Pregnancy week 9
8 Jan. 2026
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The embryo is now around 20 millimetres long – small, but with major progress! In week 9, both arms and legs begin to take shape, the organs continue to develop, and the embryo can make small movements – an exciting milestone in pregnancy.
In week 9, the embryo can start to make some simpler movements. These are important for the muscle and joint functions of the embryo, but they are not voluntary, but happen this early via reflexes. Even though the embryo moves inside you for most of the day, you won’t feel anything for awhile. It’s not too far away though! Although it can vary greatly from woman to woman and depending on where in the uterus the placenta is located, many women feel foetal movements around week 18-24.
The arms that started to develop in the previous week now have elbows. Fingers are starting to grow on the hands, but there is still webbing between them. The feet also continue to develop and have now started to have little toes.
The eyes are still on the side of the head, but this week the eyelids begin to develop. The mouth is being completed this week and the development of the teeth in the jaw continues, while the palate and tongue begin to take shape.
From week 9, the genitals also begin to develop in different directions depending on the sex. The set of chromosomes XX or XY controls the development of either testicles or ovaries. Depending on the chromosome set, the various sex hormones are then formed, which will drive the development of the sex forward. At first it looks like two small lumps with a bud in the middle regardless of whether it is a vagina or a penis, but at a later stage you will be able to tell the sexes apart.
The feeling of menstrual cramps and the need to urinate is usually noticeable now, and this is because your uterus is growing. In addition, the intestines begin to swell and together they can push against your bladder. The intestines move more slowly as an effect of the hormones, and they swell because the muscles become more relaxed.
Although the uterus has doubled in size, it cannot be felt on the outside of the body. Some women notice a big difference in the size of their stomach compared to its normal state, while some have not had time to notice any difference at all. Remember not to compare your growing belly with other pregnant women – all women’s bodies are unique and so are pregnancies. Trust your body to change in exactly the way it needs to.
The increased hormonal impact during pregnancy can cause you to be more vascular. Bleeding, spooting is common early in pregnancy. At this stage of pregnancy, many are worried about this very thing and feel a fear of miscarriage. Try not to worry too much, not even about possible bleeding – it is often completely harmless to the embryo and does not have to mean a miscarriage.
A bleed from the lining of the vagina due to swelling, hormonal changes or from a vessel in the lining that is more fluid-filled. Even a polyp in the vagina or cervix can cause bleeding and is not associated with bleeding from the uterus or linked to the development of the foetus.
About 1 in 4 women will bleed at some point during their pregnancy! If you feel worried about a miscarriage or about possible bleeding, you can always turn to your midwife, early pregnancy unit (normally within the hospital) or the accident and emergency department for advice or help to deal with your worries.
Potentially harmful substances that enter your body are absorbed by the blood and can reach the foetus via the placenta and the umbilical cord. Examples of these harmful substances include alcohol, smoking, snus, drugs, and in some cases, even medications. These therefore mean an increased risk to the foetus during pregnancy and should therefore be avoided completely.
If you need help or support in quitting an addiction, you can turn to your health centre or midwifery clinic to get the help you need. There are also special receptions for those who live in, or have lived in a relationship with addiction or risky use.
Remember that the healthcare journey for pregnancies differs from hospital trust to trust. Talk to your midwife about what it looks like where you live.
At a full-term pregnancy (from weeks 37-42), the little olive will have grown as big as a watermelon!
Perhaps you have noticed that your partner’s sense of taste and smell has changed? Not being able to handle a smell or a taste is harder than you might think. Feel free to find smells and tastes that work for both of you. Of course, you can still eat the things your partner doesn’t want to eat, but try to be understanding about your partner’s changes of mind.
It is not harmful to either your partner or the foetus for you to have sex during pregnancy, however your partner’s libido, feelings or experience may change. Some pregnant women will have a higher libido and feel greater pleasure from sex, while others get the opposite effect. Of course, this can also change during pregnancy! Talk to your partner about her feelings and needs.
There may be a period when your relationship looks different than before, but other types of sex or intimacy can still bring pleasure and a sense of closeness. Talking about how you feel and being curious about how your partner feels can increase desire, and closeness tends to increase the need for closeness. It may be that talking about how you feel towards each other and confirming each other’s desires through words can arouse wonderful and pleasurable feelings. Sex can mean different things – everything from soft caresses to full-on intercourse. Work out what feels good for you.
