Once you’re in the ninth week of pregnancy, the size of the fetus increases and your body goes through a lot of transformations. At week nine pregnancy, the baby is more like the size of a cherry, weighing about 0.07 ounces and of 0.9 inches height. This is the beginning of the third month, which is also the last month of the first trimester.

The pregnancy hormone hCG circulates with full potential, throughout the body, at this stage. The baby’s physiological features develop by this time, transforming it into a full fetus from a partial embryo. With this development, your baby bump gradually begins to appear, along with the visibility of the navel that covers the umbilical cord connecting the baby’s body with yours.

Nine Weeks Pregnant Symptoms:

Mood swings

Week 9 pregnancy comes with frequent mood swings not only because of the changing hormones, but also because of nausea, morning sickness, and fatigue that keep bothering you. Along with these, there are also numerous thoughts and emotions that go on inside the mind, about a major change in lifestyle.

Constant Fatigue

Nausea, vomiting, changes in the body’s weight, and continuous stress on the mind and the body leads to loss of energy and fatigue.

Source: fetus-pregnancy.com

Headaches

Thanks to those raging hormones that give you constant headaches! These bouts of headache may even result in lack of sleep, stress, and intolerance towards specific foods. A warm or cold compress can help ease the pain.

Read More: 11 Home Remedies to Get Rid of a Headache During Pregnancy

Nausea

About 80% of women in week 9 pregnancy feel nauseous throughout the day. This comes with regular vomiting and indigestion of several food items that were fine prior to this period. You can try easing the situation by taking vitamin B6 and a small portion of ginger everyday.

Frequent urination

Expansion of the uterus and increased blood flow to the pelvic region creates more pressure leading to an urge to visit the bathroom more frequently.

Fuller breasts

By week 9 of pregnancy, your breasts will have become larger due to the growth of milk producing ducts. The nipples grow in size and become darker. There are tiny pimple-like eruptions around the areola, called “Montgomery’s Tubercles”.

Increase in weight

At this stage, the BMI of your body increases due to the added weight of the growing foetus, along with extra food intake. An average scale of weight gain by week 9 should be approximately 5 pounds.

Nasal congestion

During this period, the body starts producing more mucus. The reason for this is not quite known. However, it is advisable to drink warm water with ginger and honey, which not only cures congestion, but also treats headache.

Pregnant Belly

At week 9 of pregnancy, you might find yourself struggling to fit into many of your attires. Although your belly is not too large in size, there surely is an increase in the waistline because the uterus has expanded to almost double its size, to make room for the baby. In the next few weeks, you can expect your uterus to grow out of the pelvis!

If you feel that you are losing appetite due to nausea, and not gaining weight; especially around the stomach, consult your gynaecologist immediately for supportive measures. Too much dehydration may lead to “hyperemesis gravidarum”, which can be treated by using an IV, and taking oral pills to reduce vomiting.

Pregnancy Ultrasound:

At week 9 pregnancy, the ultrasound is transvaginal, which implies that the doctor inserts a probe into the vagina. This leads to the emission of sound waves that make the 9-week old foetus, the gestational sac, the yolk sac, and the fetal pole visible on the screen. You can see that your baby has developed all the body parts; the heart, lungs, arms, legs, and the brain. Now the baby is breathing and kicking, just waiting to come out! Since the risk of miscarriage troubles all women during this phase, you must know that the risk is only 3% after the heartbeat of the foetus is heard.

There are also some blood tests and hormone tests done to ensure the count of red and white blood cells. A pap smear is done to check for STDs and abnormal growths around the cervix.

Dos and Don’ts During Week 9 Pregnancy

Dos –

Drink ample water: Drink at least 12 medium sized glasses of water everyday. Keeping the body hydrated is the best way to avoid fatigue and dizziness.

Exercise daily: Continue to do your Kegel exercises daily, till the time comes to stop. This will help your pelvic muscles grow stronger, which will help you during labour.

Visit the doctor regularly: Keep the dates marked on the calendar so that you don’t miss an appointment with the gynaecologist. With every visit you will gain a greater insight on pregnancy and child care.

Infuse your body with Omega 3: Omega 3 fatty acids are vital to the development of the foetus. They reduce the chances of your baby contracting allergies by improving its immunity system.

Sleep well: At least 8 hours of sleep at night and frequent naps throughout the day help the body replenish its lost energy.

Eat well: Fruits and vegetables that are rich in calcium, magnesium, proteins, and vitamins are a must. These are called “double duty foods” because they provide a balanced diet to strengthen the mother and her growing baby.

Don’ts –

Smoke: The chemicals in cigarettes harm the baby and increase the risk of premature rupture of the amniotic sac, miscarriage, and neonatal complications or death.

Drink alcohol: Spirits tends to damage the brain and physique of the developing foetus, leading to a condition called “fetal alcohol syndrome”.

Read More: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Symptom, Cause, Risk, Prevention

Eat for two: Although it is healthy to gain some pounds, too much weight gain is not recommended. Many women tend to overeat, thinking that they have to feed the baby timely. Eat healthy foods at regular intervals, the foetus will absorb as much as it requires.

Overlook food regulations: Make sure to read the properties and ingredients of every food that you eat. Try to avoid unprocessed food to reduce the risk of diseases like bacterial or viral infections and salmonella.

Over-consume refined carbs: Too much consumption of refined carbs result in a spike in your sugar level, which might interfere with the foetus’ growth and generate diabetes and obesity.

Week 9 pregnancy is another step ahead, towards many more months of caution and tender care of expecting mothers. Ensure that you abide by the medical prescription, spend quality time with yourself and your family to provide the best for your baby.