9 Weeks Pregnant

9 Weeks Pregnant

Congratulations! You are one week closer to holding your bundle of joy. Here is a list of things to think about 9 weeks pregnant. Get the Fetal Life App for Apple and Android endorsed by the American Pregnancy Association.

What changes are occurring with your body during the 9th week of pregnancy?

You still may not physically appear pregnant to other people, but you definitely are beginning to notice several changes. You may experience mood swings, heartburn, and feeling more bloated. These are common discomforts during pregnancy. Preventing heartburn is the best way to deal with it. You can avoid heartburn by eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of eating three larger meals. You can also prevent heartburn by avoiding lying down after meals and avoiding spicy or greasy foods.

What is happening with your baby during the 9th week of pregnancy?

While still extremely small, your baby is now ready for rapid weight gain. Your baby is beginning to look more like a little person since the embryonic tail is completely gone by week 9. The eyelids are fully formed, have fused shut, and will open again during week 28. All the baby’s joints, including the knee, elbow, shoulder, ankle, and wrist joints, are working and allowing the baby to move about freely within the amniotic sac. Your baby’s heart began beating around day 24. Now the heart has divided into four chambers, and the valves are beginning to develop. Your baby can also make a fist and may begin sucking his/her thumb.

How big is your baby during the 9th week of pregnancy?

Your baby is about the size of a grape, measuring 1.67 inches (4.24 centimeters) from its head to its rump, and weighs a fraction of an ounce.

What should you plan for this week?

If you are over the age of 35 or have a family history of a genetic illness such as cystic fibrosis, then you may want to consider seeing a genetic counselor. Talk with your health care provider about obtaining a referral or the need to perform prenatal tests such as chorionic villus sampling (CVS). This test may be performed between 9 and 12 weeks and detects chromosomal abnormalities (i.e., Down Syndrome) and genetic disorders (i.e, cystic fibrosis) with high levels of accuracy (98-99%).

Tips for making your pregnancy better

At this point in your pregnancy, you may begin to feel more fatigued. This may be caused by hormonal changes, trouble sleeping at night, or morning sickness. Not sleeping well at night may be due to not being able to find a comfortable position or from frequent trips to the bathroom. If you are having difficulty sleeping, you might want to consider changing your sleeping positions.

Tips for mom’s partner

Attempt to create a tranquil, quiet, relaxed environment in your bedroom. This can be achieved by moving the office out of the bedroom and into another room in the house. You can also replace brighter bulbs with dimmer bulbs, or if you are really handy you can put in a dimmer switch.

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