9 weeks pregnant ultrasound
If you didn’t have your initial prenatal appointment and ultrasound last week, you can expect to have it this week. This is such an exciting milestone for mamas, getting to see their little one for the very first time!
Commonly referred to in the medical world as “confirmation of pregnancy”, one of the sole purposes of this first appointment and ultrasound is to check for that little heartbeat and confirm your dating aka due date.
According to ACOG, an early first trimester ultrasound is, “the most accurate method to establish or confirm gestational age.”
This initial ultrasound will be transvagin*l. An abdominal ultrasound, which is usually reserved for 12 weeks or greater, simply cannot produce the same quality images prior to 12 weeks.
You don’t necessarily need to do anything to prepare for a transvagin*l ultrasound – other than make sure your bladder is empty! Your provider will insert a lubricated probe into your vagin* to visualize a heartbeat, measure baby, look at your ovaries, fallopian tubes, placenta, and uterus.
Heartbeat at 9 weeks
At 9 weeks, baby’s heartbeat is the fastest it will be during pregnancy, with an average being 170 bpm. It gradually decreases around 13 weeks to a “normal” 110-160 bpm and then will slow even more the last couple months of pregnancy.
There are a lot of old wives’ tales surrounding fetal heart rate and baby’s sex. These are simply that, wives’ tales – the sex of your baby cannot be predicted by their heart rate but it can be a fun activity to do nonetheless!
You should be able to hear baby’s heartbeat for the first time during a 9 week ultrasound – might want to throw some tissues in your pocket for this appointment – it can be an emotional one!
Showing at 9 weeks
There are so many things that play into when you start showing during pregnancy – and let me tell you, it’s more than just your gestational age! Things like pre-pregnancy weight and size, body shape, number pregnancy, and even height can all impact it.
Generally speaking, women are not showing at 9 weeks pregnant. Notice I said “generally”, there are always exceptions to the rules! Women that have been pregnant before typically start showing earlier, meaning that they might have a little bump going on at 9 weeks.
Different body shapes and sizes can also mean different timelines for baby bumps. Taller women with longer torsos typically have more space to “hide” their bump longer and might not start showing as early.
Whether you are totally bumpin’ at 9 weeks or have zero evidence of a bump, I encourage you to embrace it. All bumps are unique and beautiful in their own ways, and act as a reminder of the amazing things your body is capable of!
Read more about when you’ll start showing in this article!
9 weeks pregnant symptoms come and go
It can be normal for some of the early symptoms of pregnancy to come and go around this time. As your pregnancy progresses, some symptoms change and others disappear. It’s highly unlikely that you will wake up one day and all of your symptoms will have just vanished, but I won’t say it’s impossible!
Reasons for the symptoms coming and going at 9 weeks, or any point in pregnancy, can be related to hormone fluctuations, time of day, hydration status, and/or in response to activity.
9 weeks pregnant is how many months?
You are mainly going to hear pregnancy discussed in weeks not months, but if you are curious, you are at the beginning of your third month at 9 weeks pregnant.
Placenta at 9 weeks
Let’s quickly talk about your placenta and what its main function is because it’s a pretty incredible organ!
Long story short, your placenta supports baby’s development in utero by supplying nutrients, eliminating fetal waste products, and enabling gas exchange via maternal blood supply – woah, so cool! To learn even more, check out my post about placentas!
What is going on with your placenta at 9 weeks pregnant? At 9 weeks, your placenta hasn’t fully taken over hormone production but is doing some of the work.
It will be another couple weeks before it’s functioning at full capacity. This is when women report improvement in a lot of those less than desirable early pregnancy symptoms (I’m talking to you morning sickness) – can you see the light yet?
