9 weeks pregnant: Your guide to this week of your first trimester

You’re 9 weeks into your pregnancy journey, which is quite the milestone. This week your baby officially transitions from being an embryo to a fetus, which simply means that it enters a different stage of development. It’s during this stage, also known as the fetal stage, that your baby will do most of their growing and developing. You might also be finding your pregnancy symptoms tough to handle right around now, but hang in there — we promise they won’t last forever. 

Want to learn more? Let’s find out what your body and baby are up to right now, with the help of a Flo expert. 

Your baby at 9 weeks pregnant

As your body changes, it’s natural to wonder how your baby is developing inside you. With a pregnancy tracking app like Flo, you can find out what’s expected week-by-week and get answers to the most frequently asked questions from parents-to-be. Here’s what to know about week nine.

Their tongue is starting to develop

Yep, and the tongue even has miniature taste buds. Your baby will be able to open their mouth by around 11 weeks. 

Hands and feet are developing 

Amazing, isn’t it? Your baby even has ridges that mark where their fingers and toes will be. But they haven’t separated out just yet — this starts to happen at around 11 weeks. The thought of your baby having webbed feet and hands might be a bit strange, but rest assured that this is totally normal.

How big is a baby at 9 weeks?

Length (crown to rump): Around 2.3 cm or 0.9 in.

Weight: Too small to calculate accurately 

Size: Equivalent to a green olive

All measurements are approximate and vary within the normal range.

Your body at 9 weeks pregnant 

A quick note before we dive in: “Everybody responds differently to pregnancy, so you won’t necessarily get all of these symptoms, and you might not get any of them,” advises Dr. Jenna Flanagan, obstetrician and gynecologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Massachusetts, US. But with that in mind, what first-trimester symptoms could you potentially expect to experience this week?

Hair changes 

Say hi to your best hair ever (possibly). Is your bouffant looking and feeling much thicker than usual right now? “During pregnancy, the lifespan of each hair on your head is longer,” explains Dr. Flanagan. “So it’s not that the individual hairs are thicker. It’s because you’re shedding less hair.” Outside of pregnancy, it’s normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day (yes, really!), but this number could decrease while you’re pregnant.  

It’s true that your pregnancy hormones are partly to thank for these good hair days, but Dr. Flanagan adds that they’re not the whole story. “It’s also probably because you’re taking prenatal vitamins and eating a little healthier than you did previously — and all of this affects your hair health,” she adds. 

Bloating 

“At this stage of pregnancy, bloating is a bit more common because of a sharp increase in the hormone progesterone,” explains Dr. Flanagan. Let’s take a closer look at what’s happening to cause this bloating. Essentially, your pregnancy hormones can slow down the muscles in your digestive tract. This means that whatever you eat tends to move more slowly through your system, and your digestion can become sluggish. The result is that familiar bloated feeling. If you’re finding it uncomfortable, then eating small meals slowly and drinking plenty of fluids can help to tackle it. 

Other symptoms

Nausea and vomiting (which you may have heard referred to as “morning sickness” even though it can occur at any time of the day or night) may be familiar foes by now. “A lot of that is driven by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), the pregnancy hormone that’s currently working its way up to its peak at around 10 weeks,” explains Dr. Flanagan. “So between now and next week, you might have the most nausea and vomiting.” And that’s not all. “You may have also noticed that your breasts are larger or swollen, which is because of progesterone increasing in your body,” she adds.

Your questions answered

Will I have a belly at 9 weeks pregnant?

It’s unlikely that you’ll have a visible bump at this stage, says Dr. Flanagan. “At 9 weeks, your uterus (where your baby is living) is still sitting within your pelvis,” she explains. You’re unlikely to show a bump until around 12 weeks when your uterus grows out over your pelvis. “So if you feel that you have a baby bump at 9 weeks, it’s likely to be bloating, not your baby,” adds Dr. Flanagan. 

Is this the hardest week of pregnancy? 

There’s no denying that this can be a rocky seven days. On top of the symptoms mentioned above, you might also be experiencing headaches, mood swings, and cramping that feels like period pain. This can be a lot to deal with, and it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable with the changes that are going on. Always speak to your doctor if you have any worries or concerns, and remember that you can use the Secret Chats function in the Flo app to speak to other expectant moms about what they’re going through right now. Above all, rest assured that things should start to get easier as the weeks go on. 

