First trimester
9 weeks pregnant
A milestone with more symbolism than substance: at the end of this week the embryo is reclassified as a fetus. The basic structures are laid down and the work ahead is growth and refinement.
Size of
grape
Length
23 mm
Weight
2 g
Your baby at 9 weeks
The fetus is around the size of a grape. The head is still large relative to the body but the proportions are beginning to even out.
Muscles are developing and movement becomes more frequent, though still entirely imperceptible to you. The heart has divided into four chambers and valves are forming.
External genitals are developing but are not yet distinguishable on a scan. Tiny tooth buds are forming in the jaw.
How you may be feeling
Symptoms often remain at their peak this week, though for some people the first signs of easing appear. The placenta is increasingly taking over hormone production from the ovaries, a handover that completes over the next few weeks and is associated with nausea improving.
Clothes may start feeling tight, usually from bloating rather than any actual bump. Many people start wearing looser waistbands well before they are visibly pregnant.
Common symptoms around week 9
- Nausea and fatigue, often still at their strongest
- Breast growth, sometimes a full cup size or more
- Mood swings that can feel disproportionate
- Heartburn beginning for some people
- Visible veins across the chest and abdomen as blood volume increases
Appointments and tests around now
If first-trimester screening is something you want, it is typically offered between weeks 11 and 14, so arrangements are often made around now. Non-invasive prenatal testing is available from around week 10 in many places.
What is normal, and what varies
Breast size often changes substantially and early. A properly fitted, non-underwired bra usually helps more than people expect, and it is worth doing before it becomes uncomfortable.
Worth doing this week
Get fitted properly
Breast changes come early and continue. A comfortable, supportive bra in the right size makes a daily difference.
Decide about screening deliberately
Some screening has a narrow window. Understanding what each test tells you, and what you would do with the result, is worth thinking through before the appointment rather than during it.
Loosen the waistband
Bloating is real and early. Comfortable clothing is not a concession, it is just practical.
Looking ahead
Next week non-invasive prenatal testing becomes available, and for many people nausea begins to ease.
Nearby weeks
Not sure which week you are in? The week tracker works it out from the first day of your last period, and the due date calculator gives you an estimated due date.