9 Weeks Pregnant

At 9 Weeks Pregnant, your baby’s major organs are in place, but not working yet. This is your baby’s last week as an embryo; next week she’ll be known as a fetus. Her major organs are in place, although by no means in full working order. There’s a long way to go yet and her body systems will continue to mature for the rest of pregnancy, and beyond. The most noticeable difference to your body will be in your breasts. You may well have gone up a cup size – or more.

Embryo at 10th Weeks Pregnant

1.The embryo measures 3cm (1.2in) crown to rump.

2.The outer ear is fully formed but not yet in its final position, which will be higher up.

3.The mouth and lips are now nearly fully developed.

4.The wrist has formed and is able to bend.

5.The bulge at the base of the umbilical cord contains the developing intestines.

6.The fingers and toes have lengthened and separated.

7.The uterus continues to enlarge and lift upwards.

8.The umbilical cord takes blood between the baby and the placenta.

9.The placenta is now fully functioning. It will be the baby’s lifeline until the end of your pregnancy.

10.The yolk sac is not needed anymore and is shrinking away.

11.The nose protrudes from the face and has a definite shape.

12.The baby’s head has lifted slightly off the chest.

In 9th week, your baby is the size of a prune. While your little bundle of joy is busy building his or her cartilage and bones, you might be suffering from constant constipation. 

Your Baby’s Development When 9 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby right now is just around an inch long, from crown to bottom and still weighs less than quarter of an ounce. But this is the time, when you baby has crossed the most critical period of development. This is the onset of the very important fetal development period – a time when the varied organs and tissues of your baby’s body are going to continuously mature and grow.

While creating a storm inside you, your little angel is now swallowing fluids. He or she is growing and developing his vital organs, such as intestines, brains, liver and kidneys. The red blood cells are getting developed in the place of yolk sac, which is soon going to disappear, but will continue to develop all throughout your pregnancy.

As per the 10th week of pregnancy, inside your womb are a few minute emerging details of your baby, such as tiny nails forming on the baby’s hands and legs - the webbing has completely ended. The baby also has peach-fuzz hair growing on his or her tender skin. Moreover, your baby can now bend his or her limbs. Interestingly, your baby’s hands are flexed over at the wrist while touching his or heart. Imagine those tiny legs are now long enough to meet in front of the body, super awesome, eh?

As far as other bodily developments are concerned, now the outline of his spine is pretty much visible all throughout that paper-like, transparent skin. The spinal nerves are stretching out from his spinal cord and his or her forehead is now big enough to bulge out as the developing brain is sitting high on his head. The head can be as huge as half a length of his or her body. Right from crown to the rump, in a total height of 1/4th inches, your baby’s bones are even getting developed in a fast and furious manner.

Your baby is set on the stage to take a human shape now and he or she is developing cartilages and bones, including knees and ankles. He or she has teeny-tiny arms, complete with elbow, which can be flexed. Not only this, the tooth bud fairy has been kind on your baby and he or she is all set to greet the little teeth that are forming beneath the gums. But be rest assured those pearly whites won’t grow up until your tiny tot is nearly six months old.

His or her digestive system is also producing good amount of digestive juices and the kidneys are even forming large quantities of urine, and if he is a boy then he is all set on the track to produce testosterone already. He or she also has his little heart formed by now, which is beating at least two to three times faster than yours.

If you ever see your baby on an ultrasound, you will see how by the 10th week of your pregnancy, your little bundle of mischief is creating jerky movements and bobbing about!

Changes in You At 9 Weeks Pregnancy

Welcome to the emotional ride of having a baby. By the 10th week of pregnancy, you would be feeling gleefully high and frustratinglylow as the pregnancy hormone might be driving your moods crazy. All thanks to the past few weeks of feeling nauseated, queasy and exhausted, the good news is that the end of first trimester is just round the corner and soon you will be having an emotional relief as and when the hormonal fluctuations relief out.

By your next prenatal visit, you would be able to listen to the rapid heartbeat of your baby with a help of a Doppler – a handheld ultrasound device, which your gynaecologist places on your belly. His or her heart’s beating might be as loud as thunder of galloping horses and listening to it for the first time can be an extremely emotional experience.

By now your uterus (which was in pre-pregnancy stage the size of a small pear) has now swelled up to look like a grapefruit. Your regular clothes are sure to feel uncomfortable, tight and a tad bit problematic to you. And not mention, your breasts might be straining the seams of your bra by now. Your midsection might have thickened a bit by now, thanks to the pregnancy weight gain and bloating. When buying maternity clothes for your awesome journey, make sure to opt for elastic waistbands one or ones that have low-rise waistlines as it will help in providing you with much-needed comfort.

For moms-to-be by this stage, especially the problem of constipation occurs. This is because the smooth muscles of the large bowel aren’t doing a great job of holding up, accompanied by a slight roundness in your lower abdomen. Make sure to consume lot of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, drink up on lots of water and exercise regularly.

Another peculiar thing you might notice in this stage is how you will have some faded blue lines appearing all over your skin, crisscrossing around your breasts and abdomen. These veins are more so visible if you are fair-skinned and thin. But even people with darker complexion tend to get these weird veins. These veins are nothing but expanded network of veins carrying an increased supply of blood, which helps in nourishing your growing fetus. As and when your pregnancy progresses, you are bound to notice more and more of veins appearing on your hands and feet. There is nothing to worry with these veins, in fact you should be considering them as a proud badge of being a pregnant woman. Right after your pregnancy, they will go away, so just don’t worry!

Nutrition for 9 Weeks Pregnant

• Add hearty calories to your diet: It is imperative to add a minimum of 300 calories a day in your diet as these are minimum enough calories for you and your baby’s internal development. Consuming a banana with a milk, an egg with a toast, and overall slightly bigger and richer portions is a good way to add calories to your diet.

