11-Week-Old Baby Development

Your 11-week-old baby is going through some big changes. They are becoming more social, mobile, and are likely moving their arms and hands with more intention. And you may find that your postpartum body is starting to feel more and more like your pre-pregnancy body.

Read on for details about your baby at 11 weeks, plus some tips about your postpartum body at this stage.

Your Growing Baby

At 11 weeks, your baby is slowly morphing into a social butterfly. With an array of disarming facial expressions at their disposal—frowns, winces, wide-mouthed smiles—they are figuring out how to communicate with you.

They might pause for a second while feeding just to give you a grin. They like to play more now and can fuss if they feel they're not getting enough attention. This makes it the perfect time to introduce a few activities.

Tummy time

Lie on your back on the floor and have your baby lie on their tummy on top of you. They will naturally want to look at you, so they'll try to lift their head up or even use their arms to push their chest up. (This milestone may not occur until they are 4 months old, so don't worry if it's not just yet).

Home show

Help your baby learn the words for things by gesturing to objects around your home (or office or grocery store) and naming them. Take 15 minutes to give them a guided tour of their environment, and say things like, "This is a doggie" or "See the tulip?"

Reach for the sky

Dangle a bright toy or stuffed animal over your baby's head and encourage them to grab it, making sure they have to stretch to get it. It's a good infant workout, a way to develop hand-eye coordination, and a chance for them to relish cheers of encouragement.

Baby Health Check

At 11 weeks, your baby may begin to develop gas. It may be distressing for your baby and you. But rest assured; there are some ways you can help them with their rumbly tummy.

Gas causes and symptoms

Talk about the high price of gas! When a baby's gassy, you usually know it, as they will squirm, scream, or appear miserable. Gas symptoms in babies include:

• Fussiness
• Bloating
• Burping
• Flatulence

Excess gas can happen when babies gulp down too much air with breast milk or formula—and while it isn't entirely avoidable, there are things you can do to make them feel better.

Gas treatment

There are numerous ways to treat and prevent gas in babies. These include:

• Burping your baby during and after feeding
• Feeding in an upright position
• Bicycling your baby's legs
• Using anti-gas drops (simeticone) or gripe water

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends burping a baby during and after a feeding. If you're nursing, you could burp them when moving them from one side to the other and then again when they're finished. If bottle feeding, try to burp them once halfway through their bottle.

Keeping your baby relatively upright during and after a feeding might also help. If you use a bottle, make sure the nipple is the right size for your baby. When the flow is too slow, they have to suck extra hard to get anything out and can swallow extra air. The same thing occurs when the nipple flow is too fast as the milk gushes out and your baby has to gulp it down.

Likewise, if you're nursing, an improper latch can lead to your baby gulping too much air, as can an overactive letdown that can cause your baby to sputter and choke.

Some parents use anti-gas drops or gripe water to soothe a fussy baby, but most health care providers don't think they work well. A better solution: Lay your baby flat on their back and bicycle their legs to make it easier to pass gas, or place them face-down over your forearm, where the pressure might soothe their tummy.

In rare cases, gas can be caused by a digestive problem or an allergy. So call your pediatrician if it's your baby's gas symptoms are severe.

Need-to-Know Postpartum

At 11 weeks, you're nearly three months post-birth. That means your body is probably fully healed or at least close. And, aside from the lack of sleep, your energy may be starting to return. At this time, your menstrual cycles may have returned, and you may feel ready for sexual activity.

Physical activity

If your health care provider has given you the OK to exercise again, you may have to get creative for fitting in exercising with a baby in tow. Here are some ideas:

• Pop your little one into a front pack or sling and go for a walk.
• Bundle them into the jogging stroller and go running.
• Try a parent-and-baby yoga workout.
• Go to a gym that offers child care.
• Stream a workout over your TV while your baby is dozing or bouncing in a swing.

Postpartum periods

If you're formula feeding, you may get your period back any day if you haven't already. However, if you're exclusively breastfeeding around the clock, you may not get your period back for several more months, usually after your baby starts solids or you begin breastfeeding less often.

While the return of your period may be delayed, it's important to remember that you can still get pregnant before you've had a period. That's because you ovulate before your period begins, and there is no way of knowing when that might be without regular cycles to help you out. So, if you're having penis-in-vagina sex, now is an excellent time to take to a health care provider about what birth control method is best for you if you haven't already.

Postpartum sex

You may have gotten the green light to resume having sex at your six-week postpartum appointment. But not everyone is ready to have sex that early. If you're still not ready, that's perfectly normal, too.

If you are, some things can make your experience more pleasurable. Keep the following in mind:

• Take it slow.
• Use lubrication if needed.
• Use sex toys or masturbate to find out what feels good.
• Communicate openly with your partner beforehand and during sexual activity to set expectations and communicate likes and dislikes.