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Pregnancy is truly a life-changing journey. One of the best things about modern science is that you can keep a tab on what to expect every week during your pregnancy, and the 9th week is one of the most crucial junctures of your pregnancy.
This is the period when your baby completes the embryo stage and develops into a foetus. This is also the stage where your baby starts looking more like a human being and less like a pea in a pod!
Your Baby’s Growth During Pregnancy – Week 9
Your baby should be about the size of a grape or an olive now, say one-inch long. The baby is barely 2 grams heavy!
However, 9 weeks of pregnancy is a milestone because the baby is no longer an embryo but a foetus. During the embryonic phase, the major organs of the brain and heart get formed. However, in the foetus stage, the organs are formed and now developing! Other features that have started to form now are eyes (no eyelids though), muscles and nerves.
What is the Baby’s Size?
When you are 9 weeks pregnant the baby size is hardly more than an inch long. Though the crucial organs and the body have begun to form, your baby is still as big as a cherry and still weighs less than two grams.
Common Body Changes
Since your baby is graduating from being an embryo to a foetus, you too will face somebody changes during pregnancy.
Some women may experience a slight thickening of the waist now. Your breasts will start feeling tender and sensitive. Your weight will not differ much, though some women may experience weight loss due to nausea/tendency to throw up food.
Symptoms of Pregnancy At Week 9
The common symptoms at the 9th week of pregnancy include the following;
- Mood Swings: The rise and fall of hormone levels during pregnancy can often result in unintended mood swings.
- Nasal Congestion: Elevated levels of progesterone tend to cause swelling in the nasal passage resulting in a blocked nose.
- Slight Bloating: Progesterone reduces the digestive capabilities of an individual which can make one feel as though they are bloated.
Belly At 9 Weeks Of Pregnancy
Your belly at 9 weeks of pregnancy will probably not look much different than when you were not pregnant. Unless you have gained weight significantly, you will barely look pregnant. Of course, you will notice that your waist may have thickened slightly. In fact, your belly should become firmer as the uterus starts swelling for obvious reasons. Many women may also come across weight loss. This is quite common as you might have an urge to throw up everything that goes into your tummy.
9 Weeks Ultrasound
This stage is probably one of the most rewarding times of your pregnancy. You will be sent for an ultrasound where you can hear the heartbeat of your little baby! This ultrasound also holds crucial information such as the state of the foetus, the uterus, and most importantly, the duration of your pregnancy.
If all goes well, your baby’s heartbeat will be about 130-150 beats per minute. Also, an ultrasound will determine the mobility of your baby. That said, you will probably not feel the movements of your body for quite some time in your tummy.
What to Eat?
There are usually two reactions that women pregnant for 9 weeks usually have; extreme nausea or an urge to binge eat junk. The latter is usually less common. In fact, some expecting mothers might expect some weight loss owing to the sickness experienced at this time.
As far as the 9th-week pregnancy food goes, you should divide your meals to 6 times per day, as eating more in one go may urge you to throw up. Stick to a normal diet, but include proteins, nutritious vegetables and fruits. Make sure that you eat nuts as snacks as they are a good source of proteins.
Choose healthy options and foods that do not revolt you at sight. It’s best not to eat a lot of sugary foods or strong-smelling foods as they will only end up nauseating you even more.
Tips & Care
Here are a few tips that you should keep in mind at this stage:
Dos
- Eat nutritious foods at proper gaps to maintain a good blood sugar level.
- Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
- Meditate and do some yoga to negate any ill effects of excess hormones
Dont’s
- Expose yourself to risky environments such as radiation as it could affect the baby.
- Heavy exercise routines must stop as it could lead to dehydration or divert blood flow from the uterus.
- Reduce caffeine significantly as it could result in insomnia.
- Raw milk products and unpasteurized milk must be stopped as the microbes that exist in the milk may cause infections or food poisoning.
What You Need to Shop
The very first thing you will need to shop for now is a comfortable bra. As your breasts already feel sensitive and tender and are only going to expand more, a supportive bra will help keep you comfortable.
If you already haven’t, make sure you buy some good books on pregnancy and parenting as they will keep you distracted from nausea and fatigue. For most women, this is also a stage when you start shopping for loose clothes, new pants or a waistband extender.
Since you need to rest a lot and your current condition may get uncomfortable at times, make sure that you buy some comfortable body pillows. Since oral care is also important, stock up on nicer toothbrushes and mouthwashes as your mouth will tend to get drier.
Your skin will most certainly feel drier, and that’s why buying a good moisturiser is a must. If you are already smell-sensitive, try and find products that are unscented.
The 9th week of pregnancy is a time when you may think that your body has a mind of its own. Though you barely look pregnant, you’re likely to experience morning sickness, headaches, and the rest of the symptoms associated with pregnancy. Rest assured that this is because your body is hard at work pumping hormones to make sure that it has a baby-friendly environment.
