11 weeks pregnant

Your baby this week

Baby can hiccup, kick, and stretch — though you can't feel it yet.

• The diaphragm is forming, which causes practice hiccups (you won't feel them).
• Fingers and toes are fully separated. Baby is constantly stretching and kicking.
• Tooth buds are forming under the gums.

Your body this week

Your hair and nails might start growing faster thanks to hormones.

• Increased estrogen makes hair appear thicker and grow faster, while nails grow more quickly too.
• Your gums may bleed more easily — pregnancy gingivitis is common.
• Some women still have nausea while others feel mostly better.

Common symptoms

• Faster hair and nail growth
• Bleeding gums
• Skin changes
• Heartburn
• Increased thirst

Things to do this week

• ✓Brush gently and floss to manage gum sensitivity
• ✓Drink plenty of water
• ✓Apply lotion to belly to prevent stretch marks (though genetics is the main factor)

For partners this week

Pick up the slack

• Take on a bigger share of the housework without keeping score.
• Be the snack keeper — small, frequent bites still help.

Typical visits around this week

Based on a typical schedule in Ontario. Your doctor or midwife sets the actual timing.

• First prenatal visit

  Weeks 6–12

  Book with your doctor or midwife as soon as you know you're pregnant. This is usually the longest visit: your health and family history, medications, blood pressure and weight, and routine blood and urine tests (including your blood type and Rh factor). Your provider will also talk about your due date and the screening options ahead.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • When is my estimated due date, and how was it worked out?
  • Are my current medications and supplements okay to keep taking?
  • Who will care for me during pregnancy and birth, and where would I give birth?
  • Who do I call with questions or worries between visits?
  • Which vaccines should I plan for this pregnancy?

• Dating ultrasound

  Weeks 7–12

  An early ultrasound that measures the baby to confirm how far along you are. Dating is most accurate between about 7 and 12 weeks, and the scan also confirms the pregnancy is in the uterus.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Does this scan change my due date?
  • Can my partner come into the room?
  • Do I need a full bladder, and how should I prepare?
  • When will my provider get the results?

• Prenatal genetic screening

  Weeks 11–14 · if it applies to you

  Screening for chromosome differences is offered to everyone, and whether to have it is your choice. In Ontario, enhanced first trimester screening (eFTS) is publicly funded and combines a blood test with a nuchal translucency ultrasound at about 11–14 weeks. NIPT, another blood test, may be publicly funded or private-pay depending on your situation. Your provider will explain the options.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Which screening options are available to me, and which are covered?
  • Am I eligible for publicly funded NIPT?
  • What can these tests tell us, and what can't they?
  • When and how will we get results?
  • What would happen next if a result comes back higher-chance?

Coming up

• Routine check-ups (about every 4 weeks)

  Weeks 12–28

  Check-ups are often about every 4 weeks until around 28 weeks. Your provider usually checks your blood pressure, weight and urine, listens to the baby's heartbeat and measures your growing belly. Some people need more visits.

  Questions to ask →Questions to ask ↑

  • Is my blood pressure and weight gain on track?
  • Is this symptom I've been having normal?
  • What should I be doing about exercise, work or travel right now?
  • What's coming up before my next visit?

A flu shot and a COVID-19 vaccine are recommended at any stage of pregnancy. The flu shot is given during flu season, so the timing depends on when you're pregnant.

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Further reading from health authorities

• Pregnancy — Government of Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada)
• Your pregnancy — Pregnancy Info, from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
• Week-by-week guide to pregnancy — NHS (UK)
• Pregnancy — American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)