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  9. Week 12

Week 10

Welcome to week 10. Pregnancy is divided into 3 chunks, called "trimesters". You are nearly at the end of your 1st trimester.

By the 2nd trimester you will probably have lots more energy and all those signs of early pregnancy will gradually fade away.

Around now, you may have a booking appointment with a midwife. You'll be asked lots of questions about your health and medical history. You can ask lots of questions too.

What's happening in my body?

You may be struggling to do up your jeans. Your uterus (womb) is around the size of a large orange, while your baby is more like the size of an apricot.

You may be feeling bloated and you might find yourself burping or passing wind – this is due to your hormones. The female hormone progesterone is just doing its job – relaxing the muscles in your womb so that it can expand along with your growing baby.

However, in the process, the muscles in your digestive tract also become looser and this can lead to symptoms such as heartburn.

Early pregnancy symptoms (at 10 weeks)

Your signs of pregnancy may include:

  • extreme tiredness
  • nausea
  • mood swings
  • a metallic taste in your mouth
  • sore breasts
  • indigestion and heartburn
  • headaches
  • dizziness
  • new likes and dislikes for food and drink
  • a heightened sense of smell
  • a white milky pregnancy discharge from your vagina
  • light spotting (see your doctor if you get bleeding in pregnancy)
  • cramping, a bit like period pains
  • darkened skin on your face or brown patches - this is known as chloasma or the –mask of pregnancy–
  • greasier, spotty skin
  • thicker and shinier hair
  • bloating and the feeling of being bloated

Read Tommy's guide to common pregnancy symptoms.

If any symptoms are worrying you, talk to your midwife or doctor.

How to beat the bloating

You can help digestive problems such as bloating and burping by changing what you eat. Try making yourself 6 small meals a day and avoid eating late at night.

Eat slowly, sip fluids and avoid smoking and alcohol. A short stroll after meals may help. Some people find their symptoms happen after drinking coffee or eating rich, spicy and fatty foods.

Read NHS advice on dealing with indigestion and heartburn in pregnancy.

What does my baby look like?

Your baby, or foetus, is now around 30mm long from head to bottom, which is about the size of a small apricot.

The baby will be making jerky movements and baby's movement can be seen on a scan.

Your baby is going through another huge growth spurt. The head is still too big for the body, but the face is more recognisably in proportion. The eyes are half closed but can react to light.

The ears are starting to form, the mouth now has a delicate upper lip and the nose has 2 little nostrils. The jaw bone is shaping up too, and contains tiny versions of your baby's milk teeth.

The heart is beating extremely quickly at 180bpm – that's about 3 times your heart rate.

Composite. One side shows a foetus attached to a developing placenta by the umbilica cord. The forming head, eyes, nose, legs, hands and feet are recognisable. Other side shows an adult hand with an apricot in its palm.
Your baby is about the size of an apricot.

Action stations

See your midwife or GP

Share the news with your GP or ask for an appointment with a midwife at your doctors' surgery. Alternatively you can refer yourself to your local hospital – look for contact details on their website.

You'll need to arrange a booking appointment. This usually takes place between weeks 8 and 12, and takes around an hour.

You can talk about the options for your pregnancy and the birth. Plus you'll be offered screening tests for infectious diseases, and conditions such as Down's syndrome. You could ask about the Maternity Transformation Programme and how it could benefit you.

You will get your first dating scan at 8 to 14 weeks.

If it's your first pregnancy you will probably have around 10 appointments and 2 scans in total. Ask if it's possible to see the same carer for your entire pregnancy, to give you continuity.

Antenatal classes

Ask your midwife or doctor about online antenatal classes – they may be able to recommend one. The charity Tommy's has lots of useful information on antenatal classes and preparing you for birth.

Antenatal classes will give you the chance to meet other people and prepare you for parenthood. The NCT offers online antenatal classes with small groups of people that live locally to you.

Smoking, drinking and caffeine in pregnancy

Do your best to stop smoking and give up alcohol, and go easy on the tea, coffee and anything else with caffeine.

Ask your midwife or GP for support.

Vitamins in pregnancy

Take prenatal vitamins. You're advised to take 400mcg of folic acid every day, until at least week 12. This helps to form your baby's nervous system and offers some protection from conditions such as spina bifida.

To keep bones and muscles healthy, we need vitamin D. From late March/early April to the end of September, most people make enough vitamin D from sunlight on their skin.

However, between October and early March, consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement because we cannot make enough from sunlight.

Some people should take a vitamin D supplement all year round – find out if this applies to you on the NHS website.

You just need 10 micrograms (it's the same for grown-ups and kids). Check if you're entitled to free vitamins.

Exercising in pregnancy

It's recommended that you do 150 minutes of exercise a week while pregnant.

You could start off with just 10 minutes of daily exercise – perhaps take a brisk walk outside. Check out Sport England's #StayInWorkOut online exercises (scroll to the pregnancy section).

Listen to your body and do what feels right for you.

Healthy eating

There's no need to eat for 2. You just need to eat a healthy balanced diet, with a variety of different foods every day, including plenty of fruit and veg. Have a look at our guide to healthy eating in pregnancy.

You may be able to get free milk, fruit and veg through the Healthy Start scheme.

Emotional and mental wellbeing

How are you today? If you're feeling anxious or low, then talk to your midwife or doctor. They can point you in the right direction to get all the support that you need. You could also discuss your worries with your partner, friends and family.

You may be worried about your relationship, or money, or having somewhere permanent to live.

Don't keep it to yourself. It's important that you ask for help if you need it.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

Do you think you or your partner could have an STI? If so, get checked out, as this could affect your baby's development. Talk to your midwife or GP, or visit a sexual health clinic.

Long-term conditions

If you have a long-term health condition, then let your specialist or GP know you're pregnant as soon as possible.

Don't stop taking any regular medication without discussing it with your doctor first.

Want to know when the baby's due?

Use the NHS's pregnancy due date calculator. You'll get a more accurate date from your doctor or midwife when you have a dating scan (usually at 8 to 14 weeks).

More in week-by-week

Week 11

You only have 2 weeks until you start your 2nd trimester. This is when many women start to "glow" and regain their energy as their hormones settle down.

Week 12

Week 9

More in week-by-week guide to pregnancy

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