After the eleventh week of pregnancy, the embryo is known as a fetus. From the 11th week to 16th week, there will be a development of hair, genitals, nails and vocal chords in the fetus and liver and kidney also starts functioning.
The development of fetus during the 11th week is little bit strange. During this week the body of the baby also looks a little strange. At this stage, the head will be nearly half the body size. The fetal development 11 weeks pregnant is described below.
Weight and size
During the 11th week of pregnancy, the baby will be about 1.5 inches to 2 inches long. The size of the baby is similar to the fig size according to the Baby Center.
Tooth and hair growth
Bones of the baby starts to harden in this week and the hair follicles will also be formed for the hair growth. A fine skin layer has been developing over the body of the fetus in the last few weeks. But now, a specialized layer forms which results into the toenails and fingernails.
Baby’s movement
During this week, the baby starts to move and stretch. But, the baby’s movements are not experienced by the mother. The hands start to close and open. The good patterns of breathing help in the growth of baby’s chest muscles and also regulate lung fluid volume. With the development of muscles the baby’s movement comes with the legs and arms following even the uterus position. During the 11th week, pregnant women will not have any morning sickness difficulty.
Baby’s gender
The genitals of the baby have probably started to take the female or male form, but it is still difficult to detect using ultrasound. If the baby is a boy baby, then the testicles will start to produce the hormones of testosterone.
Baby’s heart
Fetal heart beats twice when compared to your heart beat somewhere between 120 beats to 140 beats/minute. In addition to this, the heart has formed into a 4-chambered structure over the last month, though some dividing walls will not be completed until after the baby’s birth.
Spinal cord
In this week there will be a clearly defined spinal cord and spinal nerves begin to extend out from the spinal cord.
In this stage, the taste buds begin to develop. Except the tongue the whole baby is sensitive to touch. Cartilage will now become harder to form bone. The blood vessels present in the placenta will grow larger to get ready for this particular time of fast growth in the baby. During this week, the ears of the baby move to the permanent place.
