10th week of pregnancy

How is the baby growing

By this time, your baby has covered the most critical portion of his growth, the beginning of such a period is known as the fetal period, when the various organs and tissues in the baby’s body have rapidly begun to grow and mature. Its length is around 1.22 inches’ to 1.65 inches.

Vital organs like brain, liver, intestines and kidneys are now in place and have started functioning, and will continue to develop all through the pregnancy. If one could peep inside the womb, you can make out miniature details like; tiny nails on fingers of hands and toes, and tiny microscopic hair (peach fuzz) begin to grow on the skin. The baby is now capable of bending its arms and legs. Spinal nerves are visible too.

At the time of 10 weeks pregnancy, theyolk sac seems to be shrinking. At this time the baby begins to swallow things and therefore most of the time it swallows the amniotic fluid, which helps in digestion and help in the development of its respiratory system.

Changes in a mother

Many women might want to look pregnant, but for a few more weeks you won’t. With many women the case is that they won’t start showing a “bump”, till their second trimester. But surely, your belly will be more rounded at 10th week of pregnancy. You might even experience the heart beat of your baby, which might sound like the horses galloping, and hearing it for first time will make you feel heaven.

Fatigue, nausea, morning sickness and many other pregnancy related problems can occur, which you might just hate, until your second trimester.

How dads can help

In pregnancy it is not always the duty of the woman to manage everything. It is also the duty of the father to be supportive as well as participative in all the tasks. They should accompany their wives to the appointments with the doctors. They should also go and attend the exercise classes along with the expecting woman and get tips of how they can help and take care of their wives in a better way.

The expecting fathers can also help by cooking the meals by themselves giving their wives some rest. They should also take her out for some outings so that it does not become monotonous for the pregnant woman.

How mothers may feel

At the time of the 10th week the to-be mother will suddenly notice strange food cravings. The morning sickness would now take a back seat and the mother would now want to eat various things. The food cravings of pregnant women are quite strange but it is advised that they should not bother about anyone and enjoy and eat what they want to. However they should also keep in mind to intake a balanced diet and not over indulge in anything.

Tips

For pregnant women, following tips should be carefully followed:
Try and avoid Pollutants- As it is the growing phase of the baby thus it is recommended to avoid any sort of pollutant as it might be harmful for the baby.
Avoid Cleaning during pregnancy- During this time the husbands should take the charge of cleaning things as dust and other things including fresheners can be harmful for the baby. If however you have to clean the house then wear gloves while cleaning. Also try and use cleaning products which are toxic free.

Infections during pregnancy

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are very common during pregnancy. These are bacterial infections, which generally occur due to higher levels of progesterone.
This hormone kind of relaxes the urinary tract, which lowers the speed of flow of the urine, thus giving time and place for the bacteria to grow. When the intestinal bacterium from rectum travels to the urethra, making their way up to the urinary tract, they tend to multiply in number.
If at all you suspect a UTI and do not get it treated, it might lead to kidney infections, leading to early labor. Asymptomatic bacteriuria can be treated before it leads to kidney disfunctioning. If it is cured in early stage, then there is absolutely no chance of your baby being affected.
Sometimes they even cause an infection in the urinary bladder called “cystitis”. The symptoms include:
Pelvic Discomfort, pain during urinating, recurrent urge for peeing. The urine might have a foul smell and look yellowish. Antibiotics are likely to relieve you of your symptoms, provided you complete the entire course.

Precautions during pregnancy

It is a tender stage when the baby has just begun to grow. Therefore a mother should take a proper diet on time, because since the baby has started swallowing things, she should be careful as she now has an extra mouth to feed.
Eat food that is nutritious, drink safe and purified water
Avoid alcohol and smoking.
Avoid visiting places that are crowded.
Wear comfortable flat footwear, avoiding heels as much as you can.
Do not lift heavy things.
And of course, a regular check up.
Eat enough fruits, pulses, cereals, green vegetables etc.
And be regular with the exercises whichever your fitness expert advices.