10th week of Pregnancy

The most obvious changes in your body at this time are thicker, shinier hair; fuller breasts that may be slightly tender; and a baby bump that is becoming more noticeable by the day. Some of you may also develop melasma or the mask of pregnancy—this is basically dark spots that appear on the skin as a result of pregnancy hormones. For most women, melasma tends to go away on its own after the delivery.

But this is just on the surface. Inside, there is a lot going on. This is mostly because of pregnancy hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), of course. Some of the symptoms you can expect to have this week are:

• Dizziness
• Morning sickness
• Fatigue
• Mood swings
• Abdominal bloating
• Breast tenderness during pregnancy
• Increased vaginal discharge during pregnancy that is milky white and thin
• Cravings for certain foods and absolute aversion to others. Your tastes may also change: things you hated eating before may suddenly start tasting yummy and vice versa.
• Metallic or sour taste in the mouth
• Changes in sleeping patterns (Read more: Sleep during pregnancy)
• You may also feel hotter than usual; you could try some natural ways to bring down body temperature during pregnancy like taking a bath.
• Some women may also experience spotting or very light vaginal bleeding: do let your doctor know if this happens to you.

These symptoms are normal during the first trimester. They are also likely to ease once you begin with the second trimester of pregnancy in three short weeks.

However, if you experience symptoms like excessive vomiting along with noticeable weight loss, vaginal bleeding (more than spotting), severe headaches, cramps or pain in the lower abdomen, a burning sensation when you urinate, blurred vision or other vision problems, acute swelling in the face, hands or fingers, high fever or chills, then you must see the doctor immediately. These signs could point to different problems such as hyperemesis gravidarum, urinary tract infection or even miscarriage.

Your baby has gained about eight millimetres in length since last week and is now roughly 30 mm from top to bottom. Your baby is about the size of an apricot or fresh khubani.

The head is still too big for the body but the arms and legs are developing little by little—this week, your baby's knees and ankles will develop and he/she will gain the ability to flex their arms. Tiny nails will also start to grow on his/her fingers and toes.

The jawbone is forming now and tiny teeth bud are taking their place in your baby's jaw this week.

He/she is also developing their digestive tract this week—they'll be able to make insulin by the end of this week. Insulin is, of course, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels by taking glucose to those tissues and cells that need it for energy.

Your baby started peeing in the womb last week, now he or she will be urinating more.

Your baby's ears had started developing last week; now, the ear canals will continue to develop.

The heart will be fully formed by the end of this week and will beat at about 180 beats per minute in a normal foetus.

The most important thing is to take care of yourself at this point. No, you don't have to take time off work or lay in bed all day. Be as active as you are able—this will serve you and the baby well. But also remember that pregnancy can be a demanding stage of life. Try to stay happy, and indulge your cravings within reasonable limits. 

If your doctor recommends it or if you have a high-risk or twin pregnancy, your doctor may ask you to get some additional tests done between this week and the 12th week of pregnancy. Some of these tests could be an ultrasound of your cervix if the doctor suspects cervical insufficiency and chorionic villus sampling (CVS) to check for neural tube defects like spina bifida in the baby. In CVS, the doctor will send a few cells from the placenta for testing.

If everything is fine and your doctor doesn't want you to get special tests done this week, you still have an important pregnancy ultrasound coming up between the 11th week of pregnancy and the 13th week of pregnancy. Known as the Nuchal Transparency or NT scan, this ultrasound can help the doctor determine whether your baby might have a genetic disorder like Down's syndrome or Trisomy 18. So make an appointment for it now.

If you haven't had a dating scan yet, you can ask your doctor to let you know the due date for your baby's arrival based on this ultrasound.

You can also get yourself tested for infections like hepatitis B and syphilis this week—this is important because if you have any of these infections, you could pass them on to the baby. The alternative is that you get the tests done, and if you test positive, your doctors can manage the infection with the appropriate medications and significantly reduce your baby's chances of getting it from you.

If you haven't already had blood tests for haemoglobin levels and indirect Coombs test to check for Rh sensitization during pregnancy, you can get them this week, too. (Read more: Checkups and tests during pregnancy)

If you haven't been vaccinated against whooping cough or pertussis, make a mental note to get the vaccine between the 16th week of pregnancy and the 32nd week of pregnancy. You can get the flu shot this week, though.

Remember to sip on about 2.4 litres of water throughout the day.

In the 10th week of pregnancy, you should take care of the following:

• Your blood pressure: As the volume of blood in your body increases, you could develop gestational hypertension a little later in your pregnancy. You can start monitoring your blood pressure now and report any increase or drop to your doctor. It is a good idea to maintain a diary for such readings throughout your pregnancy, for quick diagnosis of any problem going forward.
  If you had high blood pressure before pregnancy, then you may be at increased risk for a miscarriage. Ask your doctor's advice on the proper management of your blood pressure during this time.
• Your blood sugar: If you have a history of gestational diabetes in your previous pregnancies, it can lead to complications for your pregnancy and future health. Cut back on added sugars (yes, despite the cravings) and follow your doctor's advice closely.
• Your weight: If you were already overweight or obese before pregnancy or had thyroid problems, you would need to be extra careful. Obesity increases the risk of complications like miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, stillbirth, birth defects and heart problems for the expecting mom. 
• Your aches and pains: It's normal to experience some lower back pain and headache during pregnancy. But if you experience excruciating pain, you should see your doctor for it. Pregnancy hormones have been linked to the onset of migraine in some women.

Additionally, some factors that may increase the risk of complications during pregnancy week 10 are:

• Older age of expecting mom (over 35 years)
• Smoking
• Drinking alcohol in the first trimester
• Previous miscarriages

Your baby bump will start to show now if it hasn't already. (Invest in a few loose-fitting clothes and bras and underwear to accommodate you better now.) Your hair will be thick and shiny, and your hair fall will be negligible.

You may experience some breast soreness and blue veins may start to stand out in your belly and breasts. As long as you can manage the pain without medication, these are nothing to worry about.

Your gastrointestinal symptoms will continue: you may feel bloated, constipated, gassy and have indigestion during pregnancy. You may also need to urinate frequently during pregnancy.

Bleeding gums is a common pregnancy complaint; see a dentist soon if you are having this problem and maintain strict oral hygiene.

The volume of blood in your body is increasing. Yet, you may develop iron-deficiency anaemia as the baby needs iron to grow. Talk to your doctor about the appropriate supplements for you. Try to eat iron-rich foods like cooked chicken liver, nuts and seeds and green leafy vegetables.

You will most likely get a milky white vaginal discharge during pregnancy now. If this discharge changes colour (to green or yellow), is speckled with blood or starts smelling quite foul, you should visit your doctor.