You have now completed about 22.5%. However, it is far from certain that at this point in your pregnancy, it has manifested itself with a growing belly for you. But even if it is not yet visible on your belly, a lot of very important development is happening inside and in your uterus, and you may have already felt the pregnancy in other ways.
Your pregnancy
Pregnancy is a very individual thing, so it may be that you already have a visibly larger belly or that you have not felt anything regarding your pregnancy. Some experience increased fatigue, dizziness, or mood swings due to increased hormones or the energy it takes to be pregnant. However, one of the things that many pregnant women notice in the early stages of pregnancy is nausea.
However, you may already be starting to notice that the nausea is beginning to subside and that your appetite is starting to return. This happens for many around this week.
Regarding the growing belly, you can also expect that from now on, it may start to become more visible on your belly that you are pregnant.
This is because the growing uterus has until now been hidden behind the pubic bone, it will continue to be so for a little while longer, but as the uterus and fetus grow very quickly, it will likely soon be visible on your belly. Therefore, it might be a good idea to find some loose clothing, both for your own comfort, but also if the pregnancy needs to be kept a secret from someone for a little while longer.
Fetal development
The fetus in your uterus now resembles a small human and by the end of this week has formed the beginnings of all the internal parts, and the same goes for the external ones. This means, for starters, that these will just need to grow and develop further throughout the rest of the pregnancy.
This also means that you have now reached another milestone, as after this week, the risk of miscarriage has decreased again. This is because it is often malformations or chromosomal errors that cause a miscarriage, and since all the beginnings of internal organs are now formed, this risk is reduced. In a few weeks, around 12 weeks, you will receive even more information about your child's health and development during the nuchal translucency scan.
An important development that occurs for the fetus in your uterus around this week is the development that takes place in the fetus's brain. It has been a couple of weeks since the brain has divided into two halves, but from this week, the nerve cells in the brain begin to connect with each other. It is the contact between brain cells that determines how well the brain functions; however, this is a lifelong process, but it has started this week in the little life in your belly.
Size of the fetus
The small fetus, which now gradually resembles a small human in the scanning images, is now about 3 cm from head to bottom and weighs approximately 4 grams. This is equivalent to the size of a large olive.
Advice for partners
One of the most important things you can do as a partner at this time in the pregnancy is to understand that a lot of changes and developments are occurring in your pregnant partner's body, which combined with the many hormones can often manifest as extreme fatigue or mood swings.
It can be extremely difficult to be the partner in such a situation, but you must remember that it is caused by the pregnancy. It may also mean that your girlfriend needs you extra much and for support or extra hugs. You can be of great help if you ask about what you can do and help with. This can make the first many weeks of pregnancy easier for you as a couple, as you become good at talking together about the feelings and needs that the pregnancy triggers in both of you.
