Your pregnancy: 9 weeks pregnant
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Now that you're nine weeks pregnant, you're in the final part of that all-too-important first trimester. From how big your baby is to what's likely to be on your mind, here's what's going on inside and out, this week.
What’s happening at 9 weeks?
Here are the key things you can expect from your pregnancy at this stage:
- Your baby's eyes are almost fully formed.
- You need to wee more often and may notice discharge.
- You're experiencing dizzy spells.
- You may be worrying about work.
How big is your baby?
This week, your baby is roughly the size of a Galaxy Minstrel.
Your baby may be just 23mm from head to bottom and weigh around 2g, but as their development continues, they're already marking themselves out as unique.
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Those tiny fingers, though webbed, are well formed now, and toes are beginning to take shape. Pretty amazing, right?
Your little one's eyes are almost fully formed but although the eyelids are in place, they're still fused shut and will stay that way for a fair bit longer.
Ankle and wrist joints are developing, too, as well as sexual organs (although it will still take a bit longer to be able to tell whether it’s a boy or a girl on an ultrasound).
Your baby already looks a little more like a human – well, a bit like a jelly baby at least – and is stretching and moving about inside you right now.
What's going on with your body?
Right now you're probably feeling tired and emotional.
Not only is your energy going into making that baby, but pregnancy hormones are making it hard to think clearly. One minute you might find you're ecstatic about the pregnancy, the next your mind is filled with a million worries and anxieties about giving birth and becoming a mum.
It's completely normal; just remember your hormones will settle down and you won't always feel like this.
You've probably also noticed that you're going to loo in the night – a growing baby pressing on your bladder doesn't help.
And don't worry if, during these loo trips, you notice you have a lot more vaginal discharge than usual. If it's clear or whitish and doesn't smell, then it's completely normal – ah, the glamour of pregnancy.
If you're worried about it or notice any bleeding, then make a trip to your doctor or call or visit your midwife.
In fact, if you ever have any concerns about your own health or your baby's health, always speak to a doctor or other healthcare professional. It's important to get anything unusual checked out as soon as possible.
You're into the final stretch of the first trimester now. Just a few more weeks until the celebrated second trimester, when pregnancy symptoms tend to ease up a bit, and you may feel a bit more like your old self.
What to expect this week: dizziness
You can be feeling absolutely fine one minute and the next thing you know, you're seeing stars.
Unfortunately, dizziness can be quite common in pregnancy. It isn't a sign that anything's wrong, but that doesn't stop it being quite unpleasant when a dizzy spell happens.
Dizziness can be caused by low blood sugar, low blood pressure or simply the fact that your blood volume increases by a couple of litres to help support your growing baby.
Try these tips to help you feel better:
- Sitting down on public transport and not getting up too quickly can help if you have low blood pressure.
- Eating healthy snacks and light meals, little and often, are a great way to stabilise blood sugar.
- Make sure you're not dehydrated too – drink plenty of water – as this can make you feel lightheaded and woozy.
- Also wear layers so that you don't overheat. It's easy to feel like a furnace throughout your pregnancy. That growing baby certainly keeps you warm, so peel off layers once you get indoors to help.
If you're really struggling with dizzy spells, or feel worried about getting lightheaded, go and see your GP, just to get checked out. He'll check your blood pressure and will be able to tell you if there's anything else you can do.
What to do this week: tell work you're pregnant (if you need support)
It's often recommended not to share your pregnancy news with anyone until you've had your 12-week scan and seen that everything's ok.
Although this makes sense, if you're struggling at work or are feeling particularly hormonal or sick with morning sickness, telling someone can help.
Your employer may be willing to make some adjustments, like letting you work from home, adjust your hours or take some time off, which can be hugely beneficial when you're working during pregnancy.
Good reasons for telling colleagues about your pregnancy this early on include:
- morning sickness
- complications in your pregnancy
- if your job is particularly physical, strenuous or dangerous
Having the support of your colleagues or employers can take some of the weight off and help you cope better with being pregnant.
If you don't want to tell your colleagues yet, you can always talk (in confidence) to HR. If you're concerned about how your employer will take the news, have HR sit in when you tell them.
You're entitled to have time off for antenatal appointments (within reason) so telling them will mean you can book that time off without having to fib about why you're off work.
Officially, you'll have to put something in writing about your pregnancy, and provide them with your MatB1 certificate that you'll get at a future antenatal appointment.
But, for now, talking face to face will help you feel a lot better and come up with a plan regarding your hours, workload and any additional stress that might be affecting your pregnancy health and wellbeing.
Your 9 week to-do list
1 If you haven't had your booking appointment yet, it should be happening soon. Double-check you know where it is – some are at a children's centre rather than the hospital. If you don't have an appointment booked yet, contact your doctor's surgery now.
2 Start bonding with your baby – find time in the day to place your hands on your tummy and talk to your baby. Even dads-to-be can get involved too.
3 Tell work if you're struggling (see above).
4 Look into pregnancy yoga and relaxation classes – you may not feel like doing them yet but they can come in handy later in your pregnancy.
5 Carry a fan and a bottle of water with you, especially if you use public transport, which can be crowded, hot and enough to trigger a dizzy spell whether you're pregnant, or not!
What to watch this week...
Get expert tips on what to expect at 9 weeks pregnant from our midwife.
What happens next week...
Want to know what happens when you're 10 weeks pregnant? Or maybe you've already forgotten what you read last week? Just click on the numbers above to find out more about what to expect when you're that number of weeks pregnant.
Only just found out you're pregnant? Work out your due date with our handy due date calculator below ...
