Week 10

In week 9 I had a lot of ligament pain so I know my uterus is growing rapidly. Although I don't think I'm showing or have popped yet (I'd say I've always had that little pooch) I have noticed all my weight is beginning to collect around my tummy and I have had to use a hair tie to hold my pre-pregnancy jeans together. I also can't hold my stomach in anymore if I try. In week 10, the baby could start weighing in! The end this week also marks the end of the embryonic period and the beginning of the fetal period. The fetal period is characterized by rapid growth of the fetus. During the embryonic period, the embryo is the most susceptible to things that could interfere with it's development. So, if everything looks good so far then there shouldn't be any further problems relating to congenital malformations. The baby is now attached to the placenta by its umbilical cord. One interesting formation this week, if it's a boy, his testes are already producing testosterone! But it is still too early to detect the sex of the baby via an ultrasound. According to babycenter.com, this is what will be happening in the upcoming week.

How your baby's growing:

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches. His liver is now functioning and the yolk sac is disappearing.