Changes During Pregnancy - Week 11

Mother

Source :Bradley R. Smith

http://embryo.soad.umich.edu/

You may find your hair and nails growing rapidly. Some of you may find varicose veins coming up. These enlarged veins normally develop on the legs. This is due to the increased blood volume during pregnancy. Pressure is applied on the veins due to the weight of the uterus. In some cases, they also form around the rectum and can lead to hemorrhoids.

The hormones active during pregnancy affect skin pigmentation due to an over production of melanin. This manifests itself in multiple ways. The "Mask of pregnancy" is a condition that causes dark patches to appear on sections of the face. The linea nigra is a dark line that appears on the abdomen.

Baby

Your baby continues moving inside the uterus. His little teeth continue to form below his gums. The area where the teeth are formed tends to swell a little. His bones start hardening. He can start moving his fingers and toes. He may even be able to clench his fist. His heart beats very fast and this can be detected by Doppler. His skin is transparent and forms a protective barrier. You can see the blood vessels.

The blood vessels in the placenta increase in both size and number to provide more nutrients to meet the growing needs of the baby.