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Week 11: What's that uterus-like smell?

Fetal development in pregnancy week 11

~length
1.6 in | 4 cm

~weight
0.25 oz | 7 g

Your wee baby is now comparable in size to a plum!

Go ahead... we'll wait while you run to the kitchen and hold one in your hand to marvel at the life form unfolding inside of you.

Your baby's favorite game right now is exploring their face and especially their mouth.

Not only does this game improve your child's newly acquired voluntary muscle coordination of their limbs, but it also starts hard-wiring their hand nerves for newly gained sensations as they're now able to experience in their hands, because their palms can now "feel"!

Extensive facial exploration also primes their facial nerves by setting the stage for a lifetime of subtle sensations from kissing to spitting!

Final interesting fetal developments for the week: their newly acquired swallow reflex, and the beginnings of a sense of smell, which when combined with their maturing taste buds, will provide your baby with their first experiences of taste and smell in the womb.

Yeah, we're also curious what wombs smell like. We'd like to think warm and homey, which just might be the smell of freshly baked cookies.

Share your baby's development on Facebook!

MY BABY'S PROGRESS: WEEK 11

Only 29 more weeks to go!

My lil' fetus is looking fruity! Size-wise, they're now comparable to a small plum. Even cooler than that: my tiny scientist is starting to explore their body, focusing most intently on touching their ...

Tuesday at 19:16 via Baby Gaga · Comment · Like

Monica

Week 11 Calendar Girl

May 2013

Enter my photo!

And how's mom doing?

If you're still enduring the dubious joys of morning sickness, it should finally be subsiding to the point of non-existence by the end of this week.If you're still hungry after dinner, don't default to having extra ice cream for dessert. Try skipping the non-nutritious options and opt for a more filling and protein-loaded handful of almonds

If your nausea's not subsiding, we're sorry, but you might be one of the unlucky 1% with Hyperemesis Gravidarum - in which you puke every day pretty much till you give birth. You can find out more about hyperemesis gravidarum here.

For the rest of you no-longer pukers, the growing placenta combined with your little one's developing pituitary gland have given you a break on hormone production, so now you can focus on the fact you're about to enter the second trimester (aka "when you become a lumbering human pod") of pregnancy.

At this point you should be well on your way to making a conscious effort to gradually increase your consumption of healthy, vitamin-rich food, but remember: THIS DOES NOT MEAN LIFE IS NOW AN OPEN BUFFET.

Actually, it's quite the opposite, there is no other time in life where it's absolutely critical that you be a food snob, and one who only ingests the cleanest, purest, healthiest of foods.

It's pretty obvious if you think about it: if it's not good for you (and fast food, junk food, and greasy and/or other processed and preserved foods are NOT good for you, no matter how tasty they seem), then it won't be good for your developing baby.

Eating Tip: If you're still hungry after dinner, don't default to having extra ice cream for dessert. Try skipping the non-nutritious options and opt for a more filling and protein-loaded handful of almonds.

So if you haven't yet gotten the message: good nutrition and an active lifestyle are absolutely vital for your baby's brain and body development.

Last thoughts for the week: make sure you’re taking "me-time" to center yourself and focus on your body's interactions with your baby. You can do this by listening to relaxing or inspiring music, reading good books, thinking happy thoughts - you know - all the mentally stimulating stuff that puts you in a good mood and makes your pregnancy feel like a positive experience.

In other words, watching international news isn't recommended. The better you treat your body and mind now, the healthier and happier your child will be once "they're on the outside".