pregnancy fetus week 9

Your Baby

By the 9th week, cartilage is forming and bones are growing. Baby is forming the skeleton that s/he will use to stand, walk and run later in life. Eye structure is progressing and the tongue is beginning to develop. Intestines have formed in the umbilical cord, but are now moving out of the cord and into baby’s abdomen. Fingers and toes continue to lengthen but are still webbed. The fetus weighs about one gram. Multiples continue to grow at the same rate as singlets.

9 week fetus ultrasound
9-week fetus on ultrasound

Your Body 

You have now missed your second period, and breasts are growing larger by the day. Milk ducts are growing in preparation for feeding the baby after birth. Indigestion may be a problem starting in the 9th week. Hormones can be hard on the body and the digestive system seems to take a hard hit during the latter weeks of the first trimester.

Dad 

Intercourse is safe during all stages of pregnancy, but, Dad needs to take mom's feelings into consideration, as Mom may be feeling sick, tired and sore.

Tips For This Week

—Keep eating crackers and small meals throughout the day if morning sickness is sticking around.

—If Dad is trying to be intimate, understand that he does not feel the physical changes of pregnancy and may not understand what you are going through. On the flip side, if you are not in the mood that’s perfectly okay, too. Communication is everything.

—Weight gain will start soon, if it hasn’t already, so make sure to eat a balanced meal plan rich in folic acid and keep taking those vitamins.