Week 10 of Pregnancy | How Big is Your Baby at 10 Weeks?

Pregnancy is a time of huge change for you, your body and your life. Our guide will help you through this amazing time, letting you know what to expect at each stage and, most excitingly, what your baby is up to each week.

At 10 weeks of pregnancy your baby is the size of a strawberry!

At 10 weeks of pregnancy your baby is around 3.5cm (1.25in) from crown to rump and weighs in at around 4g, which is roughly the length of a strawberry.

This is your baby’s last week as an embryo!

This is a major milestone in their little life as from the end of this week your baby is no longer an embryo and will be a foetus.

All of your baby’s major organs have started to form, which marks the transition from embryo to foetus (1). Although most of these organs aren’t working yet (apart from the heart), everything is in place for further growth and development.

Even your baby’s milk teeth are putting in an appearance now, with tooth buds and caps becoming identifiable (2), as well as their nose, eyes and mouth taking on a more human shape.

Ten tiny fingers…

One of the more striking developments around now is the lengthening of the fingers and toes. Before now, your baby’s hands and feet were the shape of paddles, but now they are lengthening and fingers are starting to emerge (3), with toes following on a little while later.

Your baby’s eyelids are also growing so they cover most of their eyes and the outer ears are growing and moving into their eventual positions (4).

How you’re feeling at 10 weeks pregnant

Your first trimester is almost over with, but you may still have a couple more weeks of pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and fatigue, as well as frequent urination and maybe not-so-frequent pooing (sorry, blame the progesterone for your constipation (5)).

Sleep problems might arise during your first trimester

If you’re getting up during the night to go to the toilet then it’s hardly surprising that you’re tired during the day. Progesterone can also make you feel very sleepy (6) so if you’re falling asleep in the afternoons or early evenings this can make it harder to fall asleep at night.

Napping during the day can be a big help, but try to fit in a quick snooze around lunchtime rather than dinnertime.

Vivid dreams during pregnancy

Many women report vivid dreams when they’re pregnant (7). Pregnancy is an emotional and intense time, so your dreams can be where you sort through your feelings. It may also be that you wake up more frequently and remember more dreams than you usually would.

Headaches during early pregnancy

Headaches during your first trimester (8) can be due to hormones (as usual…), lack of decent sleep, dehydration and hunger, as well as lack of caffeine if you’re reducing your intake. Lying in a darkened, cool room can help, as well as drinking a glass of water and dabbing your pillow with some lavender oil. Ask your GP or midwife for advice about taking painkillers; paracetamol is usually safe for pregnant women (9), but just make sure it’s OK for you.

The occasional headache, especially if you can identify the cause, isn’t something to worry about. However, if you’re having persistent headaches, or they’re worse than usual, you should call your GP just in case they’re a symptom of a problem like pre-eclampsia (10).

Staying healthy at 10 weeks pregnant

Maintain your healthy eating plan for your pregnancy (11) and get some exercise every day as this will all help you to beat some of the more common pregnancy symptoms like constipation and insomnia. You should still be taking your folic acid (12) and drinking lots of water, too.

Getting a good night’s sleep

Sleeplessness is tough at any time, but sleeplessness during pregnancy is particularly difficult. Prioritise sleeping, especially at night. These tips may help you to sleep better:

• Exercise during the day so you’re tired enough to sleep at night

• Eat dinner at least a couple of hours before bedtime so you’re unlikely to be plagued by indigestion or heartburn when you lie down
• Reduce the amount of caffeine you drink, especially after the early afternoon
• Have a warm shower or bath just before bed
• Avoid electronics for an hour or so before you go to bed (have a bath instead)
• Have an early night whenever you get the chance

Things to think about at 10 weeks of pregnancy

It’s not too long until your 12-week ultrasound scan (13), so make sure you’re prepared by finding out more about what happens at your 12-week scan (also known as your dating scan).

If you’re finding it hard to get comfortable at night, try a pregnancy pillow to help to support your body.

Look at maternity clothes and buy a few items such as leggings, stretchy tops and comfortable wrap dresses, but think ahead to which season it’ll be when you’re in your final trimester and plan accordingly.

If you haven’t told people about your pregnancy yet, think about who you’ll tell first and how you plan to go about it.

It’s also never too early to think about how and when to tell your employer that you’re pregnant (14).