Pregnancy calendar - week #9

Pregnant mothers - week #9

Hang in there!

Poor baby! (We mean you, not the actual baby.)

We feel your pain, we honestly do. Pregnancy symptoms can be overwhelming at times. You may even start getting congestion and nose bleeds at this point in your pregnancy. You're probably also feeling extra tired, nauseated, and even dizzy. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...

But hang in there. You're well into the first trimester (which is usually morning sickness territory) and getting closer to the much anticipated second trimester.

Baby and fetal development - week #9

My, what a big head you have!

In week 9, baby is between 16 and 18 mm. That's about the diameter of a penny. And baby weighs about 1 gram at this point. That's about the weight of a dollar bill. Wow, wow, wow!

Other week 9 developments:

• The tip of baby's nose is developed
• Anus is forming
• Intestines continue to grow longer
• Digestive system continues to develop
• Eyelids start to form
• Baby's bones are beginning to harden (this process is called ossification)

And what does baby look like right about now? Her head is considerably large in comparison to the rest of her body--not quite the cute, bouncy baby you're imagining in your head (just give it some time!)

Pregnant dads - week #9

Feel her pain.

We're going to let you in on a little secret...ok, maybe it's a big secret. You're probably feeling a tiny tinge of guilt every time the mother-to-be is leaning over the toilet waiting to throw up. We don't blame you. Fortunately, there's something great you can do to take all that guilt off your shoulders: surprise her!

Take it from us, 99.999% of women love to be surprised (no, not by jumping out at her in the dark!) We're talking good surprises--like gift wrapping some Godiva chocolate and laying it on her pillow. Or surprising her with theater tickets. Or making a homemade dinner (but please, make sure you can actually cook before delving into that!)