11 Weeks Pregnant: What to Expect

Eleven weeks marks the final stretch of the first trimester, and for many women it's the week things start to feel a little easier. Your baby is now fully formed in miniature, and your body is quietly getting on with the enormous job of building a placenta and expanding your blood supply. Here's what tends to be happening this week, both for you and for your baby.

Your Body at 11 Weeks

Physically, this is often a week of small but welcome shifts:

Nausea may start to ease. For many women, morning sickness peaks around weeks 9-10 and begins to lift from 11 weeks onwards, though it can carry on well into the second trimester for others — both are entirely normal.
Your appetite may pick back up, especially if nausea has settled. It's fine to eat what feels manageable; a varied, balanced diet matters more than perfect portions right now.
A bump may be starting to show, though most women aren't visibly pregnant yet at 11 weeks. Bloating often accounts for early changes in how clothes fit before an actual bump appears.
Skin changes can begin, including the linea nigra (a faint dark line down the abdomen) and increased pigmentation in some women, driven by rising hormone levels.
Breast tenderness, tiredness and a frequent need to wee often continue from earlier weeks as your blood volume and hormone levels keep climbing.
Headaches or lightheadedness can occur as your circulatory system adapts — staying hydrated and eating regularly can help.

Your Baby at 11 Weeks

Your baby is now officially a fetus rather than an embryo, and development is moving quickly:

Roughly the size of a fig, around 4-5cm from crown to rump.
All major organs, limbs, fingers and toes have formed and will now spend the coming weeks growing and maturing rather than forming from scratch.
Your baby can open and close their hands, and tiny movements are beginning — though you won't feel these yet.
Your baby can swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid and may show early reflexive movements like kicking, even though it's far too early for you to notice.
The face is becoming more distinctly human, with eyes moving from the sides of the head towards the front, and ears taking shape.
The placenta is well established and taking over hormone production from the corpus luteum, which is one reason some early pregnancy symptoms begin to shift around now.

Looking After Yourself This Week

A few practical things worth keeping in mind at 11 weeks:

Keep taking your 400mcg folic acid supplement daily until week 12, alongside a 10mcg vitamin D supplement, which is recommended throughout pregnancy.
If you haven't already, book your 12-week scan (dating scan) — most areas invite you to book this once you've had your booking appointment with a midwife.
Gentle movement, such as walking or swimming, is generally encouraged and can help with energy and mood, aiming for around 150 minutes a week if you feel up to it.
Keep caffeine to under 200mg a day (roughly two mugs of instant coffee) and continue to avoid alcohol and smoking.
If you're considering screening tests such as combined screening for Down's syndrome, this is a good week to read up on timings, since some tests are only available in a specific window from around 11 to 14 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it normal to feel nothing at 11 weeks?

Yes. Some women have very mild symptoms or none at all by this stage, and this doesn't mean anything is wrong. Symptom intensity varies hugely between pregnancies and even between different pregnancies for the same woman, so the absence of symptoms is not, on its own, a cause for concern.

When should I worry at 11 weeks?

Contact your GP or midwife promptly if you experience heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, a high fever, or persistent vomiting that means you can't keep fluids down. These symptoms warrant a same-day assessment rather than waiting for your next routine appointment, so don't hesitate to call.

Can I find out my baby's due date more accurately at 11 weeks?

Yes — your 12-week dating scan, usually booked for sometime between 11 and 14 weeks, uses ultrasound measurements to give a more accurate estimated due date than one based on your last period alone. This scan will also check your baby's development and, depending on timing, may include combined screening.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always speak to your midwife or GP about symptoms or concerns specific to your pregnancy.

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