NINTH WEEK OF PREGNANCY: what happens to mother and embryo
Introduction
The ninth week of pregnancy has finally arrived!
If you are wondering about the changes that, between symptoms and the growth of your little one in the belly, characterize this period, you are on the right page.
Spoiler: Your puppy is about the size of an olive!
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How many months of pregnancy is 9 weeks?
The ninth week of pregnancy is part of the third month of gestation .
The latter goes 8 weeks and 6 days to 13+1.
How does the embryo grow?
With a CRL of approximately 2.6 cm , the embryo - to speak of a fetus, we must wait another week - has, as already mentioned, dimensions similar to those of an olive.
Her neck, brain, and spinal cord are forming.
In the ninth week of pregnancy, the development of internal organs is fervent.
The formation of hands and fingers is finalized .
The lower limbs, on the other hand, continue to lengthen to make room for the growth of the feet.
With the eyes moving towards the centre of the head day by day, the embryo in the ninth week of pregnancy still has its eyelids closed , which will remain so until around the seventh month.
At nine weeks of pregnancy, the embryo already has all four heart chambers .
Still with regards to the heart, I remember the ongoing formation of the valves.
During this period, the earlobes also begin to form: it won't be long before he or she is able to perceive sounds.
The tail is gradually disappearing and, obviously, the development of the spinal column is finalized day by day.
Another very important stage that occurs during the ninth week of pregnancy concerns the formation of the bony part of the skull , a part of the body that until that moment was made up solely of cartilage.
Fundamental to the protection of the brain, the cranial bones will, for a long time to come, remain extremely flexible and connected to each other by the fontanelles, the soft areas where the bone fusion has not yet been perfected.
What do you feel in the ninth week of pregnancy?
Let's now talk about the symptoms that the expectant mother experiences in the ninth week of pregnancy.
Hormones, which have changed drastically compared to the pre-pregnancy period, have an impact on your hair, which may appear shinier and softer than usual, and on your skin.
As for the latter, you may notice both a more rosy complexion and the onset of spots.
With your waistline noticeably rounding out and your breasts growing, it's definitely time to break out some more comfortable clothes.
When wondering what happens in the ninth week of pregnancy, one cannot help but mention heartburn.
At this stage of pregnancy, its onset is attributable to the influence of progesterone which, by relaxing the gastrointestinal muscles, can cause episodes of reflux, with consequent heartburn due to the rising acid content.
9 Weeks Pregnant and Symptoms Gone: Is It Normal?
Don't be alarmed if you start to experience less intense symptoms typical of the very early stages of pregnancy.
In fact, by the ninth week of pregnancy, the body has almost completely adapted to the hormonal changes.
What does your belly look like at nine weeks pregnant?
Your belly at nine weeks pregnant is close to the moment when it will be unmistakable.
The uterus, in fact, is starting to protrude from the pelvis.
Soon, your sweet secret will be more than apparent.
What is the risk of miscarriage at nine weeks of pregnancy?
According to Istat data, the occurrence of spontaneous abortion concerns, in 32.4% of cases, pregnant women between the ninth and tenth week of pregnancy.
As we approach the end of the first trimester, the incidence drops dramatically.
Ultrasound in the ninth week of pregnancy: can it be done?
The ninth week of pregnancy is a perfect time to have your first ultrasound .
I remember that it should be done between eight and twelve (not later because you risk not being able to date the pregnancy correctly).
What can be seen during this exam ?
Embryo number
Presence of pregnancy in the uterus
Embryo movements
Heart rate detection
To measure, again via ultrasound, nuchal translucency - a test that, together with the bi-test, thanks to which it is possible to monitor, after taking a sample of maternal blood, the dosage of Free Beta-HCG and PAPP-A proteins - it is necessary to wait until the eleventh week.
The tests just mentioned allow us to place the mother in a risk class with regards to giving birth to a child with certain chromosomal abnormalities.
