9 Weeks Pregnant: Moody Name Changes

At 9 weeks pregnant, your baby is officially now a fetus rather than an embryo, but we prefer the word baby at any developmental stage. By the end of this week, all the major internal bits are also in place, but they do still have some finishing up to do. You, however, may feel a bit out of place. Mood swings are the most common pregnancy complaint this week.9 weeks pregnant

What’s going on with your baby at 9 weeks pregnant?

Besides the technical name change, your baby has also changed out the last bit of that embryonic tai9 weeks pregnant fetusl for a more recognizably human face with distinct ears, nostrils, lips and even eye lids, though his/her eyes will remain fused shut for another roughly 18 weeks. His/her hands are less webbed and head is more proportionate to his/her body. The heart also now has four chambers, and can officially be heard on ultrasound rather than just seen.

It is, unfortunately, unlikely a hand-held Doppler will pick up your baby’s heart beat at 9 weeks, though not unheard of towards the end of the week with very sensitive models in thinner women. Regardless, it’s far more common for a Doppler to pick up a heartbeat around 12 weeks. Your baby is about the size of a grape or green olive measuring around .9 inches and weighing about .07 ounces.

What’s going on with your body at 9 weeks pregnant?

9 weeks pregnant sizeBy 9 weeks pregnant, you can take whatever you typically experience while PMSing and just multiple that by well, about 9. Coincidentally, women who generally do not experience severe PMS also seem to experience milder pregnancy symptoms. One possible explanation for this is that both PMS and pregnancy symptoms are caused by hormonal changes. Some women may just react less severely to hormonal fluctuations.

9 weeks pregnant ultrasound
2D ultrasound at 9 weeks pregnant

As mentioned, one of the most common pregnancy symptoms at 9 weeks pregnant is mood swings. In addition to hormonal havoc, around 9 weeks seems to be that point where it really sinks in—I’m pregnant. This can add a whole new emotional component to already volatile moods. Of course, feeling like crap overall isn’t a huge help for most women either. On the upside, as the placenta finishes up this week, sometime in the next few weeks it will take over hormone production, and you should see an alleviation in symptoms across the board. In the meantime, it may help to take some “me time.” Not only does private relaxation give you time to work through your feelings, it also spares you the stress of accidental overreactions, random public sob fests, and other joys of severe mood swings. We’re certainly not saying you should lock yourself away from the world as a “public service,” simply to remember to make time for yourself.

8 Weeks Pregnant: Welcome to Month 2

Welcome to the second month of pregnancy or 8 weeks pregnant! Your baby is now approximately 4 weeks into development and has gone from about the size of a pinhead to the size of a bean. Your blood supply has increased 40 to 50 percent and your uterus has about doubled in size– that’s some serious development in such a short time period.8 weeks pregnant

What’s going on with your baby at 8 weeks pregnant?

8 weeks pregnant hands
Tiny webbed fingers

The outer cells of the gestational sack have now connected to your blood supply, and it’s a good thing too, your baby is going to need the support this week– there’s a lot going on.  The tail your baby once sported has almost completely disappeared and webbed fingers and toes have replaced it. Toes, lips, outer ears, eyelids, intestines and gonads are developing.

That last one, the gonads, will be either ovaries or testicles meaning you officially have a girl or a boy now!  Movement occurs for the first time this week as well as those nerves and muscles become more mature, and joints such as the elbow appear. You probably won’t be able to feel these tiny movements yet because your baby is only eight to eleven millimeters in length and weighs less than an ounce.  Your babies bones are also beginning to harden, or ossify.

What’s going on with your body at 8 weeks pregnant?

Ultrasound at 8 weeks pregnant
Ultrasound at 8 weeks pregnant

Morning sickness is in full swing for most women at this point, and you may also experience abdominal pain. This is because your uterus is becoming heavier and beginning to place strain on the round ligaments and muscles in your pelvis. This pain may feel sharp and occur on either side of the lower abdomen. This is normal. However, if pain remains constant you should seek medical care. Light red or brown spotting is also quite common at 8 weeks pregnant, though you should let your care provider know if you experience any bleeding.  If you have questions regarding miscarriage, pregnancy, or parenting, now is also an excellent time to enroll in pregnancy classes which will cover everything from breast feeding to labor breathing techniques.

8 weeks pregnant ultrasound twins
3d ultrasound from 8 weeks (twins)

7 Weeks Pregnant: Might Be Some Mucus

At 7 weeks pregnant, despite your baby actually only being around 3 weeks into development, you’re halfway through the first trimester. That may seem a silly milestone–unless you’re suffering from some seriously not-fun pregnant symptoms, being that most of those begin to diminish as the first trimester closes. Unfortunately, those same symptoms may peak in the next 2 to 3 weeks.7 weeks pregnant baby

What’s going on with your baby at 7 weeks pregnant?

This week your baby becomes more humanoid in appearance– though he/she still has a tail and a very large head (about 1/3 of your baby’s size right now is noggin’).  Your baby is also now forming hand plates, finger nail beds, a mouth, nostrils, and teeth buds. Vital organs continue to form with the lungs, liver, and digestive track finishing up. The genital tube is also now complete, though even with an ultrasound gender won’t be visible yet. Your baby now weighs about as much as a chocolate chip and is 7 to 9 mm in length (think the size of a blueberry).  Food comparisons aside, that may seem pretty small, but it’s 1000 times larger than the original fertilized egg! Your baby has really grown, and that tiny heart that began beating last week is circulating blood through your baby’s body. A body that can, at this point, move in response to cell communication due to brand spanking new nerve channels and muscle connections.

What’s going on in your body at 7 weeks pregnant?

7 weeks pregnanyt ultrasound
What you may see if you have an ultrasound at 7 weeks pregnant

Your hormones are going to continue to go crazy in week seven, which may even cause acne flare ups, but the biggest issue you’re likely to face at 7 weeks pregnant is vaginal discharge.  A mucus plug is forming in your cervix which will keep your new baby safe and sound in your uterus. As it forms, you’ll see an increase in yellowish, thick mucus. Increased discharge is likely to continue throughout your pregnancy. You may find thin panty liners, frequent underwear changes, and daily showers helpful to keeping things clean and comfortable down there.

You may also start to notice your waist line widening, though some women don’t begin to gain weight this early. Your uterus is now twice the size it was before you became pregnant, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be showing. If you’re experiencing cravings which are adding to that growing waistline, try changing the brand of your prenatal vitamin. Pregnancy cravings are the body’s way of obtaining vitamins and minerals it’s missing.

When will I start showing?

If you take a look at belly pictures at 7 weeks pregnant, you’ll see a pretty wide range of baby bumps. How early you begin to show depends on a lot of things, such as muscle tone, skin elasticity, uterus shape, placenta location, and baby position (later on). As a result, its hard to say just when you’ll be able to tell you’re pregnant by looking in the mirror. At 7 weeks pregnant though, unless this isn’t your first belly fruit, chances are you might have gained some weight, but it’s not obviously baby weight yet.