- 9th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 9
- How your baby develops in the 9th week of pregnancy
- How you feel in the 9th week of pregnancy
- 9th week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints
- What can be seen on the ultrasound in week 9 of pregnancy?
- What you should look out for in week 9 of pregnancy
9th week of pregnancy - what happens in week 9
Welcome to the 3rd month of your pregnancy! In this 9th week of pregnancy, all of your baby's organs are already in place and it is now starting to move its arms and legs. Your belly will gradually start to grow, even if many women don't notice it yet. In part 9 of our pregnancy calendar, we explain what other symptoms occur and what you should pay particular attention to during this week.
How your baby develops in the 9th week of pregnancy
Your baby measures between 16 and 24 mm in week 9. Towards the end of this week, it will already be the size of a bunch of grapes.
Your baby's arms and legs continue to develop
In this week of pregnancy, your baby's extremities continue to grow. The little arms are already beginning to ossify. All fingers and toes are also present, even if they are still connected by fine membranes. As the nervous system continues to develop, your child can now move its arms and legs. These movements are still very uncontrolled at first, but over time they will learn to control them better.
The head becomes rounder
The skull bones are now also forming. They are still very soft at the beginning to make room for the growing brain. The embryo's head becomes rounder and rounder and it continues to straighten up. The newly formed neck separates the head from the rest of the body. The eyes are still very much on the side. Gradually they will move towards the centre as the circumference of the head increases. The growth of the skull is due to the rapid development of the brain - around 100,000 new nerve cells are created every minute during the 9th week of pregnancy!
All organ systems are now created
Your baby already has all its organs and some of them are already functioning. All the heart valves are present in the heart and it is pumping blood diligently through the little body. The blood cells are produced by the liver. The physiological umbilical hernia is still present, with a section of the fast-growing intestine being displaced into the umbilical cord. In the coming week, the intestinal loop is moved back into the abdominal cavity of the embryo. If your baby is a boy, the testicles will now begin to develop. In week 9 of pregnancy, however, the reproductive organs are too small to be recognised by ultrasound. You will have to be patient a little longer.
How you feel in the 9th week of pregnancy
Are your trousers already pinching? For most women, the belly has not yet grown noticeably in this 9th week of pregnancy. Others can already feel a change. Especially if this is not your first child, you may already notice a slight bulge. Your uterus has doubled in size and is around 10 centimetres long.
What has changed significantly in most pregnant women at this point is the breast. Compared to before pregnancy, they have become larger, firmer and heavier. You may also notice small, bluish veins, which are due to the increased blood flow to the breast.
9th week of pregnancy - symptoms and complaints
Do you feel a little fitter again? Your body is slowly getting used to the hormonal changes caused by pregnancy. That's why you may not feel quite as tired and exhausted.
At the same time, the hCG concentration continues to increase, which is why the nausea in week 9 may spoil your mood. But don't worry, it usually doesn't take long for these symptoms to subside. Most women feel much better by the end of the first trimester at the latest.
What can make the nausea even worse this week is your heightened sense of taste and smell.
Digression: Why do pregnant women react so sensitively to odours?
Can you suddenly no longer smell your husband's perfume? Does the smell of raw meat make you downright nauseous, do you quickly push away your otherwise beloved coffee and does cigarette smoke make you run to the nearest toilet? Many pregnant women notice a sudden aversion to certain odours and flavours. This is due to a heightened sense of smell and taste. There is a good reason for this enhanced sensory perception during pregnancy: it acts as a kind of early warning system to protect your baby from potential dangers.
It dates back to earlier times when the dangers of certain foods, spoiled food or toxic vapours were not as well known as they are today. Heightened sensory perception was therefore essential for survival. This meant that pregnant women could rely more on their senses and avoid certain risks for their babies. Today we know much more about dangerous foods and chemicals, but the heightened sensitivity to odours and flavours has remained. It also makes perfect sense for a pregnant woman to feel sick when she smells coffee or cigarette smoke. By avoiding these substances, she is protecting her unborn baby from caffeine and nicotine. The aversion to the smell of perfume may seem incomprehensible at first. It may be intended to prevent the expectant mother from putting unknown substances on her skin that could pass through the blood to the baby.
