At this point in the first trimester, you should be feeling a little better. This is because the morning sickness and fatigue should have decreased somewhat. For those who have not seen this decrease in symptoms, take heart in the fact it should happen soon. The hormone levels tend to decrease a bit at the start of the second trimester. By this week, your belly and baby are keeping growing, at a fast speed, and you'll start to enjoy the delight and joy of pregnancy.

11 Weeks Pregnant Belly Size

For most first-time moms, this is the point where you start to look a little pregnant. Your uterus is expanding, and at this point it begins to push out a bit on your tummy, where it may have been flat until this point. When the uterus grows above the pubic bone, it will give you reason to go out and buy the cute new maternity clothes.

11 weeks pregnant belly, first pregnancy

For those who have been pregnant before or are carrying twins or triplets, your belly may have already shown for quite some time.

11 weeks pregnant belly, twins          Second pregnancy

If you are a tall woman, you may not see this point for a few weeks yet. This may be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on whether you want to keep the good news to yourself for a while longer or you want the world to take notice of your growing miracle.

11 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

Besides the fact that your 11 weeks pregnant belly has started showing, there are some other symptoms of this week to look out for, which include:

1. Stress Incontinence

This involves less control over the pelvic floor muscles and sphincter, resulting in urine leakage when laughing or sneezing. It's totally common during pregnancy because the abdomen and bladder are squeezed due to increased pressure when laughter or sneezing occurs. Since the muscles in the pelvic floor and sphincter are stretched, the typical ability to squeeze the bottom of the bladder and resist the pressure is not present. Doing exercises called kegels to strengthen the pelvic floor can be helpful for this issue and also to prepare for labor and birth.

2. Headaches

Headaches and migraines are typical issues during a pregnancy. For those who experience them regularly and have a history, this particular symptom may become worse as a result of the hormones and blood flow changes that occur with pregnancy.

3. Bloating

Constipation and the slower processing of your bowels, therefore fuller intestines, both contribute to bloating and a stomach at this stage. Gas in the digestive tract is common, since the body is focusing its resources elsewhere and the digestion system takes longer than it would otherwise. This lends itself to the 11 weeks pregnant belly size more than the uterus at this point.

4. Hair and Nail Growth

Fast hair and nail growing in pregnancy is common and it usually happens in third trimester. But you can also notice it by now. Due to the increase in hormones, the growth phase of both your hair and nail is longer. You may notice that your hair loss has decreased a lot, and your hair is shiner than before. This can continue throughout the pregnancy.

5. Other Symptoms

Hot flashes are normal at this point, since your body is circulating more blood to ensure the fetus is getting enough nutrients to grow and develop. And you may notice that your weight has increased by about two to five pounds.

Baby Development at 11 Weeks Pregnant

• The baby is about four centimeters long, but he or she (that is not apparent yet) is already starting to look like a miniature human.
• The hands are able to open and close and even have tiny fingernails in place. Meanwhile, the bones in the face are all present and accounted for, and the head is becoming well-developed.
• The tongue and palate are present in the mouth, the ears are nearing the end of their journey to where they are meant to be and the nose has developed nasal passageways.
• The hair follicles are even beginning to take shape on the top of the baby's little head.
• The baby's head still makes up about one-third of their total length. However, the body is starting to straighten out, and the baby is starting to practice a lot of wiggling and moving. You can not feel all that yet, however, as that will become strong enough to be felt later in the pregnancy.
• Finally, the baby's diaphragm is developing, so it won't be long until it begins having hiccups. This also will be something you can feel happen later in their development.

Tips for 11 Weeks Pregnant

At this point in your pregnancy, you need to keep nourishing your 11 weeks pregnant belly and the baby within. Eat lean proteins, fruits and leafy green vegetables. For snacks, reach for those filled with nutrients, rather than empty calories and fatty foods. Drink lots of water. The recommendation is 8-10ounce glasses each day. Make sure to take walks and keep active, yet give yourself the chance to nap when you are tired.

Being tired is normal at this point, as your body is producing hormones to support the baby and also circulating more blood. Still, it is a good idea to keep your doctor informed. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your fatigue if it seems worse, as it could be related to your iron levels.

Skin changes at this point in the pregnancy may require some attention. You could end up with dry skin or oily skin – both are normal as the body deals with the many changes related to pregnancy.