Week 9 of Your Pregnancy

At nine weeks pregnant, the changes in your body may start to feel real. Here is what to expect and what's still to come.

Pregnancy Journey Week 9

Design By Alice Morgan / Illustration by Tara Anand

You're nine weeks pregnant, and by now, you may have already heard your fetus's heartbeat, making the whole experience feel even more real. You might not be "showing" yet, but you're probably getting attuned to changes in your body—while perhaps still dealing with morning sickness and an overall discomfort throughout the day.

Thankfully, there are ways to help soothe some of the most common pregnancy symptoms you may start experiencing. Read on to learn what to expect at nine weeks pregnant.

Pregnancy Week 9 Quick Facts

  • At nine weeks, you've entered your third month of pregnancy
  • You have 31 weeks until your due date
  • You're in the first trimester

Your Unborn Baby's Size at 9 Weeks

At nine weeks, your unborn baby measures about 0.9 inches in length and weighs an average of 0.07 ounces. That's about the size of a cherry or a medium olive!

Pregnancy Symptoms Week 9

Some common symptoms you may experience at nine weeks pregnant include:

  • Breast tenderness
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting

It's common to experience breast tenderness during the early weeks of pregnancy. That's because your breasts begin to retain a lot of fluid and can grow and feel uncomfortable as a result, explains Eli Reshef, MD, OB-GYN, and medical advisory board member at Win Fertility.

To help ease the soreness, try wearing a bra that feels more comfortable or opt for breezy camis instead. "Cold or warm compresses can also help," adds Dr. Reshef. 

You are also likely to feel fatigued. According to studies, fatigue affects nearly everyone to some extent during pregnancy. Researchers explain that it's caused by the hormonal, metabolic, mental, and physical changes associated with pregnancy.

It can help to get eight to 10 hours of sleep each night, eat nutritious foods, and listen to your body. If you need to take a nap in the middle of the day—and can swing it—don't resist it.

As for nausea and vomiting? "We believe nausea and vomiting to be related to an increase in the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)," explains Stephanie Hack, MD, a board-certified OB-GYN in Washington, D.C. The good news? "Most people start to turn the corner by week 10 of pregnancy."

To help with the morning sickness, Dr. Reshef suggests eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. "Pregnant people have a harder time emptying their stomachs the natural way, hence the nausea," he says. "Frequent eating of neutral foods (like bread and Cheerios) throughout the day may be helpful. Opt for less fatty stuff also."

Remember that symptoms can vary, but experts agree that if you can't hold down fluids for 24 hours, you're at risk of dehydration and should reach out to a health care provider immediately. If your nausea becomes unbearable, they can also prescribe you an anti-nausea medication.

Developmental Milestones

At nine weeks pregnant, internal organs like the kidneys, lungs, heart, and brain are still developing. But your unborn baby's external features are becoming more prominent.

Eyes, in particular, will already boast some pigment, and small taste buds will likely have already formed on your fetus's tongue. Ridges identifying where the hands and feet will be are also slowly beginning to take shape.

Pregnancy Journey Weekly Reminder

Design by Alice Morgan

Prenatal Tests and Doctor's Appointments

At nine weeks, you might have your first prenatal appointment, although you could also have it as early as eight weeks or even a little later.

Health care providers will check your blood pressure and weight during these visits. Remember, you can certainly ask professionals not to share your current weight with you, especially if you feel like it might cause some anxiety.

In addition to giving your full history, you might have an ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy. You might even hear fetal cardiac activity for the very first time!

Common Questions at This Pregnancy Stage

Do I still have to keep my pregnancy a secret?

When and with whom you share your pregnancy news is completely up to you. If you're concerned about sharing because of the risk of pregnancy loss, consider whether there is anyone you'd like to help you through a potential miscarriage. "The risk of miscarriage drops after 10 weeks and keeps on dropping, so people often tell their families at around 12 weeks," says Dr. Hack. Still, only you will know what feels right for you.


How much can I exercise at this time?

Generally speaking, unless otherwise instructed by your health care provider, you are encouraged to keep exercising throughout your pregnancy just as you were before conceiving.


"You can exercise and even have intercourse," says Dr. Reshef, specifically calling out prenatal yoga as a beneficial physical activity. (Stay away from hot yoga, though, as the high temps can increase core body temperature, which is not recommended during pregnancy.)


Dr. Hack agrees. "As far as exercising, yoga is a great one to do throughout pregnancy for muscle strengthening and also just for stretching because, as your body changes, you might find yourself uncomfortable, and yoga can help with that," she says.


Once again, it's important to consult a health care provider and listen to your body. If you weren't exercising before pregnancy, getting advice on the best ways to incorporate movement into your daily routine is important.


What foods should I completely avoid?

"There are a ton of foods to avoid," says Dr. Hack matter-of-factly, specifically calling out the bacteria listeria. "It can kill or make pregnant people very sick." Listeria is primarily a concern in deli meats, soft cheeses, and unpasteurized milk—so stay away from all of those.


It's also advisable to avoid certain kinds of fish for two main reasons: mercury levels and the presence of bacteria. Regarding the former, certain fish like tuna, king mackerel, and swordfish are known to carry high mercury levels, whether cooked or raw. In addition to staying away from those species, you should also avoid raw or undercooked fish to avoid certain bacteria that can live on raw foods.

Things You Might Consider This Week

You're nine weeks pregnant and likely have already selected a health care provider. Remember that you'll be associating with a health care team throughout your journey, so make sure to pick health care providers you feel comfortable seeing. It's also critical to ensure your health care providers have privileges at the facility where you're looking to give birth.

"It's important you start thinking of your delivery process already," says Dr. Hack. "You want to make sure that whoever you are seeing has privileges to deliver at whatever hospital you want. You don't want to see someone for 30 weeks and find out that they don't deliver by your house!"

If you are looking to hire a doula, now would also be the time to select one. "The majority of people are already talking to us as they are trying to conceive, and they will call us as soon as they get a positive test and ask for a consultation," says Yamel Belen, RN, CLC, a registered nurse, professional doula, and certified lactation counselor in Tampa, Florida.

Research has found that doula-supported care has many benefits, including:

  • Decreased preterm birth
  • Increased breastfeeding initiation
  • Higher patient satisfaction
  • Helps mitigate racial disparities

"I always recommend reaching out as soon as possible because most doulas can't take an endless amount of clients in a month as we're on call for births at any given moment," says Belen.

Support You May Need This Week

At nine weeks pregnant, you are likely still comfortable to move around and lead your life as you have until now. But you may need an extra hand if you're experiencing morning sickness or fatigue.

These early stages are the perfect time to delve into your eligibility for specific state and federal programs. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal assistance program that offers health care and nutrition to low-income pregnant and postpartum people and children under 5 at nutritional risk.

To qualify, you must be a resident of the state to which you are applying for assistance, and your gross income must fall at or below 185% of the US Poverty Income Guidelines. More than half of infants in the US are served by WIC. You can use the WIC prescreening tool to determine if you could be eligible.

Head over to week ten of pregnancy

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Sources
Parents uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. What are some common signs of pregnancy?. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 2017.

  2. Fatigue and sleep quality in different trimesters of pregnancySleep Sci. 2021.

  3. What happens at your first prenatal appointment?. Penn Medicine. 2018.

  4. Doula care: A review of outcomes and impact on birth experienceObstet Gynecol Surv. 2023.

  5. Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. n.d.

  6. WIC eligibility requirements. U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service. 2023.

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