Incidentally, your hearing also becomes more acute during pregnancy. What advantage could this have? Pregnant women are usually a little slower when travelling, at least towards the end of pregnancy. Good hearing can help them to recognise approaching dangers quickly and avoid them.
What can be seen on the ultrasound in week 9 of pregnancy?
Your baby is clearly recognisable on the ultrasound this week and it looks a bit like a little jelly baby. The head and even the tiny arms and legs are now clearly visible. However, the fingers and toes cannot yet be recognised individually, as they are connected to each other by fine membranes and resemble little paddles. In the 9th week of pregnancy, the gynaecologist can also use the ultrasound to determine whether you are expecting just one baby or possibly twins.
The first of the three major ultrasound examinations during pregnancy takes place between the 9th and 12th week of pregnancy. If this is your first gynaecological appointment, the pregnancy will be confirmed and it will be checked whether the embryo has implanted in the right place in the uterus. Your gynaecologist will check whether your baby has a heartbeat and whether it has developed on time. The expected date of birth is calculated on the basis of these examination results. However, bear in mind that very few babies are born on this exact day. Around 90 % of babies are born between two weeks before and two weeks after the due date. The calculated due date is not necessarily your baby's birthday, but the middle of a birth period in which your baby will be born at some point.
Have you already considered whether you would like to have a first trimester screening as part of your prenatal care? This prenatal diagnostic test calculates your personal risk of a chromosomal disorder in your baby. To do this, the doctor measures the nuchal translucency during an ultrasound scan. Together with a blood test and your age, the risk is assessed. However, these are only probabilities and the test does not provide a definite diagnosis. If you would like more information about screening during pregnancy, you can take part in our free workshop "Online prenatal care" programme. If you would like to have the first trimester screening, you can wait a little longer before having an ultrasound scan. The screening is carried out between the 10th and 14th week of pregnancy.
What you should look out for in week 9 of pregnancy
Avoid hazardous substances
The risk of miscarriage decreases with each week of pregnancy. Nevertheless, your baby is still in the very sensitive phase of organ formation. Harmful substances can have dramatic effects on the development of the embryo at this stage. Therefore, continue to take care of your health. Smoking and alcohol are an absolute taboo during this week, as well as during the rest of the pregnancy. You should also protect your unborn child from toxic vapours, for example from solvents or other chemicals. In addition, refrain from Food that harbours a risk of infection. These include raw and cold-smoked meat and fish, unpasteurised milk and raw eggs. You can find out interesting facts about nutrition during pregnancy and many other helpful tips for the first trimester from midwife Katharina in the online workshop "Starting your pregnancy".
Make an appointment with the dentist
If you have healthy teeth, your oral cavity will not suddenly develop into a problem during pregnancy. However, it is a fact that many pregnant women complain of inflamed and bleeding gums. This is because the gums and oral mucosa are supplied with more blood due to the effect of the hormone progesterone, loosen up and swell slightly. This makes it easier for plaque bacteria to penetrate and cause inflammation.
Please do not take these complaints lightly. Untreated pregnancy gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) can lead to tooth loss. Furthermore, scientific studies suggest a connection between chronic gingivitis and premature births. It is assumed that the inflammation causes substances to enter the mother's bloodstream, which can trigger premature labour.
The risk of tooth decay also increases during pregnancy. This is because the composition of saliva changes and becomes more acidic. This attacks the tooth enamel and caries bacteria can easily cause damage.
For this reason, it makes sense to make an appointment with a dentist in the first trimester of pregnancy. This way, the dentist can check the condition of your teeth and gums in good time and carry out a professional dental cleaning if necessary.