What can you see on a 9 week ultrasound?

Make sure your phone is fully charged — you’ll want your camera to capture this moment. “If you have a 9 week ultrasound, it’s usually through a transvaginal scan (when the ultrasound probe is gently placed into your vagina to get images). In this scan, you can clearly see your baby’s head — or ‘crown’ as it’s sometimes called — and body,” says Dr. Flanagan. 

How many months are 9 weeks? 

Now for some pregnancy math. “If you consider that there are around 4 weeks in a month, then right now you’re a little more than 2 months’ pregnant,” explains Dr. Flanagnan.

Your 9 weeks pregnant checklist

Prepare for your first ultrasound 

This is sure to be an exciting moment! While you probably can’t wait to experience your first ultrasound, the exact date that you’ll have it will depend on your health care provider. “Ideally, at between 7 and 9 weeks, you’ll have a scan to confirm all is well with your pregnancy and get an estimated due date,” says Dr. Flanagan. Your health care provider will calculate your baby’s due date 40 weeks from the first day of your last menstrual period. So tracking your periods can be helpful. You might see figures like 9/3 or 9+3 in your medical notes. This is because your health care provider will monitor your pregnancy in completed weeks. So 9/3 means nine weeks and three days. If you can’t wait until then, you can also use Flo’s due date calculator to get an estimate. At this point, it’s still too early to find out the sex of the baby, but this will likely happen around 18 to 22 weeks, so hang tight! 

Eat a variety of healthy foods

Making good food choices now can be a real help for your baby’s growth and development. Plus, eating well helps you feel well, so you might want to make this an important part of your prenatal checklist. This means stocking up on fruit and vegetables, whole grains such as brown rice and oatmeal, proteins such as seafood, lean meat, beans, pulses, and eggs, and cutting back on food and drink with added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. 

Invest in comfortable maternity bras 

With your breasts growing, it’s a good time to add some supportive, comfortable pregnancy bras to your underwear drawer. Maternity bras usually have extra hooks so you can loosen them as your breasts grow, and they don’t have underwires. Try to get a proper bra fitting at a department store or a maternity or specialty shop to find your best fit. 

When to see your doctor at 9 weeks pregnant

You don’t need to wait until your appointments if you have any concerns or questions about your pregnancy. However, you should see your doctor immediately if you experience:

• Severe cramping. It’s normal to get stomach pains, cramps, and twinges in early pregnancy. However, it’s always a good idea to see your doctor and get checked out, especially if you have pain combined with: Fainting, lightheadedness, and a racing heart (this may mean you have very low blood pressure), fever and chills, vaginal bleeding (see below) or severe pain that gets worse when you move
• Vaginal bleeding. Light spotting (very light vaginal bleeding) is fairly common in pregnancy, and it doesn’t always mean there’s a problem. But heavier vaginal bleeding can also be a sign of a miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy, so make contact with your doctor right away if you experience this. 
• Signs of dehydration. While nausea and vomiting are common at 9 weeks pregnant, see your doctor if you’re vomiting so much that you think you might be dehydrated. Symptoms of dehydration include feeling very thirsty, tired, dizzy or lightheaded, not peeing very often, and having dark-colored pee.
• Mood-related symptoms. Mood swings can be a normal (if frustrating) part of pregnancy, but they can also become more severe for some people. This can include feeling persistently sad, anxious, or “empty.” It can also relate to feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness, or hopelessness. These are symptoms of depression in pregnancy, and if you’re experiencing them, it’s important to know that help is available. Don’t hesitate to speak to your doctor right away, and reach out to your loved ones for all the support you need. 

This isn’t an exhaustive list and just an example of some of the changes you should look out for. Other changes to be aware of include changes in vaginal discharge, fever, dizziness or fainting and severe vomiting. Some of these can be a sign of miscarriage or other health complications, so it’s essential that you speak to your doctor about the best next step for you. And if you’re ever worried about any other symptoms you experience during pregnancy, then don’t hesitate to reach out to your healthcare provider. 

9 weeks pregnant: The takeaway

This week can be a challenge, thanks to those pesky pregnancy symptoms. But it’s all for a good cause — your baby is growing! If you haven’t already seen them on an ultrasound, hold tight — that time is coming soon.