Week 9
Mum:
Catering for your baby’s development is hard work and you could find yourself becoming increasingly tired. Your breasts are feeling more and more full and tender and you may feel extremely emotional; being very sensitive even to the silliest joke or even crying when a commercial comes along! If you usually suffer from headaches, being pregnant may increase this symptom. Our high temperatures may actually make headaches and dizzy spells even worse. Make sure you that walk close to a railing and sit up slowly. It is vital to drink lots of water since one symptom of dehydration is headaches.
Baby:
Weighing as much as a paperclip (1 – 1.5 grams) and being the size of a raspberry (13 – 17mm), your baby is very active (though you still can’t feel its movements). He or she now has all the major organs, muscles and nerves. The skeleton has begun to form as cartilage and bones take shape. The testes and ovaries are also formed, however external genitalia appear sexless; therefore it is still too early for an ultrasound to reveal the gender. The baby’s intestine has begun to move out of the umbilical cord into the baby’s abdomen and your baby is now taking his/her first few drinks – from the amniotic fluid. Remember, a little of what you eat and drink ends up in the amniotic fluid so, it eventually ends up in him. As a tip: Adding a few tablespoons of nonfat milk powder to many of your recipes is a great way to sneak in some extra calcium.
Dad:
Don’t worry if she cries for seemingly no reason. These are simply hormones and the good news is that as the placenta matures and begins to take over production of some of these hormones, mom-to-be feels better. If you ever feel that it’s bad being on the receiving end, be sure that it is even less pleasant to feel like your body has been taken over.
