Pregnancy Week 11: Mom's Headaches, Large Veins, and Baby's Hair and Fingernail Development

You have experienced many changes during your first trimester. By your eleventh week of pregnancy you have experienced everything from morning sickness to fatigue. This week you can add headaches to your pregnancy symptoms. I had horrible headaches during the end of my first trimester and I will go over some options that will help relieve those headaches.

Pregnancy Week 11: Baby’s Development

Your baby is about two inches long and weighs 1/3 of an ounce. He is about the size of a peanut. Your baby’s organs are still progressing in their development. His intestines are slowly entering his growing abdomen.

The ectoderm layer, that was once only cells, has kicked on and is going into full swing developing your baby’s hair follicles and fingernails. By the end of your eleventh week of pregnancy your baby has a tiny nose, a tongue and palate, and nipples.

Your baby is squirming around inside the amniotic fluid. He is moving around his new arms and legs. Unfortunately, you still aren’t able to feel his movements, yet.

Pregnancy Week 11: Mom’s Expanding Blood Volume, Large Veins, and Headaches

Your blood volume is really increasing now. The extra blood is needed to transport nutrients and oxygen to the placenta. The placenta then exchanges the nutrients and oxygen with your baby’s blood. Your extra blood is needed to support your rapidly growing baby.

Your body needs the extra blood also because you now have a larger uterus and breasts. The bigger your organs get; the more blood that they need. The blood is needed to meet the demands of both your growing body and your growing baby.

You may notice that your veins are larger in your legs, arms, and around your belly. These symptoms are perfectly normal because they are an outward sign of your increased blood volume.

This increased blood volume may also cause a few headaches. These headaches will diminish as your body adjusts to all the changes going on, but there a few things that you can do in the meantime.

Drink plenty of water and sugar-free and caffeine-free drinks. Caffeine is a diuretic and will make you urinate more frequently. The frequent urination can cause you to dehydrate slightly which will make your headaches worse.

Eat plenty of food that is high in iron to help with the increase in the manufacturing of more blood cells. You will be tested for iron deficient anemia. If you are not eating enough iron, then you may have to take a supplement so that you have enough red blood cells to meet the demands of both your body and your growing baby.

Check with your doctor before you take any over-the-counter medicine to relieve your headaches. Acetaminophen is approved for pregnancy but double check in order to make sure that your doctor approves it for you.

Read more about your weekly pregnancy calendar:

Pregnancy Week 4

Pregnancy Week 5

Pregnancy Week 6

Pregnancy Week 7

Pregnancy Week 8

Pregnancy Week 9

Pregnancy Week 10

Pregnancy Week 12

Pregnancy Week 13

Sources:

Personal Experience

Fit Pregnancy (2009). Pregnancy Calendar. Retrieved: April 8, 9, 2009. Web Site: fitpregnancy.com/calendar/40251887.html

Myers-Gorrie, Trula, Slone-McKinney, Emily, & Smith-Murray, Sharon (1998). Foundations of Maternal-Newborn Nursing (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Company.

What to Expect (2009). Weekly Pregnancy Calendar. Retrieved: April 8, 9, 2009. Web Site: whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/week-by-week/landing.aspx