First Trimester
Week 9: Baby is now officially a fetus — not an embryo.
Here's everything happening with your baby and your body this week.
Your baby is the size of a
Grape
Length
0.9 in
Weight
2 g
Week
9 / 40
💡 Expert tip
Consider genetic screening tests (NIPT, nuchal translucency scan) — typically offered between weeks 10–13.
🌱 Baby's development this week
- Embryo becomes a fetus at 9 weeks
- Tiny muscles allow movement — not yet felt
- External genitalia beginning to form
- Eyelids fused shut to protect developing eyes
Science fact
The transition from embryo to fetus at 9 weeks is not just semantic — the placenta takes over hormone production from the corpus luteum, which is why nausea often begins to ease after week 10.
🤰 Your symptoms this week
Nausea peaks this week for most women then begins to ease
Try ginger tea, crackers before getting up, or vitamin B6 (10mg 3x/day). Small meals every 2 hours help.
Acne flares
hormonal surges affect sebaceous glands
Increased urination
uterus pressing on bladder before it rises into abdomen
💛 Changes in your body
- Uterus is the size of a tennis ball
- Breast tissue expanding — may need new bras
- Some women start showing a small bump
- Blood volume increasing by up to 50% total through pregnancy
💙 Mental health this week
First trimester fatigue is neurologically protective — your body is literally rerouting energy to fetal brain development.
🥗 Nutrition focus
- Iron needs: 27mg/day in pregnancy (vs 18mg non-pregnant) — lentils have 6.6mg per cup
- Avoid liver (too much vitamin A), raw eggs, and deli meats
- Prunes (3/day) effectively treat pregnancy constipation — evidence-based
📅 Appointment / test
NIPT (Non-Invasive Prenatal Test) blood draw can be done from 10 weeks — screens for chromosomal conditions with 99% accuracy.
✅ This week's checklist
Ask doctor about NIPT screening at 10 weeks if interested
Avoid sleeping flat on your back — start left-side sleeping habit now
Book dental checkup — gum disease risk doubles in pregnancy
Track your pregnancy week by week
Interactive guide · 40 weeks · Fruit size visualizations · Personalized tips
Open Week 9 in Interactive Guide → →