9th week of pregnancy

With the 9th week, you are about to officially enter the third month of pregnancy. Nausea, tiredness and mood swings are the order of the day, but the second trimester is fast approaching and you will soon be able to breathe a sigh of relief!

Weight and length at 9th week

 

How many months is 9 weeks pregnant?

The ninth week marks the transition between the second and third month of gestation. To know the exact correspondence between months and weeks of pregnancy, you can use our conversion table .

How your body changes

Blame the hormones!

Physically, except for the breasts , there may not be big differences compared to the beginning of the pregnancy, even if for some expectant mothers it may be time to make an extra hole in the belt . From an emotional point of view, however, the changes could be very evident: because of the hormones of pregnancy, in fact, you may have tears easily or be particularly sensitive .

Ballerina pressure

Most likely, nausea and tiredness continue to be the great protagonists of these days. You may also experience  dizziness and, in some cases, even fainting . The cause is once again attributable to hormones, which can cause sudden drops in blood pressure , especially when you suddenly pass from one position to another (for example, from sitting to standing or from lying down to sitting). To avoid unpleasant falls, try to move more slowly and, if you feel dizzy, lie down for a few minutes with your legs slightly raised above your head .

Cold? No, I’m pregnant!

It may seem strange to you, but while pregnant it is quite common to suffer from a stuffy nose or nosebleeds (the so-called epistaxis), due to the increased blood flow to the mucous membranes. You may also sneeze a lot or feel a constant itch in your nose .

To relieve these annoying ailments, you can try washing your nose with saline solution. Furthermore, especially in winter, it is advisable to use a vaporizer or a humidifier for the environment, to counteract the dryness of the air caused by heating.

How the child grows

It is about 13-18 millimeters long , as long as an olive, and weighs just over a gram .

An almost perfect little nose

The eyes are well formed and lids have appeared  , but they will not open until the  28th ^week . The development of ears also continues , which will soon allow your little one to perceive your heartbeat. News of the week? Even the tip of the nose is visible !

Training is everything

The main organs are constantly developing: heart valves have formed and your baby’s heart now has two atria and two ventricles, like an adult’s. The reproductive organs have differentiated into testicles for males and ovaries for females , but are not yet recognizable by ultrasound. The fingers and toes are separating and your little one continues to practice his movements of him, even if for now it’s just involuntary reflexes.

Functioning placenta

Blood begins to circulate through the umbilical cord and the placenta begins to perform its function: among its tasks, there is also that of producing estrogen and progesterone , the hormones that regulate most of the changes that occur during pregnancy.

Do you know that…

Before the placenta starts working at full capacity, everything needed for the growth of the embryo is released from the glands in the uterine lining, which produce the so-called uterine milk .

For the dad

• If your partner breaks down in tears at the mall (or anywhere else), seemingly for no reason, don’t worry: it’s perfectly normal! It’s the effects of pregnancy hormones, the same ones that sometimes make her incredibly irritable . She tries to be patient: with the second trimester her mood should definitely improve!
• Right now, you’re probably asking yourself a thousand questions about the future, especially if you’re about to become a dad for the first time . Will I be a good father? Will I be able to educate my child in the best way? Maybe you don’t know it yet, but parents are not born, they are made! When you have your baby in your arms, you will have the opportunity to experience, learn and change with him as he grows. In the meantime, the advice is to inform yourself about what awaits you in the first few months, by attending a childbirth accompanying course for couples or by reading books on the subject: there are some beautiful ones, to browse alone or together with the future mother!

Checks and exams to do

• Dental visit

If you haven’t already done so, it’s time to make an appointment with your dentist: pregnancy, in fact, can have  negative effects on  dental health ,  increasing the risk of tooth decay and gum inflammation .

• Bi-test

Between weeks 9+0 and 13+6 it is possible to take blood for the Bi-test, a test that allows you to calculate the risk that the child is affected by chromosomal abnormalities and genetic disorders . Talk to your gynecologist.

Click here to see the tests you can take for free within the 14th week of gestation.

Tips for the 9th ^week of pregnancy

• To prevent the onset of tooth decay and gum disease, brush your teeth every day , in the morning and in the evening, using a fluoride toothpaste and don’t forget to floss your teeth (once a day and preferably in the evening).
• At the 9th week it is quite common to feel cramps in the uterus , similar to premenstrual pain, which are usually completely harmless. If, on the other hand, they are accompanied by severe pain and bleeding , go to the emergency room immediately , to rule out the presence of complications.
• If there is a predisposition to  varicose veins in the family , avoid abusing salt in condiments and walk at least 30 minutes a day . To reactivate circulation, you can practice some exercises or lymphatic drainage massages: ask your trusted midwife !
• Have you ever heard of the pelvic floor? This term indicates a set of muscles , connected to the pelvis, which support the internal organs. For a more comfortable pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, it is essential to strengthen the pelvic floor with special exercises, called Kegel exercises . Ask your midwife to teach you about them or take a class with other pregnant women.
• The time has come to communicate the news of the pregnancy to your employer  and to think about your safety and that of your baby. The type of job , the products used or the work environment may not be fully compatible with the pregnancy and one of your rights is that of being assigned to a different job