10th WEEK OF PREGNANCY

After those long nine weeks of waiting, now your baby is more than an inch long and can be weighed. Approximately, he weighs 35 – 40 mm now and about the size of a prune. You’ll be amazed that when visit your health care provider now, you will hear the first heartbeat of your precious coming baby and this would indicate that you are really experiencing the true signs of pregnancy. At this period, your baby starts to go through a rapid growth because at the end of this week, he will pass the embryonic phase and will start the fetal stage. Then the growth of internal and vital organs starts to form and have its shape; this includes the baby’s brain, kidney, intestines, and liver. His liver as of now is busy producing blood, and the spinal nerves are detectable at this week. His eyes start to open and external genitalia begin to form.

The most important activity in this stage you can do is exercise and spirit uplifting. Not because you’ll enjoy this but it also has benefits. One good thing about exercise is to relieve stress and help your body become strong and energized when labor and delivery starts ticking. It also gives off endorphins that help your body have a feeling of well-being. But take note, before doing strenuous activities, you must first visit your physician. During your appointment, you’ll take a series of tests to determine your health as well as the baby’s. These are: Hemoglobin- to check for anemia, Pap smear- to check for abnormalities in your cervix, Blood pressure (of course), Urinalysis, Thyroid assessment, and Internal Examination.

Being so conscious about your pregnancy, you’ll always think that you’re so ugly and won’t be appreciated by your partner now. But at this week, most people won’t even notice you are pregnant yet. However after this stage, you will start to feel the slight changes in your body and your husband will begin to notice that your belly transforms into a more rounded shape. You will also gain weight at this week, about 1 –3 pounds. Always remember to encourage your partner to go with you every prenatal visit so he can also ask your doctor what are the most recommended activities that every pregnant women should do. He can also ask if it’s still OK to have sex or not, what are the best positions, or can it lead to miscarriage. Anything under the sun! How about some good news? Your morning sickness will now start to disappear. That’s why this week is considered a week of happiness and joy.