When you are 3 months pregnant, the embryo becomes a fetus. The umbilical cord connects it (the fetus) to the placenta and uterine wall. The external sexual organs of the future child also begin to develop.
The 9th and 10th week
The embryo develops into a fetus after 10 weeks.
- It is 21–40 mm long.
- The tail disappears.
- They stretch their fingers and toes.
- The umbilical cord connects the abdomen of the fetus to the placenta.
- The placenta is attached to the wall of the uterus, and absorbs nutrients from the bloodstream.
- The cord carries nutrients and oxygen to the fetus, and carries waste away from the fetus.
The 11th and 12th week
During the 11th – 12th week of pregnancy the fetus is measured from the top of the head to the buttocks: this is called crown croup length (CRL).
- The fetus has a CRL (crown croup length) of 6-7.5 cm.
- The fingers of his hands and feet are no longer webbed.
- His bones begin to harden.
- His skin and nails begin to grow.
- Changes triggered by hormones begin to make the external sexual organs, female or male, appear.
- The fetus begins to make spontaneous movements.
- His kidneys begin to produce urine.
- Its first sweat glands appear.
- His eyelids are fused together.
Symptoms of pregnancy in the 3rd month
During the third month many of the pregnancy symptoms of the first 2 months continue and sometimes worsen.
- This is especially true with regard to nausea.
- Your breasts keep growing and changing.
- The area around the nipple, the areola, may become larger and darker.
- If you are prone to acne you may suffer from it.
You probably won’t gain much weight during the first 3 months of pregnancy: usually about 4.5 kg.
If you are overweight or underweight you may experience a different rate of weight gain. Talk to your nurse or doctor about maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy.
Katherine Johnson, M.D., is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist with clinical expertise in general obstetrics and gynecology, family planning, women’s health, and gynecology.
She is affiliated with the Obstetrics and Gynecology division at an undisclosed healthcare institution and the online platform, Maternicity.com.