At 11 weeks, the embryonic period of intrauterine development ends and the fetal period begins, when your baby is already called the fetus. Since this moment the fetus begins to grow actively, and along with it the mammy's belly also grows.
And although in 11 weeks of pregnancy the size of the woman's abdomen is still very small, and sometimes it still does not exist, its gradual increase begins. In general, the growth of the abdominal circumference during pregnancy is a rather individual concept. Very much depends on the figure of a woman, on her anatomical features. Thin women with a narrow pelvis earlier notice the appearance of the tummy and vice versa.
In addition, the abdomen grows together with a common weight gain, so during pregnancy, you need to monitor your weight and not gain excess. The main criterion by which a doctor estimates the development of a child is the height of the uterus during pregnancy . This indicator must match the period of pregnancy.
Why does the stomach grow?
It would seem that the answer is obvious - a child grows in it. But in fact, everything is much more complicated. The abdomen during pregnancy increases due to the growth of not only the fetus, but also the uterus, as well as the increase in the volume of amniotic fluid.
The size of the fetus is determined by ultrasound. At 11-12 weeks of gestation, the child (fetus) has a size of about 6-7 cm, and its weight is 20-25 g. At the same time, ultrasound shows that the fetus almost completely occupies the uterine cavity.
On ultrasound, you can see how the fruit looks in 11 weeks. It is noticeable that his head is disproportionately large in comparison with the trunk and occupies a good half of the total size of the fetus. During this period, his brain develops actively.
At the end of the 11th week, the baby has primary sexual characteristics. His chest is practically formed. Ears are located quite low - they will take their final position a little later. The legs of the child are great in comparison with the rest of the calf.
At the 11th week the character of the fetal movements changes - they become more conscious and purposeful. Now, if the baby touches the wall of the bladder with the legs. That produces a repulsive motion to "swim" in the opposite direction.
It increases during pregnancy and the uterus. If before pregnancy it weighs about 50 g, then at the end of pregnancy, its weight rises to 1000 g, and its cavity will increase 500 or more times.
The size of the uterus at 11 weeks is three times more than before pregnancy, and now it has a rounded shape. This form it will retain until the third trimester, and then it will become ovoid.