9 weeks Pregnant

During week 9 of your pregnancy, your baby, who only last week was in the embryonic stage, has now progressed to the fetal stage.

Week 9 continues to bring rapid growth with huge developmental strides. Because your baby's muscles are continuing to get stronger, he or she will be making a lot of waves in your amniotic fluid, with spontaneous movements of his or her limbs.

Still not feeling much? No worries because this week you might be able to hear your baby's heartbeat for the very first time with the use of a handheld Doppler. However, do not be too concerned if you cannot hear it yet, positional changes of the baby may make hearing the heartbeat more of a challenge.

This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a series of articles on pregnancy. It provides a summary of each stage of pregnancy, what to expect, and insights into how your baby is developing.

You will also see introductions at the end of some sections to any recent developments that have been covered by MNT's news stories. Also look out for links to information about related conditions.

Symptoms at 9 weeks pregnant At this stage of your pregnancy, you still may not feel very pregnant because there are little if any visible physical body changes.

You may, however, begin or continue to experience physical pregnancy symptoms such as: Weight gain Heartburn Indigestion Nausea and vomiting Nausea, bloating, gas, constipation Food aversions Excess saliva Fatigue Frequent urination Breast changes/tenderness.

(Note: pregnancy increases the risk of urinary tract infections from weeks 6-24, so if your symptoms are not simply from the pregnancy and you suspect an infection, speak with your health care provider about treatment.)

Things to do in week 9 of pregnancy

Your task list is growing and if you have not done so make sure that you put scheduling your prenatal visit on the top of your list. If you are considering certain genetic testing, speak with your health care provider; testing is generally done between weeks 9 and 12

You may continue to be feeling the effects of your new pregnancy.

In addition to running to the bathroom from your nausea, now you may notice that you need to empty your bladder more frequently as well.1 While frequent urination is a normal part of pregnancy, it is also important to make sure you do not have a urinary tract infection, so alert your health care provider for testing.

Finding putting on a bra more challenging? Feeling more sensitive? Your growing breasts may be causing you some increased discomfort, which can be worse at night. While you may still be able to sleep on your stomach, your tender breasts may hinder that. This may actually be a great time to try sleeping on your left side, which is a great way for your baby to get better blood flow.

NOTE: There will be a rise in progesterone and estrogen, you may experience some not so pleasant pregnancy symptoms such as mood swings and morning sickness.

During pregnancy, higher levels of progesterone relaxes smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, including your gastrointestinal tract, which slows down your digestion, leading to gas, bloating, burping, and flatulence

Baby's size at 9 weeks pregnant At 9 weeks pregnant, your baby is the size of a peanut.

At 9 weeks, your little girl or boy is growing, measuring in at about 3/4 of an inch.

Your little peanut is just that - the size of a peanut.

If you have questions regarding your pregnancy, be sure to contact your health care provider.

Call your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy or miscarriage such as vaginal bleeding or passage of tissue, leaking vaginal fluid, feeling faint or dizzy, low blood pressure, rectal pressure, shoulder pain and severe pelvic pain or cramping.

Recent developments on pregnancy from MNT news Eating fish during pregnancy may boost baby's development, not impair it

Fish are one of the highest items on the list of foodstuffs to avoid if you are pregnant, due to the developmental problems thought to be associated with mercury exposure. However, a new study - published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition - suggests that the developmental benefits conferred by the mother consuming fish while pregnant may offset the mercury-related risks.

High-fiber diet during pregnancy may protect offspring against asthma Women who consume a high-fiber diet during pregnancy may reduce the risk of their offspring developing asthma, according to the results of a new study published in Nature Communications

SOURCE: MNT