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Your baby, who stops being an embryo to become a fetus during this week , measures almost 2.5 centimeters, like a large coin, but still weighs very little: only 3 grams (the same as a thumbtack).
The placenta is already working perfectly to carry the nutrients the baby needs to grow even faster.
Some people confuse the placenta with the amniotic sac, but the placenta is a flat, circular piece of tissue that is attached to the uterus on one side and to the sac on the other:
- On the mother’s side, it receives oxygenated blood with nutrients from your circulation and returns the carbon dioxide and waste substances generated by your child so that your circulation eliminates them.
- The umbilical cord is formed on the fetal side, which is responsible for carrying out the transport of these substances between the placenta and your baby. The umbilical cord is made up of a large vein and 2 arteries that are coiled and covered with a compact jelly, called Wharton’s jelly (or substantia gelatinea funiculi umbilicalis, if you want the technical name).
CHANGES IN YOUR BABY THIS WEEK
Ossification (the formation and maturation of bones) is the star this week. The structures of the face are becoming more defined: ears, lips, nose… and the skull is becoming more and more developed, giving the baby a more human appearance and less of a tadpole.
In addition, the ribs and the joints of his arms and feet begin to be distinguished, all his parts are starting to be defined: elbows, knees, shoulders, ankles and fingers, already separated.
He begins to use his mouth: he drinks amniotic fluid and sucks his thumb.
The genitalia begin to differentiate, although it is still impossible to determine the sex by ultrasound.
YOUR PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL CHANGES
It is common for you to think that you are starting to have skin and hair that you have never seen before : acne caused by hormonal causes usually disappears (although in very few cases it worsens, since the sebaceous glands increase and with it, the obstruction of the pores) and your hair looks shiny and abundant.
In addition, the hair stops falling out at the rate it did before pregnancy. Enjoy it, because in the postpartum period everything that has not fallen during pregnancy will fall. But don’t worry, finally you will be left with the same amount as before the pregnancy.
The previous discomforts continue, do not despair even if you are tired of so much nausea, because in a matter of 2-3 weeks it will surely improve, as will frequency (the constant desire to urinate).
Common symptoms in week 9 of pregnancy
- Constant urge to urinate (frequency)
- Nausea
- Tiredness and sleepiness
- Constipation
- Increased size of the breasts
- The first cravings appear
- Certain odors can bother you
TIPS FOR YOUR WELL-BEING
It is very important that you do not use panty liners to be more comfortable with the increase in vaginal discharge. Although the advertisements assure you that they breathe and wick away moisture, the truth is that they do not do it completely. They maintain moisture and promote infections, which are already more common during pregnancy.
The healthiest trick is to change your panties throughout the day as many times as you need, if possible, make them 100% cotton, without synthetic fabric.
Also remember to continue taking folic acid.
MEDICAL EXAMS AND TESTS AT WEEK 9
If you want, you can already take a fetal DNA test because, at this point, part of your child’s DNA has already passed into your bloodstream.
Keep in mind that it is an expensive test that may not be covered by all types of insurance (except in certain cases such as a history of serious malformations or hereditary genetic diseases). If you want to have it done, you can choose to pay for it privately.
Advice–
If you have health insurance, take a look at your policy because some may include this test.
The test consists of doing a blood test and studying your baby’s DNA in it. Some important chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases can thus be found or ruled out.
In addition, it informs with certainty of the sex of the baby. The result is similar to that obtained in an amniocentesis, without the risks that this entails.
FREQUENT QUESTIONS
Can I dye my hair?
One sees the fantastic long hair of a pregnant woman, but… oops, those roots! And it is that 2 months have passed since the beginning of the pregnancy, the gray hairs and the roots, if you dyed them, have made an appearance. You will find very contradictory information among professionals, because there are no scientific studies with dyes in pregnant women, but there is also no evidence that they could cause malformations. No one is going to guarantee that they are dangerous or harmless either.
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