The 9th week is said to be the toughest week for pregnant women, especially those experiencing nausea and morning sickness. The queasiness tends to increase manifolds and may leave you extremely tired and upset. But, don’t you worry. Once you brave this week, you will find that your nausea starts subsiding.
What’s happening inside your body?
This week, your HCG hormones are at their highest which explains the enhanced feeling of nausea and dizziness.
Your ever-growing uterus would by now be the size of a tennis ball and you may see that your lower abdomen has become firmer.
What to Expect this Week?
Thanks to the heightened level of HCG hormones, you would be sick and nauseated to your stomach this week. However, you will be happy to know that hereafter these hormones start stabilizing and would help you get rid of the sick feeling. As for now, you need to drink lots of water to replace the fluids that you may be losing by throwing up. Though you may not really feel up to it, eat whatever and whenever possible.
Your sex drive will be on an all-time low this week due to the high hormone levels and fatigue. This week, you may also start citing a difference in the way your skin and hair look. Some women may feel that their skin has started glowing and their hair has become shiny and thick. On the other hand, there might be other women who may feel that their skin looks dull and their hair has gone all limp.
Don’t let these changes affect your self-esteem in any way. This is a natural phenomenon and nothing to get worked up about.
Your Baby This Week
Your little one is now about an inch long and would be the size of an olive. Her heart would be beating quite prominently now and your doctor may now be able to show you heartbeat during the ultrasound and amplify it with a Doppler, such that you can hear it. Be ready with some tissues as this might be a tad overwhelming for you.
The hands and feet of your little darling do not look like a duck’s i.e. webbed anymore. Instead, tiny stubs that would develop into fingers and toes have formed. By this week, all the important organs of the baby are in place. The muscles of the baby’s limbs also start developing this week and chances are that she might be moving them a lot.
How to Make this Week More Fun?
- If all the changes in your appearance and sex drive are upsetting you, try to cuddle up with your husband. His proximity will be reassurance enough. Talk to him about your concerns and fears.
- Join a group for pregnant mothers. Here you will be able to meet other women like you and discuss your problems, which will definitely help you get relieved of some stress.
- You surely need to relax as high-stress levels are not good for your unborn child. Try taking a prenatal yoga class or just engage in some breathing exercises and meditation.
- Unless your doctor has advised you otherwise, you can definitely engage in some exercises like walking, swimming, etc. These will not only help you keep a check on your weight gain and make delivery easy but will also help you release the tension.
- Start drawing up a prenatal to-do list. You may want to change certain things in your home before the baby arrives.