Week 11 of Pregnancy: A Fig, and the Week Bones Start to Harden

Week 10 brought the embryo-to-foetus terminology shift, but not much else to notice physically. Week 11 continues that pattern — quietly, and that’s worth saying plainly rather than manufacturing drama where there wasn’t any.

What’s actually happening in your body

The baby is now around 41mm long, about the size of a fig. The head is still large relative to the rest of the body, but growth is picking up elsewhere too — fingers and toes are separating from each other, tiny fingernails are forming, and miniature ears are taking shape, according to NHS guidance on week 11 of pregnancy. This is also roughly when ossification centres — the points where cartilage starts hardening into actual bone — begin appearing in the developing skeleton, a process that continues gradually over many more weeks rather than happening all at once, as documented in embryology research on bone ossification. The baby is already kicking inside the womb at this stage, though you won’t be able to feel any of it for several more weeks yet.

What I actually felt

Honestly, not much. Week 11 was mostly quiet for me, without any major noticeable changes — no new symptom, no shift in how I was feeling physically or emotionally. If your week 11 feels similarly uneventful, that lines up with what a lot of women experience at this stage: the more dramatic symptom-heavy weeks tend to cluster earlier in the first trimester, and this stretch closer to its end is often calmer.

Nutrition focus this week

No changes from previous weeks. Consistency with your prenatal vitamin and the general guidance already covered in our foods and drinks to limit or avoid during pregnancy still matters more than anything new at this point.

What to discuss with your doctor or midwife

If it hasn’t come up yet, this is a good week to ask about antenatal screening. Combined screening tests — which check for conditions like Down’s syndrome — are usually offered somewhere between 11 and 14 weeks, often alongside your 12-week scan. If nobody’s mentioned timing to you yet, ask directly rather than assuming it will be brought up automatically.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for nothing to happen this week?

Yes, completely. Week 11 is often one of the quieter weeks of the first trimester for exactly the reason it feels that way — many of the more intense early symptoms have already settled, and the bigger second-trimester changes haven’t started yet.

Can I feel the baby moving at week 11?

Not yet, even though the baby is already moving inside the womb. Most women don’t feel any movement until several weeks from now, often not until somewhere between weeks 16 and 22.

What does it mean that bones are “starting to harden”?

Cartilage is gradually being converted into actual bone through a process called ossification, which begins around this stage and continues steadily over many following weeks — it’s not something that happens all at once.

When should I expect my combined screening test?

Typically somewhere between weeks 11 and 14, often bundled with your 12-week scan. If you haven’t heard about timing yet, ask your doctor or midwife directly.

Why does the baby’s head still look so large compared to the body?

Brain growth has been outpacing body growth since around week 7, so the head appears disproportionately large for now. This evens out gradually as the rest of the body catches up over the coming weeks.

References

1. NHS — Your Pregnancy and Baby Guide, Week 11. nhs.uk
2. NCBI StatPearls — Embryology, Bone Ossification. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
3. NHS — Screening Tests in Pregnancy. nhs.uk