Your baby

Your foetus is now about 27 to 35mm crown-to-rump and weighs four grams. Your baby will now be getting all his nutrients from you, via the placenta. As the tail disappears, your baby looks less like a tadpole and more infant-like.

By now, your baby’s facial profile shows a large forehead and button nose. The ear and upper lip are complete and the eyes are formed, but the eyelids are still sealed and will stay shut until weeks 25 to 27. Cells that will become the brain continue to multiply rapidly

Your baby's tiny heart can be seen on an ultrasound scan, already pumping blood around the body. The stomach is developing and being connected to the mouth, as your baby develops taste buds.

The internal organs are continuing to grow and the beginnings of external genitalia appear. The skeleton is complete, yet still formed from cartilage. Wrist and ankle joints begin to develop, as more bone and muscle tissue continues to be laid down. By the end of this week, your baby will have distinct fingers and toes.

Your progress

Your first ultrasound scan is likely to happen at week 10. This will confirm how many weeks pregnant you are. The experience of seeing your tiny baby for the first time can feel like quite a landmark in your pregnancy. According to your 40 week calendar, you are already a quarter of the way through your pregnancy. However, you may get mild cramping and PMS symptoms, which can be worrying – though quite normal.

Having reached a peak at week nine, any feelings of nausea will now hopefully start to subside, though these unwelcome feelings may continue throughout pregnancy. However, you’ll probably still feel intensely tired and your body may be retaining more fluid – not exactly a sexy combination!

As if these niggles weren’t enough to deal with, your increasing progesterone levels may make your gums bleed and the increased fluid in your eyes may affect your eye sight, causing long or short sightedness. That’s why it’s so important to take care of your health – and take advantage of the free dental treatment available during your pregnancy.

What to think about

Your booking appointment

You may have a booking visit with your doctor or midwife around this time, which is the formal start of your antenatal care.

This first antenatal appointment is a detailed check up and you may see a midwife, a doctor or both, to discuss your health and lifestyle as well as any previous pregnancies and medical problems. The doctor or midwife will take all your details and family history and discuss what sort of care you would prefer during your pregnancy.

Various tests and checks will be done during this appointment, which can be quite overwhelming! So here’s what you can expect:

Your blood pressure will be checked

Your urine will be tested

Your height and weight will be checked

You'll be given lots of advice about diet and lifestyle

Your tummy will be measured

Blood tests

Your will also be given a series of blood tests, which vary according to where you live in the country. The tests will probably check your blood group, rhesus (Rh) type and haemoglobin levels, as well as screening for infections and your immunity to rubella (german measles). Other blood tests may be offered depending on your medical history and ethnic background.

Ultrasound scan

You will probably also be given a brief ultrasound scan – the first chance to see your baby! This will confirm whether the size of your baby fits with your estimated due date and to check whether you are expecting more than one baby. This scan is also important if you are planning to have tests for Down's syndrome and/or spina bifida.

Screening for Down's syndrome.

Screening for Down’s syndrome and other abnormalities can be worrying, but it does help you to make well-informed decisions about your pregnancy. Depending on where you live, you should be offered either a nuchal fold translucency scan between 11-14 weeks, or a blood screening test called the triple or quadruple test between 14 and 22 weeks. These tests do not give a definitive 'yes' or 'no' answer but assess your risk factors. If you have a high risk result you may be referred for a diagnostic test such as amniocentesis. However, this carries a one per cent risk of miscarriage, so be clear about your wishes, when discussing this option with your GP or midwife.