At a glance
Eating for two? Sorry, those 200 extra calories a day aren’t needed until the third trimester.
Potato sandwiches. Pineapple and pickles. Or just oranges. Not all cravings are weird.
Snacking is good. Humous and pitta, nuts and raisins. Chocolate not so much.
Turning your nose up at your favourite perfume? That’ll be hormones again.
Baby's development at 9 weeks pregnant
This is a week of baby development milestones as there’s only one more week left of being an embryo before she moves on to become a proper little foetus. With all her main body parts formed, she’s starting to look more baby-like too. Arms and legs are growing, elbows are forming, and tiny fingers and toes are taking shape.
She’s even growing her first muscles and moving spontaneously - but you won’t be feeling her kicks for a few weeks yet. The baby’s eye development is coming along nicely too, her optic nerve is almost developed and she’s started reacting to light.
Changes in you and your body at 9 weeks pregnant
Are you turning your nose up at your favourite perfume or giving your delicious local butchers the cold shoulder? And that pregnancy cliché about craving pickles? Perhaps it’s not a cliché. Your topsy-turvy senses are all down to your good old friends – pregnancy hormones.
You could be feeling the burn around now too, heartburn that is. It often goes hand in hand with bloating in pregnancy. Ugh. Changes to your diet can help in the long run and antacids can give almost instant relief.
Pregnancy Nutrition
Feeling more peckish these days? Well you are eating for two – except you’re not, yet. Those extra 200 calories a day aren’t needed until the third trimester. Of course if you’re having twins or triplets (yikes) that’s a different story – ask your midwife about your daily intake.
Many women find eating little and often is the best way to maintain a healthy Pregnancy diet. The temptation to grab a cheeky pack of crisps or a chocolate bar (or three) could rocket your calorie intake, so it’s good to stock up on healthy snacks like humous with wholemeal pitta or veggie sticks and dips.
Jargon-busting your maternity notes
When your first midwife appointment happens, you’ll be handed a big folder full of new terms and weird acronyms. Welcome to your maternity notes. You’ll be asked to bring them to each visit where they’ll be updated. They’ll log all sorts of readings and measurements for you and baby. Unless you’ve got time for a quick degree in medicine, you might want help with understanding your maternity notes
