is actively moving and bobbing about in your womb.
If you could see your baby now, you’d notice tiny growth details such as nails on fingers and toes, and peachy fuzzy hair on his/her skin. Your baby’s limbs can also bend now, his/her hands are flexed at the wrist and the two cute feet may be long enough to fold up in front of his/her body.
Other notable developments which your baby is going through: the outline of his/her spine can be seen through the translucent skin and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from the spinal cord. If you are expecting a baby boy, he is already starting to produce testosterone.
What is mum up to?
Apart from the slight roundness of your tummy, you might have also noticed some blue lines on your skin, especially around your breasts and tummy. These veins tend to be more noticeable in mums-to-be with lighter skin tone, and are essentially the expanded network of veins that’s carrying the increased blood supply to nourish your baby.
To keep up with the demands of your baby during pregnancy, your blood volume increases by approximately 50% and the veins are working overtime to keep up with the flow. As your pregnancy progresses, these veins will appear larger and more prominent on your hands and feet.
In a way, these veins are like the pregnancy mark of honour which will disappear once your baby is born and when you are done with breastfeeding.
Top tips for Week 10
Constipation is a common pregnancy problem which can be linked to an increase in progesterone. As the presence of progesterone relaxes and smoothens the muscles in your body including the digestive tract, this means that food passes through the intestines more slowly.
Here are some things you can do to ease the effects of constipation during pregnancy:
- Reduce your intake of foods that clog up your digestive system such as refined breads, rice and pasta
- Up your consumption of fibre such as wholegrains, fresh fruits (kiwis are your best bet for those constipated days), dried fruits, a good variety of vegetables, as well as nuts and seeds
- Go for fibre-rich drinks such as water and fresh juices
- Include some time for exercise in your weekly routine, as this helps to keep things going
If things are still not moving along after a few days, do consult your doctor for treatment and advice.
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