8 Weeks 2 Days - The Ninth Week

Before I head to bed, here is the development update for this week. I'll try to do a weekend update tomorrow.

The Baby
The crown-to-rump length of the embryo is .9 inch to 1.2 inches (22 to 30 mm). This is close to the size of a medium green olive. If you could look inside your uterus, you'd see many changes in your baby. Your baby's arms and legs are longer. Hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over the heart area. They continue to extend in front of the body. Fingers are longer, and the tips are slightly enlarged where touch pads are developing. The feet are approaching the midline of the body and may be long enough to meet in front of the torso. The head is more erect, and the neck is more developed. The eyelids almost cover the eyes. Up to this time, the eyes have been uncovered. External ears are evident and well formed. Your baby now moves its body and limbs. This movemembet may be seen during an ultrasound exam. The baby looks mor recognizable as a human being, although it is still extremely small. It is probably impossible to distinguish a male from a female. External organs of the male and female appear very similar and will not be distinguishable for another few weeks.

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — barely the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce, but he's poised for rapid weight gain now that his basic physical structure is in place. He's also starting to look more and more human. His embryonic "tail" is now completely gone and his body parts — including organs, muscles, and nerves — are kicking into gear. His eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. He has earlobes, and by week's end, the inner workings of his ears will be complete. His upper lip is fully formed, too, and his mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The tips of his fingers are slightly enlarged where his touch pads are developing. All major joints — his shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles — are working, enabling your baby to move his limbs. As for his heart, it has divided into four chambers now, and the valves have started to develop. External sex organs are there, but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks.

Help! What's that dull cramping? As the uterus begins to stretch, you may feel a dull aching and cramping. You may even find a slight brownish or reddish discharge. So long as the cramping is not severe, and the spotting is not bright red, you are probably just fine. Your uterus is beginning to grow, and the sensation you feel is the "round" ligaments beginning to stretch. This should lessen in the second and third trimester.

We have elbows! Your baby is now approximately 13-17 mm crown to rump length, or about 0.51 - 0.66 inches. S/he also weighs in at 1 gram! Toe rays are present as the toes begin to form. Gonads have become testes (for boys) or ovaries (for girls). Baby will move away if touched through the uterine wall, and can spontaneously move as well. Ossification (hardening) of the bones may begin.

The Mom
Each week your uterus grows larger with the baby growing inside it. You may begin to see your waistline growing thicker by this time. A pelvic exam will detect a uterus a little bigger than a grapefruit.

You still may not look pregnant (although your belly will probably pop earlier if you've been pregnant before), but emotionally you may feel like you're on a roller coaster ride. Mood swings are common now; it's perfectly normal to feel alternately elated and terrified about becoming a parent. This feeling can persist throughout your pregnancy and well after your baby's born. Try to cut yourself some slack. Almost all expectant parents worry about how a new baby will change their lives, but the vast majority later say that becoming a parent was one of the best things they've ever done. You may be feeling extra gassy or bloated now, too. That's primarily because the major doses of progesterone your body produces early in pregnancy relax smooth muscle tissue throughout your body, and that includes your gastrointestinal tract. This relaxation slows your digestive processes, which can cause more gas, bloating, burping, flatulence, and generally miserable sensations in your gut, especially after a big meal.

Pregnancy does odd things to your skin. It's all those hormones! Some women break out as though each little pore were Mount Vesuvius. "Kablooey! Thar she blows!" For other, more fortunate women, bumpy complexions smooth to the softness of a rose. (Don't gloat... pregnancy has its share of inconveniences for everyone.) As your pregnancy progresses, your complexion may even out, though some women need to wait until after the baby is born before having nice skin again. Later in pregnancy, some women develop a "mask" of dark pigment around their eyes, on their noses, and cheeks. This is called the chloasma and will slowly fade once you are a mom.

You may find yourself with a stuffy nose. Nasal congestion and nose bleeds are fairly common during pregnancy. Try using a vaporizer or humidifier to help lessen the symptoms. You continue to feel tired, nauseated, and possibly dizzy. Making a baby is hard work!