You are nearing the end of your first trimester! Woo hoo! Your uterus is the size of a big orange and is beginning its journey northwards from bottom of your pelvis to a front-and-center position in your abdomen. Your constant urge to urinate will also diminish as the uterus moves up. Time to start preparing to celebrate the farewell of other early pregnancy symptoms: nausea, tender breasts and sore nipples, food aversions and fatigue. If you have a slim body-frame, you might start showing.

Garbha Vriddhi

द्वितीय शीतोष्मानिलैरभिप्रपच्यमानानां महाभूतानां संघातो घनः संजायते, यदि पिण्डः पुमान, स्त्री चेत पेशी नपुंसकं चेदर्बुदमिति॥ (सुश्रुत शारीरस्थान)

Ayurveda says the accumulated mahabhutas in 1 st month get processed by the combined effect of sheeta-ushma-anila and become Ghana (solid).

Your Baby's Development

Ear are here

Your baby-to-be’s ears have moved closer to both sides of his little head. Where they will be all his life!

Fingers and toes

That web-like look of the fingers and toes is going away and the fingers and toes are separating. Fingernail and toenail beds are also beginning to develop. A fine layer of skin has been forming over your baby's body. Another layer is forming now that will become the baby’s fingernails and toenails this week.

Large head

Your baby's head is quite huge and is about half the length of their body. The curled up body is getting longer and straighter. If you are lucky, the first signs of breathing movements can be seen on the ultrasound.

Baby’s face

The eyelids close and fuse together this week. They will remain closed till late in pregnancy. Inside that tiny mouth, taste buds are developing. The eyes, nose, mouth, and ears are shaping up nicely making the baby look human.

Tiny tongue

Open nasal passages can be spotted on the tip of his tiny nose. A little tongue and palate has formed in the mouth.

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Your Pregnancy Symptoms

Urge to pee

hCG, the pregnancy is sending more blood flow to the pelvic area and kidneys making you pee more often. But, don’t reduce your water intake. You really need lots of it. Don’t have caffeine since that will make the situation worse.

Nausea and vomiting

The feeling of their nausea accompanied by vomiting is still persisting. Do manage it with eating small, frequent meals and calming the tummy with soothing foods. This should go away by weeks 12 to 14.

Faintness or dizziness

The demand for blood has increased and which can lead to dizziness and faintness. Whenever you feel dizzy, try to lie down or at least, elevate your feet above the level of your heart to increase blood pressure throughout your body. You can also sit and put your head between your knees and breathe deeply.

Bloating and gas

The progesterone in your body has caused your gastrointestinal tract to relax, which slows digestion. You might feel expanded and bloated. Incorporate spices like turmeric, cumin, fennel seeds, coriander, and hing (asafetida) in your diet. Avoid drinking chilled water since that slows the ‘agni’ and digestion.

Breast tenderness

The breast tissue is growing and the hormones are causing tenderness. Use a cold pack on it if too much. A warm showr also helps. Reduced salt intake and a low-fat diet are good lifestyle choices to reduce this symptom.

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iMumz Wellness Tip

Balancing vata dosha

The vata dosha needs more attention during pregnancy, as it affects the energy of the nervous system.

• The three rasas (tastes) that balance vata are madhura (sweet), amla (sour) and lavana (salty).
• Focus on madhura rasa because it is the most sattvic or wholesome for the baby.
• Drink warm, vat-pasteurised (heated under 135 degrees F), non-homogenised milk of grass-fed cows.
• Eat food made with fresh, plant-based, whole/sprouted grains and non-processed foods.
• Use healthy oils like olive, ghee and coconut as cooking mediums
• One cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of ghee twice a day is said to boost immunity and vitality (ojas) of the baby.
• Daily Abhyanga (self oil application) helps to balance vata dosha in the body  

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Your Pregnancy check-ups

During 11 to 13 weeks of pregnancy, blood pressure check and weight check are done. The doctor will tell you that gaining more than 11 to 16 kg is recommended if your BMI is normal (pregnancy BMI - 18.5 to 24.9).

Generally, iron and calcium supplements will also be started between 11 to 13 weeks.

The ultrasound scan called Nuchal Translucency (NT) scan is the most important part during  the 11 to 13 weeks check up timeline. The nuchal translucency scan measures the thickness of this fluid to assess the risk of Down's syndrome. The scan checks the thickness of your baby's nuchal fold, a fold of skin on the back of your baby's neck.

Increased thickness might indicate a chromosomal abnormality, but it doesn't tell you that your baby has, or doesn't have an abnormality. The results will tell you if your baby is at high risk or low risk of chromosomal abnormality in comparison to the general population.

In case the pregnancy dating scan wasn’t done during your first visit, this pregnancy ultrasound scan can be used to accurately calculate the due date and to tell you if you are carrying more than one baby.

What should you eat in this week of pregnancy?

With your appetite returning, it is important to include foods that are super-high in nutritional value. Almonds are MASSIVE store-houses of vitamins, manganese and magnesium. Sesame seeds have huge reserves of calcium, magnesium and zinc. What’s better than a sweet treat? Just don’t have too much in a day!

Almond and Sesame Pinni

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Ingredients

• 2 cup wheat flour
• 1/4 cup roasted thinly-sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup ghee
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon spice cardamom

• 2 1/2 tablespoon semolina (suji)
• 1/4 cup roasted, ground sesame seeds
• 1 1/2 tablespoon gram flour (besan)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

Method

• First make a sugar syrup by pouring heating water in a pan followed by sugar into it. The mixture will start to thicken a bit. Dip a finger, take some out and stick against your thumb. If a thin string forms when you stretch it, it is of the right consistency.
• Next, preheat ghee in a thick-bottomed vessel and when hot, roast besan, semolina and wheat flour . Keep stirring until the mixture obtains a golden colour. After the mixture gets that desired colour, add sugar syrup   and cardamom powder into it. Let this entire mixture cook until it dries up a little. Add roasted almond slices and ground white sesame to the mixture and mix well.
• When it cools, shape into rounds or squares.