Day 70 of 280, first trimester
You are 10 weeks exactly
The placenta is developing fast, and once it's fully formed, it will supply all your baby's needs.
210 days until your due date
A milestone: the placenta now takes over from the yolk sac in providing your baby's nutrients. Like your baby, the placenta has had to grow and develop its own circulation to keep up with increasing demands.
One week into the pregnancy, the placenta formed separate inner and outer layers of cells, which gradually pushed finger-like fronds into the uterus lining (you may have noticed slight bleeding at implantation). More and more fronds spread into the lining, which itself changed so that each frond (villus) is bathed in small pools of your blood, allowing oxygen and nutrients to pass across.
Until now, this blood flow has been held back by plugs of tissue, but these now start to disappear, because the placenta is developed enough to withstand the pressure of your blood on each delicate villus. The villi will keep branching until about 30 weeks.
Focus on
Nutrition: Refreshing melons
Staying hydrated is essential in pregnancy, and eating water-rich fruit helps. Water in fruit is easily absorbed because the natural sugars draw water into the bloodstream. Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew) are naturally full of water, and their mild, low-acid nature makes them easy to tolerate in pregnancy.
Melons also give you extra folate and other vitamins and nutrients. Try them with cottage cheese or yogurt and a sprinkle of granola for a light meal, or blend them into a smoothie.
Ask a Doctor
What does Rhesus negative mean?
Red blood cells carry either a positive or negative Rhesus factor (Rh factor). Problems can arise if an Rh-negative woman carries an Rh-positive baby who inherited that status from the father. If the mother's blood mixes with the baby's during delivery, she may make antibodies against it.
In a later pregnancy, these antibodies can attack the blood cells of another Rh-positive baby, which can cause severe anemia and heart failure in the baby after birth. You'll be given Rh immunoglobulin to prevent this.
Appointments and key dates around now
- Booking appointmentUsually between 8 and 12 weeks
Read the full 10 weeks pregnant guide
This is general information based on NHS guidance, not medical advice, and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your midwife or GP about anything that worries you. If your baby's movements slow down or change, or you have bleeding, severe pain or leaking fluid, call your maternity unit straight away. In an emergency, call 999.