10 weeks pregnant
Our guide to your 10th week of pregnancy
Your Baby
Your baby is now a little under 4cm long. It is starting to develop soft, fluffy hair and is already beginning to swallow, hiccup and fidget around inside your womb. Its internal organs are now well and truly in place although they aren’t fully functioning just yet.
The sex organs are beginning to appear, but it will be another few weeks before they will be visible on an ultra sound when you will need to decide if you want to know the sex of your baby before it’s born.
You
Your bump is now starting to develop, although only slightly. You will however be losing your waist as it fills out in preparation for further growth of your womb. You may be able to actually feel your uterus above the centre of your pelvic bone, but you are not big enough yet for anyone to notice you are pregnant and you certainly don’t need to buy a new pregnancy wardrobe.
If you are worried about excessive weight gain, ask your midwife to recommend some exercises for you. Most women can swim and practice yoga throughout most of the nine months of pregnancy.
Anti-natal testing
At about this time you will be booked in for your first anti-natal tests. These are looking for abnormalities, either genetic of congenital. Down’s syndrome, Edward’s syndrome, Patau’s syndrome and Turner’s syndrome are all examples of genetic abnormalities, i.e. issues that are passed to your baby at conception.
Congenital abnormalities include spina bifida, hydrocephalus, anencephaly, gastroschisis and exomphalos. These issues arose at some point during pregnancy because of complications or problems. To test for these abnormalities you will usually have a blood test.
Testing for genetic abnormalities is usually done with a CVS or chorionic villus sampling test. This is more invasive with the doctor taking cells from the placenta. There are other options such as a special ultrasound called a Nuchal scan or an amniocentesis test, which takes a sample of amniotic fluid.
You could be offered carrier-screening tests depending on your ethnicity and medical history. These determine whether your baby is at risk of genetic disorders including cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anaemia, thalassemia and Tay-Sachs disease.
These tests are not compulsory, but they are advised so you can better prepare yourself for your future and that of your baby. Your midwife can advise you further on the finer details.
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