Being 9 weeks pregnant covers days 63–69 after the first day of your last period (9+0 to 9+6 weeks), and you are in the 3rd month of pregnancy. According to the NHS, your baby is about 22 mm from head to bottom; the pregnancy hormone hCG reaches its peak this week, and for many women nausea is at its worst. At the first antenatal visit, your risk of pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes is assessed.
About 2 months and 2 days have passed since the first day of your last period; 9 weeks pregnant is in the 3rd month of pregnancy.
According to the NHS, your baby is about 22 mm long, about the size of a strawberry. The face is becoming more recognisable, with eyelids protecting the eyes, a little mouth and a tongue with tiny taste buds. All the major internal organs, including the heart, brain, lungs, kidneys and gut, are developing, and bones are starting to form. The eyes are getting bigger and have a little colour in them.
According to the NHS, the hands and feet are developing but there are no fingers or toes yet, just grooves where they will be. According to UpToDate, the formation of the heart is complete by 9 weeks of pregnancy.
ACOG lists the following for weeks 9 to 12 of pregnancy: cartilage for the limbs, hands and feet forms (it hardens into bone a few weeks later), the eyelids form but stay closed, the genitals, liver and fingernails begin to form, the kidneys start making urine and the pancreas starts making insulin (ACOG, 2026).
Your breasts may be bigger and your waist a little thicker. According to the NHS, the pregnancy hormone hCG has been doubling every 2 or 3 days over the past few weeks and is at its peak at 9 weeks; oestrogen and progesterone also rise, increasing the blood supply to the womb. Nausea also usually peaks at around 9 weeks and often settles by 16–20 weeks (UpToDate, 2026).
Some women describe this time as an “emotional rollercoaster”; the NHS suggests resting a lot and accepting offers of help. Eating little and often keeps your blood sugar steady and can reduce morning sickness; healthy snacks include a boiled egg with wholemeal toast, hummus with carrot sticks, or pitta bread with grated cheese (NHS). According to the NHS, many women feel much better when they reach the second trimester in about a month.
If you have not had your first visit yet: NICE recommends that women who contact maternity services after 9+0 weeks are offered a first appointment within 2 weeks if possible (the general aim is by 10+0 weeks). Under the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline, the first visit should take place within the first 14 weeks.
Pre-eclampsia risk: both guidelines ask for pre-eclampsia risk to be assessed at the first visit. In the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline, major risk factors are high blood pressure in a previous pregnancy, chronic kidney disease, lupus or antiphospholipid syndrome, type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and chronic hypertension. Minor factors are a first pregnancy, age 40 or over, more than 10 years since the last pregnancy, a body mass index of 35 or more, a family history of pre-eclampsia, and a multiple pregnancy. The guideline advises starting aspirin from 12 weeks if at least 1 major factor or at least 2 minor factors are present and there is no reason not to. NICE also advises women at risk to take aspirin. You can review your own risk factors with our pre-eclampsia risk factor tool; do not start aspirin on your own.
Gestational diabetes (GDM) risk: the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline advises checking blood sugar at the first visit in women with a body mass index of 25 or more (23 or more for women of Asian origin) plus at least one risk factor, such as diabetes in a first-degree relative, polycystic ovary syndrome, gestational diabetes in a previous pregnancy or a previous baby weighing 4000 g or more; if the result is normal, the glucose tolerance test is repeated at 24–28 weeks. ACOG also notes that the test may be done in the first trimester if you have risk factors. NICE offers women with risk factors a glucose tolerance test at 24–28 weeks, and offers women who had gestational diabetes before blood sugar self-monitoring or a glucose tolerance test as soon as possible after a first-trimester booking (NICE NG3).
The crown-rump length (CRL) measured in these weeks still sets the due date very well; between 9+0 and 13+6 weeks the margin of error is ±7 days (UpToDate, 2026). The baby's sex cannot be seen on ultrasound at this stage.
| Symptom | Usually | Seek care if |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea and vomiting | It is usually at its worst at around 9 weeks and often settles by 16–20 weeks (UpToDate). | Go to the emergency department if you cannot keep food or fluids down for more than 12 hours, feel dizzy when standing, are very thirsty, have a racing heart or are passing much less urine (UpToDate). |
| Mood swings | They are common at this time, when hormone levels are high (NHS). | If you feel anxious or low most of the time, tell your midwife or doctor; the NHS advises not keeping worries to yourself. |
| Spotting or bleeding | Bleeding is common in the first trimester and most women who bleed do not miscarry (UpToDate), but because it also occurs with miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy it is not treated as normal. | The NHS advises seeing a doctor for any bleeding; do not wait if it is heavy or comes with pain. Mention it if your blood group is Rh negative. |
Most of these are danger signs or emergency referral criteria in the Turkish Ministry of Health guideline; the 12-hour threshold for severe vomiting is based on UpToDate (UpToDate, 2026). The NHS also advises seeing a doctor for any bleeding in pregnancy. Contact your doctor or go to the nearest emergency department without waiting; for sudden severe abdominal pain or fainting, go straight to the emergency department.
Being 9 weeks pregnant is about 2 months and 2 days since the first day of your last period, which counts as the 3rd month of pregnancy.
No. The genitals start to take shape in these weeks but cannot be told apart on ultrasound. The NHS says you will probably find out at the anomaly scan at around 18 to 21 weeks; UpToDate notes that ultrasound usually shows the sex at 17 to 20 weeks, while a cell-free DNA test on the mother's blood can also report the sex at 10 to 13 weeks.
According to the NHS, about 22 mm from head to bottom, about the size of a strawberry.
According to the NHS, the pregnancy hormone hCG is at its peak at 9 weeks. UpToDate also notes that nausea usually peaks at around 9 weeks and often settles by 16–20 weeks. Eating little and often may help; if you cannot keep anything down for more than 12 hours, go to the emergency department.
Aspirin is used to lower the risk of pre-eclampsia in women at high risk. The Turkish Ministry of Health guideline recommends it from 12 weeks for women with at least 1 major or at least 2 minor risk factors, if there is no reason not to; NICE also recommends it for women at risk. The decision is made by your doctor after a risk assessment; do not start aspirin on your own.
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