WHAT’S GOING ON WITH BABY?
Your Baby at 9 Weeks Pregnant
Baby’s growth and size
Baby is about 1 inch in length and weighing in around .07 ounces. Don’t let that size fool you though – there are unbelievable things happening with your baby’s development this week!
What’s new developmentally?
Even though baby’s eyelids will remain fused for several more months (usually until the 27 week mark) their eyes are fully formed by 9 weeks.
The human heart has 4 chambers and all 4 are now formed. Their little heart is beating away, mama!
Fun facts about your week 9 baby
- 20 teeth “buds” start to develop, 10 on the top and 10 on the bottom. These buds are what will become the 20 baby teeth that your little one will develop months after birth
- Baby’s heart beats about twice as fast as an adult – ranging from 160-180 bpm
- This is the last week of your baby being an embryo – hooray!
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH MAMA?
Week 9 of Pregnancy
Week 9 pregnancy symptoms
Chances are the symptoms you are experiencing are similar to what you have been feeling over the last couple weeks.
- Nausea and morning sickness
- Fatigue
- Sore and tender breasts
- Increased vaginal discharge (clear or white & odorless is normal)
- Cravings and aversions
- Bloating
- Frequent urination
- Constipation
How should I be feeling at 9 weeks pregnant?
There’s a good chance that you aren’t feeling 100% these days. Weeks 9 and 10 of pregnancy are typically when hCG levels peak, potentially making symptoms such as nausea and morning sickness as bad as they have been so far.
According to an article by JAMA Network, a whopping 57% of women experience nausea by week 8 of pregnancy. Rest assured that most mamas do turn a corner once they hit their second trimester so hopefully it won’t be for too much longer.
You might notice that your pants are a bit more snug even though that belly “pop” probably hasn’t happened just yet. Having trouble getting your regular pants to button but not quite ready for maternity clothes? I have a great little hack for this, check it out here!
To help distract yourself from the less than pleasant symptoms you are experiencing, try and focus on some of the exciting things that accompany early pregnancy. I have a whole article listing my favorite pregnancy apps!
Thinking of when and how you want to share your big news might also be a good distraction. When you announce your pregnancy is nobody’s business but your own! Women base this decision on lots of different things so don’t let anyone or anything pressure you into sharing before you are ready. If you find yourself questioning when the best time for you is, reference my IG post!
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
More Week 9 Info
9 weeks pregnant ultrasound
If you didn’t have your initial prenatal appointment and ultrasound last week, you can expect to have it this week. This is such an exciting milestone for mamas, getting to see their little one for the very first time!
Commonly referred to in the medical world as “confirmation of pregnancy”, one of the sole purposes of this first appointment and ultrasound is to check for that little heartbeat and confirm your dating aka due date.
According to ACOG, an early first trimester ultrasound is, “the most accurate method to establish or confirm gestational age.”
This initial ultrasound will be transvaginal. An abdominal ultrasound, which is usually reserved for 12 weeks or greater, simply cannot produce the same quality images prior to 12 weeks.
You don’t necessarily need to do anything to prepare for a transvaginal ultrasound – other than make sure your bladder is empty! Your provider will insert a lubricated probe into your vagina to visualize a heartbeat, measure baby, look at your ovaries, fallopian tubes, placenta, and uterus.
Heartbeat at 9 weeks
At 9 weeks, baby’s heartbeat is the fastest it will be during pregnancy, with an average being 170 bpm. It gradually decreases around 13 weeks to a “normal” 110-160 bpm and then will slow even more the last couple months of pregnancy.
There are a lot of old wives’ tales surrounding fetal heart rate and baby’s sex. These are simply that, wives’ tales – the sex of your baby cannot be predicted by their heart rate but it can be a fun activity to do nonetheless!
You should be able to hear baby’s heartbeat for the first time during a 9 week ultrasound – might want to throw some tissues in your pocket for this appointment – it can be an emotional one!
Showing at 9 weeks
There are so many things that play into when you start showing during pregnancy – and let me tell you, it’s more than just your gestational age! Things like pre-pregnancy weight and size, body shape, number pregnancy, and even height can all impact it.
Generally speaking, women are not showing at 9 weeks pregnant. Notice I said “generally”, there are always exceptions to the rules! Women that have been pregnant before typically start showing earlier, meaning that they might have a little bump going on at 9 weeks.
Different body shapes and sizes can also mean different timelines for baby bumps. Taller women with longer torsos typically have more space to “hide” their bump longer and might not start showing as early.
Whether you are totally bumpin’ at 9 weeks or have zero evidence of a bump, I encourage you to embrace it. All bumps are unique and beautiful in their own ways, and act as a reminder of the amazing things your body is capable of!
Read more about when you’ll start showing in this article!
9 weeks pregnant symptoms come and go
It can be normal for some of the early symptoms of pregnancy to come and go around this time. As your pregnancy progresses, some symptoms change and others disappear. It’s highly unlikely that you will wake up one day and all of your symptoms will have just vanished, but I won’t say it’s impossible!
Reasons for the symptoms coming and going at 9 weeks, or any point in pregnancy, can be related to hormone fluctuations, time of day, hydration status, and/or in response to activity.
9 weeks pregnant is how many months?
You are mainly going to hear pregnancy discussed in weeks not months, but if you are curious, you are at the beginning of your third month at 9 weeks pregnant.
Placenta at 9 weeks
Let’s quickly talk about your placenta and what its main function is because it’s a pretty incredible organ!
Long story short, your placenta supports baby’s development in utero by supplying nutrients, eliminating fetal waste products, and enabling gas exchange via maternal blood supply – woah, so cool! To learn even more, check out my post about placentas!
What is going on with your placenta at 9 weeks pregnant? At 9 weeks, your placenta hasn’t fully taken over hormone production but is doing some of the work.
It will be another couple weeks before it’s functioning at full capacity. This is when women report improvement in a lot of those less than desirable early pregnancy symptoms (I’m talking to you morning sickness) – can you see the light yet?
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH YOUR BUMP?
9 Weeks Pregnant Belly
TIPS & RESOURCES FOR WEEK 9
Tips for 9 Weeks Pregnant
- Continue taking a prenatal vitamin – my personal favorite is Ritual
- Make sure you familiarize yourself with some do’s and don’ts of pregnancy here (slide 4)
- In this post, you will learn more about foods to avoid during pregnancy
- If you happen to be feeling up to exercise and are curious about pregnancy safe exercises, you can find more info here
- Sign up for MLN Weekly Pregnancy Updates to stay up to date on everything going on with your pregnancy. So much good information and it’s all free!
TIPS & RESOURCES
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