9 WEEKS PREGNANT

Week by Week Pregnancy Guide: 9 Weeks

By the time you are 9 weeks pregnant, it means you are already in the third month of pregnancy. At this stage, it is expected that your baby’s brain would have almost completed its development. And very important is the fact that your baby is no longer an embryo but has fully become a fetus now.

Also, the eyelids are already forming with hair follicles already finding their way out, and the nipples emerging as well. No longer will the fingers and toes remain webbed, just as the hands will now be touching the face. By implication, the shoulder, ankle, elbow, knee and even the wrist of the baby will now be moving freely so that the baby can move anywhere in the amniotic sac.

Although, since the 24th day of your conception, the heart of your baby have begun to beat, but by this week, your baby’s heart would have been divided into four chambers, and then the valves will start their development. So, if your baby wants to suck his or her thumb, he or she is free to that from now on.

Desirous to know the size of your baby now that you are 9 months pregnant? Your baby will measure about 1.67 inches which is 4.24 centimeters when measured from the head down to its rump.

Then for you as the mother, you are likely to nauseate more at this time because, in the short time, you will enter into the next phase of your pregnancy. It is also almost likely that your desire for sex will be lost. But then, there are those who tend to now like it more than before. It all depends on individual body composition.

Don’t stop exercising your body even if you feel like stopping. At this stage, it is not about what you feel like or not but more about what is needful for your body and the sake of the baby you are carrying. So, even if you don’t feel like exercising, taking a walk will make up.

If you are feeling as if you want to faint or dizzy, this could be due to certain pressures exerted on your blood system or a sign that your blood sugar is low. In such case, get a place to seat immediately you feel faint and if you feel it is while lying down, change your position.

More so, at this stage, before you take any drugs, make sure you check them up with your doctor. Avoid taking over the counter drugs as much as you can. And then, you don’t have to take a large quantity of food at a go. Take little but regular meals that are rich and nutritious; such that will add up to the healthy growth of your pregnancy.

If you discover that at this time, sometimes you are happy and lively, and at other times, you just become moody, it is normal. And like some other women, if you find yourself always throwing up, it is one of those things. What you should do is try as much as possible to take enough water always.

How many months are 9 weeks pregnant?

9 weeks pregnant is 3 months of pregnancy. Can you imagine that you only have six more months to go?

Baby’s heartbeat on the ultrasound

At nine weeks, it may be way too early to feel anything but it is not too early to possibly hear something. The baby’s heart is developed enough and is large enough. Its beats can be heard with a Doppler which is a handheld ultrasound device that amplifies the lub-dub sound that the heart makes. If your practitioner cannot pick up the sound of your baby’s heartbeat, that should not worry you. It only means that your baby’s position is making it hard for the Doppler to find its target. Give it a few weeks and during the next visit, that miraculous sound is certain to be audible for you to enjoy.

Your body at 9 weeks

Fatigue

By the time you are nine weeks pregnant, you will feel as though you are at the limit of pregnancy symptoms. Your clothes begin to become tighter around the waist. If that is not all, you are busting out on top and you are still running to the bathroom like 100 times a day. It is not that you are sick but that you are just peeing.

And that’s not all. You will be having trouble lifting your head off the pillow. You will be dragging your feet all day and can’t wait to get into bed as soon as you arrive home at night.

Well, extreme pregnancy fatigue is a common symptom for all pregnant women most especially in the first trimester. Making a baby is not an easy task. Your body is working overtime to prepare for motherhood as it develops the placenta which is your baby’s lifeline.

Furthermore, your body’s metabolism and hormone levels have increased significantly. This triggers a decrease in blood sugar and blood pressure which all contribute to fatigue.

How to remedy this fatigue

Focus on taking care of yourself and baby yourself a little more. If you have other kids, don’t strive to be a super-mom. Don’t worry too much about the dishes and the house that needs cleaning. When you can, enlist help by hiring someone to do some of the chores
Ask for help from your partner, family, and friends. If people within your circle want to help you out, let them do so
Push up your bedtime and try to get at least one more hour of sleep
Try to relax more during the evenings. Keep your feet up instead of stepping out. If you have the time, you can squeeze a nap or rest during the day
Get your other children involved by asking them to help out around the house
Eat well to keep your energies up. You will need a constant supply of fuel. Focus on long-lasting energy boosters like proteins and complex carbohydrates
Eat more often to keep your blood sugar on an even keel to keep your energy steady
Get the right kind of exercise because it can be more rejuvenating than a sofa break

Fortunately, the fatigue will minimize once your energy level increases and morning sickness decreases over the next few weeks. Your relief will come when placenta construction is completed in the second trimester.

Unfortunately, though, the fatigue is likely to reappear during the third trimester as the demands of carrying around a larger fetus increase. It is therefore important for you to stay active during pregnancy.

Snack well

Pregnancy is a time in life when you have to deal with all manner of nausea and vomiting. It gets pretty difficult when you are anxious about feeding yourself and your baby. If you find yourself with no appetite for big meals, eat at least six small but nutrient-packed mini-meals and snacks throughout the day. The mini-meals will be easier on your queasy stomach and also keep your tummy a little bit filled.

For your snacks and meals, focus on foods that you find less difficult to digest like whole-grain crackers paired with slices of mild cheddar.

Take prenatal vitamins every day

Prenatal vitamins are recommended by most doctors if you are planning on becoming pregnant or are pregnant. They are good insurance for you and your future baby. In the image above, you can find which are considered one of the best vitamins on the market today. They provide essential nutrients for the prenatal development of your baby. Taking prenatal vitamins is especially important when you’re so nauseous you can’t eat properly. Many of us don’t get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our food, which becomes critically important when you’re pregnant. If you have nausea during pregnancy, you should know that the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends vitamin B6 first-line in prenatal vitamins (such as Ritual or other high-quality vitamins like this one from Amazon) to help alleviate nausea. Make sure to read this detailed article about the best prenatal vitamins available on the market today to take during pregnancy.

9 weeks pregnancy symptoms

Expect a lot of frequent urination
Fatigue is something you will have to deal with but the extra sleep or moments in bed should give you some staying power
Starting around 6 to 8 weeks, you may notice your breasts getting bigger, and they’ll continue to grow throughout your pregnancy. Your breasts will also start to produce colostrum which is the first form of breast milk. During the earliest weeks of pregnancy, breast pain tends to be dull and achy. Your boobs may feel heavy, swollen, and tender.
Heartburn and indigestion are also common in the 9 weeks of pregnancy. Chewing sugarless gum increases saliva and helps neutralize the acid in your stomach.
Bloating and gas. Don’t be embarrassed when you expel gas even in a public place. It happens. To minimize the explosions, opt for small meals that don’t overload your digestive system as large meals do.
Constipation is something every pregnant woman deals with. Just drink lots of water and take more fruit and vegetable juice. You can try taking some hot water and lemon.

These are the 9 week pregnancy experiences that you should expect to have. Now you know what you and your baby will have to experience at 9 weeks. Though the journey is still not over yet, be encouraged that you have made a lot of progress.

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