Week 10 Your Baby Can Hear

You are listening to 40 Weeks, a production of the Pregnancy Podcast with Vanessa Merton. Visit pregnancypodcast.com slash week for all of the 40 weeks resources and sign up with your due date to get each episode delivered to your inbox when you start a new week of your pregnancy. As the number one baby monitor brand in North America, VTech is trusted by millions of families to deliver crystal clear HD video, reliable performance, strong night vision, and convenient smartphone apps.

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Thank you for tuning in to the 40 Weeks Podcast. Welcome to Week 10. You have 30 more weeks to go. You can see a picture of what your baby looks like this week, read the transcript, and access the additional resources for week 10 at pregnancypodcast.com slash week 10. Your little grape-sized baby has grown to the size of a kumquat this week. They measure about 1.3 inches or 3.2 centimeters from crown to rump.

and they weigh 1.2 ounces or 35 grams. Your baby is looking cuter and more human by the day. Tooth buds are forming underneath their gums, bones and cartilage are forming, hair is even starting to sprout. You can start talking to your baby because they can hear you now that the inner workings of their ear are complete, neurons appear at one end of the spinal cord, and the basic divisions of the brain are present.

If your baby's a boy, he's already producing testosterone. And in the next three weeks, your baby will double in size. If you've been able to hide the bun in your oven until now you might not be able to hide it much longer. Your uterus has increased from about the size of a small pear to the size of a grapefruit.

If you're not quite ready for maternity clothes, you can opt for bottoms with forgiving elastic waistbands or go for low-rise waistlines that sit below your belly. But please do not suffer in uncomfortable clothes. You may also notice more visible veins on your chest and your abdomen. These can be especially obvious if you have fair skin. Your network of veins has actually expanded to carry increased blood supply that's needed to nourish your...

growing baby. As the weeks go on, you may also notice that the veins in your hands and your feet seem larger and more prominent. This is normal, and eventually they will disappear.

Your doctor or midwife may offer several prenatal tests after week 10. The first trimester screen is a non-invasive test that combines a blood test for you with an ultrasound evaluation of your baby. This test is between 10 weeks and 13 weeks, 6 days, and it can identify a risk for specific chromosomal abnormalities, including trisomy 21, which is Down syndrome.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that the combined accuracy rate for is approximately 85%, with a false positive rate of 5%. It is crucial to remember that a positive result on a screening test does not equate to having an abnormality. It indicates that you may want to discuss further testing with your care provider.

Results from a first trimester screen can also be combined with a quad screen test in the second trimester. Combining these is called an integrated screening test. Combining these results has a higher detection rate for Down syndrome than either of the two tests alone. You can also take a cell-free DNA test as early as 10 weeks.

This test uses a blood sample to look for fragments of your baby's DNA that are freely floating in your bloodstream. A cell-free DNA test can detect a lot more chromosome abnormalities than the Plus, you can find out your baby's sex and their RH factor. Since the cell-free DNA test is less accurate for low-risk mothers, the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine

and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists don't recommend this test for low-risk women. This week also opens the window for a chorionic villus sampling. or a CVS test. This is a diagnostic test to determine if a baby has chromosome abnormalities like Down syndrome and genetic disorders like cystic fibrosis. A CVS is available between 10 to 13 weeks.

The most common method this has done is transcervical, where an ultrasound guides a thin catheter through the cervix to your placenta. The other method is a transabdominal approach, where an ultrasound guides a long, thin needle through your abdomen to your placenta. The level of accuracy of this test is very high at 98 to 99%, but the test does not measure the severity of these disorders.

Tip for dads and partners. By week 10, more prenatal tests are available. Taking tests can create a lot of anxiety for mom. And this is a significant reason why you should make it a priority to attend prenatal appointments. Getting less than ideal results back can be very difficult, especially if mom is alone in that appointment. You being by her side can be a tremendous support and comfort.

Thank you for tuning in to the 40 Weeks Podcast. You can see a full transcript and all of the resources for this episode at pregnancypodcast.com slash week 10. Next week, your baby starts developing fingernails. And until then, I wish you the very best in your pregnancy journey. VTech offers a wide range of baby monitors designed for today's modern parents. The VTech VM901 monitor makes monitoring effortless whether you're home or away. With two-way talk, built-in soothing sounds, and lullabies,

temperature alerts, and a sound activated screen. You can also split the screen if you have multiple cameras. There's a plug and play setup with secure encrypted Wi-Fi. And this was recognized with the Family Choice Award. The VM-901 baby monitor is designed for convenience and reliable performance. As the number one baby monitor brand in North America, VTech is trusted by millions of families. Check out the VTech VM901 baby monitor at...

pregnancypodcast.com slash VM901. Save 20% with the code VTPODCAST20.