• Communicate with your gynaecologist and inquire about the right sort of tests: Do make it a point to speak with your doctor regarding getting a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) test. This is a test, which is mostly done between the 10th to 12th week of pregnancy. It helps in checking with genetic abnormalities, which is super important to get tested for when you have a family history of genetic diseases or are 35 years or older.

• Exercise your way to a good prenatal health: Exercising just for 30 minutes a day is a safe and beneficial way to take care of your and your baby’s health. Consider aerobics, which helps in promoting circulation and toning your muscles while up keeping your joint health in good shape. You can also indulge in some light weight training exercises but be aware to not strain your body. Choose between Pilates, yoga, water exercises, or golf and add to the relaxation and flexibility of your muscle, by reducing overheating and easing stress in your body.

• Cure constipation naturally:A common symptom in the first trimester of pregnancy, in order to deal with constipation, you must be clear of clogging-up foods, such as refined whites and heavily spiced or oily foods. Be fixated with fibers in the form of whole grains (such green leafy vegetables and fiber-rich cereals), fresh fruits (such as watermelon, banana and kiwi) and dried fruits (such as apricots, figs and raisins).Also, make sure to wash the fiber down by adding plenty of liquids in your diet.

Nutrition for Baby

• Do not eat while watching TV or working on computer: This is especially important for moms-to-be who are obsessed with technology as this might interfere with your ability to tell whether you are full or not, adding to poor dietary habit woes.

• Load up on Vitamin D adequately: During this stage your baby is getting prepared to form his or her tiny pearly white under those gums, hence it is important for them to be fed with Vitamin D. Low levels of Vitamin D might be setting him or her up for future cavities, hence it is one requirement you need to be fully packed with. Good sources of Vitamin D are tuna, mackerel, salmon, orange juice, soy milk and egg yolks.

• Consume a variety of food groups in a day: By opting for food items that are nourishing your unborn baby, you are making sure to have a healthy baby in the future. It is recommended by experts to include a minimum of 2 to 4 servings of fruit in a day, 4 to 5 serving of dairy products, 3 to 4 servings of proteins, 6 to 11 servings of breads and grains, while 5 to 110 servings of fresh, cooked or raw, vegetables.

Common Worries at 9 Weeks Pregnancy

• Be properly informed about urinary tract infections during pregnancy: UTIs (Urinary tract infections) are quite common during pregnancy, owing to the high levels of progesterone in a moms-to-bes’ body. This hormone is known to relax your uterus, as a result slowing your urine and allowing more bacterias to grow down there. This infection is often multiplied easily, and at times might even cause a bladder infection, called cystitis. Cystitis symptoms include burning sensation when urination, a frequent urge to pee, lower stomach pain, pelvic discomfort and pain. You might also find that your urine is looking cloudy and smelling foul. In case of any such symptoms, it is advisable to contact your healthcare provider immediately.

• Be wary about bacterial vaginosis:BV (Bacterial vaginosis) is also a genital tract infection, which is caused by an overgrowth of bacterias that are usually found in your vagina in small numbers. There are no particular symptoms of BV, but if you find a milky white or grey discharge, accompanied with a fishy smell, then you must visit your gynaecologist to inquire about it. Do note that BV has been often associated with preterm labor, hence any symptoms of BV shouldn’t be left unnoticed.

• Be educative about yeast infections during this stage:A common vaginal infection, these infections are caused by a microscopic fungi belonging to the Candida family. Found in mostly 1.3rd of pregnant women, this is mainly caused by a boost in estrogen hormone in your body demanding your vagina to produce more glycogen. Though it isn’t a very serious issue for the mother or for the baby, it is best to visit a doctor to know about your developments and be well-informed and treated on it, if need be.

• Occasional headaches:You might even suffer from crazy hormone effect on your body in the form of aching headaches. Fatigue, hunger and stress often add to these headaches. Do not pop in any over-the-counter pill and do talk with your doctor before consuming any ibuprofen or acetaminophen.

• Faintness or dizziness:In some extreme cases you might encounter an extra rush of blood pumping through your veins, often making you feel like you are fainting. In such a situation, be sure to lie down on a bed or recliner as just close your eyes mediating or thinking about positive outcomes of your pregnancy while nibbling on a healthy snack – this will help in decreasing those dizzy spelling.

What do the Experts Suggest for 9 Weeks Pregnant?

“You may feel sudden urges of morning sickness and might start to subside fatigue at this week of pregnancy. Heart burn and flatulence may increase. Light headedness may appear during this week. For light headedness take adequate rest in between work. Always lie down on the left side. Wear loose comfortable clothes. Light exercise and walk is totally recommended.”

Dr.Sadhna Singhal, Sr consultant in Obs&Gynae at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, New Delhi

Seasonal Pregnancy Care 

Summer – Hydration can be an easy and tasty way to beat the heat of the scorching summer sun. Once you have got your daily quote of water, you must indulge in a healthy mocktail, which is a great way to consume some much-needed pregnancy nutrients. Summers are also a great way to indulge in last-minute romantic getaways, also known as babymoons. Babymoons are a perfect time to indulge in some quality time together while you are transitioning from being partners to parents.

Monsoon – Let your hair down and bask in glory of cool breeze and sound of rain coming through your window in the monsoon season. During this hypersensitive state, make sure you are wearing lose and seat-friendly fabrics, such as cotton and linen in order to deal effectively with temperature fluctuations. Taking a dip in neem water during monsoon is always advised as it will help you in dealing with general stickiness in the air.

Winter – Keep winter ailments at bay by following proper hygiene in winters. Wash your hands properly before eating, consume fresh fruits and vegetables to increase your immunity level and drink lots of water and herbal teas to boost your immunity and gain healthy blood tissues.