Welcome to Week 9, moms and dads-to-be! This week, I’ve found myself taking naps whenever and wherever I can. It’s been so hard to keep up with my typical exercise routine as a result, but try to continue exercising since it has so many benefits for both you and your baby. As the first trimester begins to draw to a close, many of your worst symptoms so far (morning sickness, I’m talking about YOU) will be starting to fade away.

9 Weeks Pregnant: Recurring Symptoms

9 Weeks Pregnant: Common Symptoms

Congestion Remedies During Pregnancy

During this pregnancy, I’m frequently asked if I have a head cold because I’m always blowing my nose! Heightened levels of pregnancy hormones result in increased blood flow to the mucous membranes, making them very sensitive. This results in the membrane swelling, resulting in congestion. To make matters worse, I always seem to be more congested at night, which has begun affecting my sleep (not again!). To get rid of congestion and back to restful sleep, I’ve invested in a humidifier, nose strips, and a Neti Pot. I’ve found that this combination of congestion remedies has really helped.

Pregnancy Urinary Tract Infection

During the past week, I developed a nasty and painful UTI. I think I got it during the night since I am so thirsty that I drink a lot and have to constantly go to the bathroom during the night. I think I waited too long once or twice during the night to go and bingo, up pops the UTI. It hurt to go the bathroom and each time I did, I felt already like I needed to go again (not what I needed right now, right?). My doctor prescribed antibiotics and I am starting to feel better. To combat this problem, drink a lot of fluids early in the day and try to avoid salty foods.

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Stages of Fetal Development: Baby Growth & Size at 9 Weeks

At week 9, your baby weighs .07 ounces and is .9 inches long, about the size of a cherry. Woo hoo!! Your baby has reached the next stage of development — your little embryo has finally become a fetus. At this stage, the heart has divided into 4 chambers, allowing more blood to be pumped all over the body. If you get an ultrasound done this week (I had mine at week 8), there is a chance you’ll hear the heartbeat.

Your little fetus, thanks to its new muscles and hardened bones, is performing spontaneous reflex movements. Week 9 also brings an end to your baby’s intestines’ domicile within the umbilical cord. Slowly, the intestines will move back to your baby’s abdominal cavity, where they will stay for the rest of your baby’s life.  

Good news for mama: the placenta that has been zapping all your energy these past weeks is finally almost finished growing. While I’m currently still exhausted, based on my experiences during my prior pregnancies, I know that I should feel better in the next couple weeks!  

My Pregnant Belly Progression

Check out my 3 months pregnant belly!

Maternity Leave & Announcing Your Pregnancy at Work

The United States is pretty far behind in terms of maternity leave: only a little over 10% of workers are entitled to paid leave through their own company. Paid maternity leave is not mandated by the federal government and states differ in many ways with their own policies. That being said, it can feel scary to inform at work of your pregnancy. Deciding when to announce your pregnancy and deciding to go on maternity leave is a big decision, especially if you will be unpaid. Before telling your boss, read up on your company’s maternity leave policy. Make a plan highlighting how long you plan to take time off and when you will start back up again. Mention how you will get your work done before your baby arrives. Here’s a quick guide on how to approach the conversation with your boss.

Your Pregnancy at 9 Weeks: Prenatal Appointments

The following prenatal tests are available at 9 weeks of pregnancy:

Cell-Free DNA screening (cfDNA)

Also referred to as Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), this screening test analyzes your baby’s risk of having chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome, Edwards syndrome, and Trisomy 13. This test simply consists of a blood sample from one of your veins, which will be used to analyze trace amounts of the placental DNA. This screening test is very safe and has no risk of miscarriage.

*Note: it is possible to have your week 8 prenatal appointment during week 9, so you may be scheduled for a 9 week ultrasound.

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Week by Week Pregnancy Food Guide: Healthy Foods for You & Baby

Please check out Week 4 and Week 5 for a complete pregnancy food and nutrition guide and come back each week for a healthy pregnancy recipe!

How Many Months Is 9 Weeks?

Doctors typically don’t measure your pregnancy based on months for a very good reason: months have a different number of days and weeks, meaning that the month during which your pregnancy began would influence the month of pregnancy you’re in. However, if you are 9 weeks pregnant, you are a little over 2 months pregnant and are in your third month of pregnancy.

Week 9 Pregnancy Checklist

Resources

• What to Expect & What to Expect When You’re Expecting – 5th Edition (2016)
• The Bump
• Baby List
• Parents.com
• Healthline.com
• WebMD
• The Mama Natural Week to Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth (2017)
• Mayo Clinic’s Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy – Second Edition (2018)
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists