9 Weeks Pregnant: Baby Size, Symptoms and What to Do

Your baby this week

Your baby now has a mouth and a tongue with the beginnings of taste buds. Grooves on the hands and feet mark where fingers and toes will separate. Bones are starting to form, and so are the genitals, though they can't be told apart yet.

At 9 weeks your baby looks recognizably human: the tail-like tip is gone, arms bend at the elbows and the outer ears are forming. The placenta is taking over more of the hormone production. For you, hormones can bring mood swings, headaches and bloating. Acetaminophen is the usual choice for headaches in pregnancy, but check the dose and duration with your provider, and avoid ibuprofen unless they recommend it. If you haven't decided about genetic screening, now's the time to look into it: first-trimester screening happens at 11 to 13 weeks, and cell-free DNA screening (NIPT) can be done from 10 weeks. Both are screening tests, not a diagnosis, and a genetic counselor or your provider can walk you through the results.

By the numbers

Week 9 covers days 63 to 69 counted from the first day of your last period, which is 23% of a 40-week pregnancy. About 217 days remain until a 40-week due date. By date of conception, your baby is about 7 weeks old.

Pregnancy is dated from the first day of your last period, so conception happens around week 2. Your due date is 280 days (40 weeks) from that day, and an early ultrasound may adjust it.

Your body

Mood swings, a metallic taste and new food aversions or cravings are all common in the first trimester. They usually ease as the weeks go by.

Tests and to-dos this week

Cell-free DNA screening (NIPT) can be done starting at 10 weeks, and the first-trimester screen happens between 10 and 13 weeks. Now is a good time to talk with your provider about whether you want either one.

• First prenatal visit · weeks 6–10 · visit

  Health history, physical exam and first-trimester labs. After that, visits are typically monthly until 28 weeks, every 2 weeks until 36 weeks, then weekly.

• First-trimester labs · weeks 6–13 · test

  Blood type and Rh factor, antibody screen, blood count, and infection screening including syphilis (ACOG recommends syphilis testing at the first visit, in the third trimester and at delivery).

Coming up: First-trimester screening (blood test + NT ultrasound) (from week 10). Full prenatal visit schedule

Tips for the first trimester

• Take 400 micrograms of folic acid a day; your provider may advise a higher dose if neural tube defects run in your family.
• Avoid alcohol, smoking, raw or undercooked meat, fish and eggs, and unpasteurized dairy.
• For nausea, try small, frequent meals and sipping fluids; call your provider if you can't keep anything down.
• Check every medicine and supplement you take with your provider or pharmacist before continuing.

Last week and next week

Last week (8): Your baby is starting to uncurl, and the head is lifting away from the chest.

Next week (10): The embryo stage is wrapping up, so your baby is now called a fetus.

Frequently asked questions