11 weeks pregnant: development, dating scan and screening
11 weeks pregnant is a stage at which, the NHS says, the baby is around 41 mm long from head to bottom, about the size of a fig, and the fingers and toes are separating out (NHS, 2026). This page sets out what the NHS, NICE, ACOG and the Office on Women’s Health say about week 11, including when the first scan is offered.
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Seek help now if you have any of these symptoms
Bleeding and cramping are common in early pregnancy and often do not mean miscarriage. The symptoms below, however, need to be assessed straight away.
- Soaking two or more sanitary pads per hour, or passing large clots
- Severe lower abdominal pain, especially on one side
- Pain at the tip of the shoulder
- Dizziness, fainting, or collapse
- Signs of shock — pale, clammy, rapid heartbeat, breathlessness
- Pain on opening bowels, or bladder or bowel changes
- Feeling very unwell, or feverish
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How the sources describe development around 11 weeks
- Size and shape, NHS
- The NHS week 11 page in its week-by-week guide (NHS, 2026) gives the baby as around 41 mm long from head to bottom and compares it to a fig. It says the head is still supersized but the body is growing quickly, the fingers and toes are separating out, and there are tiny fingernails and miniature ears.
- Movement, NHS
- The NHS says the baby is kicking around, but that you probably will not feel anything for several weeks (NHS, 2026).
- Development, ACOG
- ACOG’s list for weeks 9 to 12 includes the kidneys beginning to make urine, the pancreas starting to make insulin, fingernails forming, and cartilage for the limbs, hands and feet not hardening into bone for a few weeks (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). It does not date these to a single week.
Weeks are counted from the first day of the last menstrual period, so about two weeks of the count come before conception (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). This page covers 11 weeks 0 days to 11 weeks 6 days.
A normal pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks from the first day of the last menstrual period, so at 11 weeks about 29 weeks remain to the estimated due date (ACOG, How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy, 2024). Your own due date depends on your last period or a scan, not on the week alone.
The first scan: three windows from three documents
The sources give different windows for the first scan, which is often called the dating scan.
- The NHS week 11 page says hospitals in England usually offer 2 ultrasound scans in pregnancy and that the first is a dating scan between 8 and 14 weeks (NHS, "Week 11 of pregnancy", 2026).
- The NHS page on antenatal appointments says a scan at 11 to 14 weeks checks when the baby is due, checks development and shows whether you are having more than one baby (NHS, "Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments", 2026).
- NICE guideline NG201 recommends offering a scan between 11 weeks 2 days and 14 weeks 1 day to determine gestational age, detect multiple pregnancy and, if chosen, screen for Down’s, Edwards’ and Patau’s syndromes (NICE, 2021).
The NHS says the test can include a nuchal translucency measurement of the fluid at the back of the baby’s neck as part of screening for Down’s syndrome (NHS, "Week 11 of pregnancy", 2026). In the US, the Office on Women’s Health describes a first trimester screen at 11 to 14 weeks made up of a blood test and a nuchal translucency ultrasound (Office on Women’s Health, Prenatal care and tests, undated). Screening is a choice, and the NHS says it is your choice whether to have it (NHS, "Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments", 2026).
Your body at 11 weeks, as the NHS describes it
The NHS says your muscles and ligaments stretch as you start to bulge out, which could give you pains around your stomach, and that if it hurts a lot you should see your midwife or doctor as soon as possible. It says your body is pumping around up to 50% more blood than usual, which can make you feel hot, sweaty and dizzy, and that the placenta is about to take over from the yolk sac in feeding the baby (NHS, "Week 11 of pregnancy", 2026).
The NHS also says you will be offered a range of tests around now that look at your blood, urine and blood pressure (NHS, "Week 11 of pregnancy", 2026).
Work out which week you are in
The Pregnancy week calculator takes your last period, conception date, scan or IVF transfer and shows how many weeks and days pregnant you are today.
Sources
- NHS Best Start in Life. Week 11 of pregnancy (week-by-week guide to pregnancy). nhs.uk, 2026.
- NHS. Antenatal (pregnancy) care and appointments. nhs.uk, 2026.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Antenatal care (NG201). NICE, 2021.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. How Your Fetus Grows During Pregnancy (FAQ156). ACOG, 2024.
- Office on Women's Health, US Department of Health and Human Services. Prenatal care and tests. womenshealth.gov.
Frequently asked questions
When is the dating scan?
The NHS week-by-week guide says between 8 and 14 weeks, its appointments page says 11 to 14 weeks (NHS, 2026), and NICE guideline NG201 recommends between 11 weeks 2 days and 14 weeks 1 day (NICE, 2021). Your maternity service gives you your own date.
How big is the baby at 11 weeks pregnant?
The NHS says around 41 mm long from head to bottom, about the size of a fig (NHS, 2026).