At 11 weeks pregnant, your baby measures roughly 44 to 54 millimeters from head to bottom (about 1.7 to 2.1 inches), depending on which day of the week you’re in. That’s approximately the size of a fig. Your baby weighs only about 7 to 8 grams at this point, less than half an ounce, but a remarkable amount of development is packed into that tiny frame.
Crown-Rump Length Day by Day
Fetal size is measured as “crown-rump length,” which is the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the buttocks (legs aren’t included because they’re curled up tight). At 11 weeks, your baby grows noticeably from one day to the next. At 11 weeks and 0 days, the average measurement is 43.8 mm. By 11 weeks and 3 days, it reaches about 48.8 mm, and by 11 weeks and 6 days, it’s up to 53.9 mm. That’s roughly 1.5 mm of growth per day, which is fast when you consider how small the baby still is.
What’s Forming Right Now
Week 11 is a busy stretch for physical development. The fingers and toes, which were webbed just a week or two ago, are now separating into distinct digits. Tiny fingernails are starting to appear, and miniature ears are taking shape on the sides of the head. Facial features are becoming more prominent, with the eyes, nose, and mouth looking increasingly human rather than the generic shape of earlier weeks.
Your baby’s bones are beginning to harden, a process that will continue throughout pregnancy and well into childhood. The skin is still translucent at this stage, thin enough that blood vessels would be visible underneath. Joints in the knees, elbows, and ankles are functional, and the baby is already opening and closing its fists and mouth. These movements are entirely reflexive, and you won’t feel any of them for several more weeks.
Your Baby’s Heartbeat
The fetal heart is fully formed by now and beating fast. A normal heart rate at this stage ranges between 110 and 160 beats per minute, though it can spike as high as 170 bpm. For comparison, a resting adult heart beats about 60 to 100 times per minute. If you have an ultrasound or Doppler appointment this week, your provider may be able to pick up this rapid rhythm. Hearing it for the first time is one of the more memorable moments of the first trimester.
Can You Tell the Sex Yet?
Not reliably. At 11 weeks, the external genitalia are still developing. Both male and female fetuses have a small structure called the genital tubercle, and some ultrasound technicians use what’s known as the “nub theory” to guess the baby’s sex based on the angle of this structure. The accuracy of that method at 11 weeks is only about 72 percent, which isn’t much better than a coin flip with a slight edge. If you want a confident answer, you’ll need to wait until around 18 to 20 weeks for an anatomy scan, or opt for a blood-based screening test (cell-free DNA) that can be done as early as 10 weeks with much higher accuracy.
The Nuchal Translucency Scan
Week 11 marks the opening of the window for the nuchal translucency (NT) scan, a screening ultrasound offered between 11 and 14 weeks. During this scan, the sonographer measures a small fluid-filled space at the back of your baby’s neck. Below a certain threshold, this space is a completely normal finding. A measurement of 3 mm or more is considered increased and may prompt additional testing to check for chromosomal differences or heart conditions.
The NT scan is typically combined with a blood test to give a more complete risk assessment. It’s a screening, not a diagnosis, meaning an unusual result doesn’t confirm a problem. It simply flags pregnancies that might benefit from further evaluation. Your provider will likely discuss the timing and details of this scan during your next appointment if they haven’t already.
What You Might Notice in Your Own Body
Your uterus is still tucked within your pelvis at 11 weeks, roughly the size of a grapefruit. Most people aren’t visibly showing yet, though bloating and subtle changes in how your clothes fit are common. Some feel a firmness just above the pubic bone if they press gently. By the end of the first trimester (around week 12 or 13), the uterus begins to rise above the pelvic brim, and that’s when a small bump may start to become noticeable, especially in second or subsequent pregnancies.
Even though your baby is still tiny, the hormonal changes driving this growth are affecting your entire body. Fatigue, nausea, and breast tenderness are still in full swing for many people at 11 weeks, though these symptoms often begin to ease over the next few weeks as the placenta takes over hormone production.