At 10 weeks pregnant you are a quarter of the way through your pregnancy! It is a time of exciting developments, but also many new symptoms and concerns.
By week 10, the fetus is now fully formed and its organs are beginning to function. Its fingers and toes are forming and its hair is growing. Its tadpole-like tail has disappeared and its internal sex organs have formed (although they won’t be fully functional until the baby is born). The fetus’s ears are now starting to form, and the mouth has 2 nostrils. Its jaw bone is shaping up, and the teeth are already forming (although they won’t emerge until your baby is 6 months old). The fetus is practising swallowing amniotic fluid and kicking its tiny legs!
The uterus is expanding rapidly now, and you may start to feel mild stomach cramps. These are usually a little milder than period cramps and often described as a tugging sensation in the abdomen. Some women also start to experience lower back pain around this time, as the uterus puts pressure on the abdomen muscles.
Some gynecologists will order noninvasive prenatal screening tests at this stage. These are a blood test that can check for conditions such as Down syndrome and other genetic abnormalities. Your gynecologist can also use this test to tell you the sex of your baby, if you want to know.