Changes During Pregnancy - Week 9

Mother

You may feel hungrier than usual but you need only about 200 to 300 calories extra every day. Remember to make your intake a healthy balanced diet and avoid nibbling on junk food. Many couples decide to tell their friends, relatives and well wishers about the good news at this stage but some prefer to break the good news only after the twelfth week.

Sleeping patterns are affected during the first trimester. You may find yourself feeling extremely sleepy in the morning and sleepless at night. This is a common pattern. Braxton Hicks uterine contractions also start during this period but at this point they are less intense and generally not noticed. They get more intense by Week 30.

You may suffer from mood swings, apprehension and uneasiness. You may feel tired often. You may also feel bloated which causes you to burp often. All these are because the hormone progesterone increases in your body. This is quite normal and you need not worry.

You retain a lot of water in your body and you may experience frequent weight rise and fall. It is advisable for the doctor to check your weight. Avoid doing so yourself as you may be stressed out because of the weight changing patterns.

9 Weeks Pregnant (7 Weeks after Fertilisation)

Baby

Almost all his joints are developed including his body, head, arms and legs. His tail like structure vanishes and his facial features develop quite well. He can detect and respond to lights and sounds around him. He begins curling his webbed fingers. There is now color in the retina of the eye. This makes the eyes more visible. In addition, the eyelids are beginning to develop as well. The intestines are growing as well. During this stage they grow outside the embryo in the umbilical cord as the embryo is still too small. The pituitary gland is one of the first functioning organs to be developed and starts producing some hormones by this stage. The teeth buds have also started developing now. His muscles and organs begin functioning properly on their own. His anus starts forming, reproductive features such as testes and ovaries start forming from this week.