10th week: Fingers and toes separate

Weeks and days
9+0 to 9+6
Month
3
Trimester
1

This week, the embryo grows from about 24 to 32 millimeters. The fingers separate, and the arms bend at the elbow. The median hCG level in the blood reaches its highest value.

A single walnut in its shell lies in an open palm on beige linen
Walnut26 to 40 mm, the size of your baby at the end of the week

Week 10 of 40

Calculate your week
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How big is the embryo?

051015202530354045 mm8th week10 to 159th week16 to 2310th week24 to 3211th week33 to 42Walnut at the same scale

24 to 32 mm

At the start of the week, the fingers are still joined by skin; by the end, they separate. Notches appear between the toes, and the arms grow longer and bend at the elbow.

Crown-rump length on ultrasound according to Robinson and Fleming. A walnut in its shell usually measures 26 to 40 mm.

This week

Your baby

  • The hands and feet turn inward, and the eyelids and outer ears form.
  • Part of the intestine still lies in the umbilical cord. This is normal in these weeks.
  • The external genitals are not yet developed enough to tell a boy from a girl.

Your body

  • The median hCG level is 106,257 mIU/ml; 63,803 to 151,410 is normal. This is the highest median in the chart. More in the hCG levels chart.
  • After peaking in the 9th week, nausea eases for many, but it goes away completely by the 14th week in only one in two women.
  • Blood pressure often drops in the first months, and constipation and bloating are common.

What matters now

  • The NIPT blood test for trisomies is possible from about the 10th week. Health insurance pays for it if there is an indication of a trisomy or if you and your doctor conclude that you need it.
  • If you would like first-trimester screening, schedule the appointment now. The measurement takes place between 11+0 and 13+6; in Germany, you pay for it yourself.
  • Basic ultrasound still possible until 11+6 if you have not had it yet.

Get checked right away: heavy bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever, pain when urinating, or vomiting where you cannot keep anything down.

Gestational sacYolk sacEmbryo with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 9+0

    Crown-rump length is about 24 mm, and about 32 mm at the end of the week.

  2. 9+6

    Stomach was visible as a dark spot in three out of four embryos by this point.

  3. 10+3

    Physiological umbilical hernia can be seen in all embryos until about this point; after that, the intestine moves back.

Nuchal translucency cannot be assessed yet this week. It is measured only from 11+0 and from a crown-rump length of 45 mm.

Frequently asked questions about the 10th week of pregnancy

Can you see the sex in the 10th week of pregnancy?

No. The external genitals are not yet developed enough. Even at 11 completed weeks, accuracy in one study was only 70 in 100.

What is the risk of miscarriage in the 10th week of pregnancy?

In a study of women without symptoms in whom the heartbeat was visible, it was 0.5 in 100 at 9 completed weeks. The case numbers were small.

Can you feel the baby in the 10th week of pregnancy?

No. The embryo moves its arms and legs, but it is still far too small for you to feel it.

Which month is the 10th week of pregnancy?

The 3rd month of pregnancy, in the 1st trimester. Figures such as 9+2 weeks also belong to the 10th week of pregnancy.

Sources

Updated on 27 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team