Your Nutrient Of This Week

Folic Acid

As you approach your last month of the first trimester, continue supplementing your healthy diet with folic acid to help prevent birth defects.

Your Wellness Tips This Week

You can look forward to your second doctor’s visit and possibly hearing your baby’s heartbeat in the coming weeks! And get those scrapbooks ready — you will get the first glimpse of your baby during the upcoming ultrasound.

Your Second Doctor Visit
You will probably have your second prenatal visit sometime between the 9th and 12th week of your pregnancy. Here, your doctor will use a special listening device, called a Doppler, to project the sounds of your baby’s beating heart.

Exercise benefits both you and your baby
Keep up with the regular exercise this week. It offers both you and your baby lots of benefits, including:

• Helping alleviate common problems of pregnancy, including backaches, bloating and swelling, and increased fatigue.
• Toning the muscles in your stomach, uterus, and vagina.
• Supporting good metabolism.
• Helping you get back into pre-pregnancy shape sooner.
• Helping improve delivery of oxygen and nutrients to your baby.
• Improving your energy levels.
• Helping you feel better physically and emotionally.
• Adjusting to a new center of gravity.
• Possibly coping better during labour.

Your Baby's Development at Week 9

When you are 9 weeks pregnant, your baby’s body parts and proportions continue to develop and change quickly:

• During the 9th week of your pregnancy, your baby grows to about 2.5 cm, or about the length of an olive.
• By your 9th week of pregnancy, your baby’s skeleton begins to harden. Hardening of the bones, or ossification, begins with the formation of cartilage.
• Her fingers, toes, knees, and elbows develop.
• Nipples and hair follicles form.
• Her intestinal system — pancreas, bile ducts, gallbladder, and anus — forms. Her intestines elongate.
• Your baby’s reproductive organs begin to develop internally when you are 9 weeks pregnant.
• Muscles develop and your baby may start to move — you may feel her movements more in the weeks to come.

Your Changing Body at Week 9

At 9 weeks pregnant, your body continues to change to protect and nourish your developing baby. That means your pregnancy symptoms could still be in full force. Take a look at some of the changes happening to your body during your 9th week of pregnancy:

• Hormone production increases around the 9th week of pregnancy, but a shift occurs by the 12th week of pregnancy, signalling the relief of many first-trimester symptoms. Until then, continue to seek relief from symptoms that bother you.
• Some other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, breast soreness, increased urination, insomnia, and vivid dreaming.
• Your heart pumps harder and faster, which can cause fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
• Increased estrogen and progesterone stimulate the growth of your breasts and milk glands. The skin around your nipples may enlarge and darken. Breast soreness and fullness is normal. Consider shopping for a supportive and comfortable bra to accommodate your changing breasts.
• Your body shape begins to change, which can also cause you to change how you feel about your body. Remember that body changes and healthy weight gain are important but temporary aspects of pregnancy. Take the steps you need to maintain a positive body image by exercising and eating well. Wear comfortable clothes that make you feel and look good. Don’t worry if you are not showing just yet — it may take a few more weeks.

References:
* Comparison among all maternal milk in Singapore as of January 2022, as declared on the label.

SG.2022.23685.SMM.1 (v1.0)