Week 9

My Baby This Week

Your baby this week would be about 2.5 cm long. Her embryonic "tail" would be completely gone by this stage and she will look much more human. Her eyelids are still shut – don’t be anxious for them to open as this will happen only at the 27th week. The inner workings of her ears will be fully developed at this stage. She would be able to move her limbs by now.

At this point, her nourishment is being provided through the placenta. The placenta is a flat organ covered with wavy tissue, which contain many capillaries. This tissue is known as chorionic villi. It is thorugh this tissue, that nutrients travel from the mother’s body into placenta, then to the embryo. Waste is also removed from the embryo in the reverse manner.

If your doctor suggests performing a chromosome test or tests for other diseases such as cystic fibrosis, one of the tests would be a chorionic villi sampling test involving the insertion of a needle into your abdomen, to extract tissue from the villi. The chorionic villi is made up of the same type of cells and genetic material as the baby. From an examination of these cells, doctors can know more about the baby’s own genetic makeup at an early stage of pregnancy. However, the test is typically done only after the 11th or 12th week because of the small risks of a miscarriage associated with such tests. You should discuss these issues with your doctor if you are considering performing the test.

What’s Happening To My Body?

If you’ve not already seen your gynecologist, you should definitely make your visit by this week!

Do review your own family history and medical records. Information on any history of allergies, genetic problems, general health problems (such as high blood pressure or heart problems) or previous medical operations, should be given to the doctor. If you are currently taking any medication, you should also let the doctor know.

You should speak freely with your gynecologist, making sure you ask all the questions you need to ask, and cooperating with him or her by giving accurate answers.