Month 3 - 1st Trimester

Your pregnancy at 9 weeks

Your baby weighs just 2g (0.07oz). All their body parts are now present, including their arms, legs, eyes, genitals and other organs, though they’re not yet fully formed.

Your placenta is almost fully functioning, absorbing nutrients and oxygen from your blood, and delivering them to your baby. Their arms and legs are lengthening and their fingers and toes are becoming more distinct.

Pregnancy symptoms at nine weeks

Although feeling tired and suffering from morning sickness are common symptoms during pregnancy, they can make you feel low or moody. So make sure you get as much rest as possible. Talk to your loved ones about how you’re feeling – they may not understand just how tiring these early weeks are for you.

Take a look at our first trimester self-care calendar to give you some inspiration for ways you can relax.

Headaches are also common during pregnancy, due to the hormones surging through your body. There are certain medicines, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, that you shouldn't take when you're expecting. However, there are plenty of natural remedies that can ease your aching head.

What you need to know at nine weeks pregnant

Staying active can help you to have a healthier pregnancy. But it's important to choose an exercise that’s safe for you and your growing baby. Low-impact exercises, such as yoga or swimming, are ideal.
Aim for about 30 minutes of exercise each day and don't overdo it. You should stop if you find yourself getting too hot or tired. If you're not used to exercising, build up to 30 minutes over a few weeks, or do three 10-minute sessions each day instead.

Your pregnancy at 10 weeks

Your baby's heart is now fully developed, and beats about 180 times a minute. Their legs can rotate at the hip joint, and their arms can move at the shoulder. They’re testing this new flexibility by instinctively kicking and moving their limbs.

Your baby’s head is more rounded and upright and their eyes are fused shut for now. They will open later in pregnancy. Now that all their organs are in place, their status changes from being an embryo to a fetus.

Pregnancy symptoms at 10 weeks

You may be feeling a little dizzy, which is normal during your first trimester, as the pregnancy hormone progesterone relaxes the walls of your blood vessels. If you’re experiencing dizzy spells, try getting up more slowly, to give your body time to adjust to your new position, and drink plenty of fluids, especially water.

If you’re still suffering from morning sickness and tiredness, you’ll be happy to hear that these symptoms should start to ease off once you reach your second trimester.

What you need to know at 10 weeks of pregnancy

If you haven't had it already, this is the week to meet your midwife for the first time at your booking appointment. There’ll be a lot to cover at this appointment so it may take around an hour or more. Your midwife will ask you about your medical history, job and lifestyle. They will also measure your weight and height to work out your body mass index (BMI).

Your midwife will explain what tests and care you can expect during your pregnancy, and what maternity benefits you're entitled to. You'll have an opportunity to ask questions, and you'll be given a 24-hour phone number in case you have any worries or concerns before your next appointment.

Your pregnancy at 11 weeks

Your baby is still smaller than your thumb, but their critical development is almost complete. Over the next six months they’ll grow larger and stronger, getting ready for life outside your womb (uterus).

Tiny tooth buds are continuing to develop in your baby's mouth. And their fingers may be growing tiny fingernails.

Pregnancy symptoms at 11 weeks

If you’ve noticed that you’re leaking wee when you sneeze or run, it's natural for you to feel worried. But stress incontinence is actually common during pregnancy.

The pregnancy hormones progesterone and relaxin cause your pelvic floor tissues and ligaments to loosen. This can lead to weakness in the sphincter muscles that control the release of wee from your bladder.

The good news is that doing regular pelvic floor exercises will soon put a stop to your leaks. Squeeze your pelvic floor for 10 seconds. Do 10 repetitions, three or four times a day. These exercises can also help your body to prepare for birth, so it's never too early to start.

Relaxin can cause the ligaments that support your womb to stretch more easily too, causing painful twinges, especially on your right-hand side. Relaxing in a warm bath may ease any discomfort.

What you need to know at 11 weeks pregnant

Between now and 14 weeks of pregnancy, you’ll have your dating scan. The main reason for the scan is to work out how many weeks pregnant you are, and to estimate your due date. It will also check if you’re having twins or multiples!

Your dating scan can be a very emotional experience. Until now, your pregnancy may have been dominated by managing unpleasant side-effects. If you’ve had no side-effects at all, it may even be hard to believe you actually are pregnant! So when you get to see your baby, it's a sudden reminder of the amazing work your body is doing to grow a new life.

If you've chosen to have a nuchal translucency scan to screen for Down's syndrome, you're likely to have this at the same time as your dating scan. Your sonographer will measure a collection of fluid at the back of your baby's neck and a blood test will be taken.

To come up with a risk factor, your test results will be combined with the results of your scan, plus your age and lifestyle factors like your weight and whether you smoke. If your scan and tests are done on the same day, it may take a week or two to get your results back. However, please be aware that if your tests were taken at 10 weeks (the earliest they can be done), you may get your results on the day of your later scan.

Your pregnancy at 12 weeks

Your baby’s facial features are starting to look more human. Little lobes are taking shape on the bottom of their ears. Their eyes, which started out on the sides of their head, are starting to move closer together.

Your baby's skeleton is currently made from cartilage, a firm and rubbery tissue. But from this week, the cartilage will slowly harden into bone.

Pregnancy symptoms at 12 weeks

It may seem strange, but your bleeding gums are actually a side effect of pregnancy. The hormones racing through your body can cause your gums to become easily inflamed, which is why they may bleed when you brush or floss.

However, bleeding gums can lead to more serious dental problems if you don't treat them. Make sure you brush thoroughly twice a day, ideally using an electric toothbrush, and floss three times a week. You should also take advantage of your free NHS dental care during pregnancy and see your dentist for a check-up.

What you need to know at 12 weeks pregnant

You'll probably have your dating scan around now, if you haven't already. And by the end of this week, your risk of miscarriage will be dramatically reduced.

Deciding when to tell friends and family your happy news is a personal decision. You may want to do it early on in your pregnancy, or wait until after your dating scan.

Letting people know that you're expecting can be as low key or as high profile as you feel comfortable. You could plan a creative announcement to share on social media. Or you may prefer to tell your loved ones in person so you can see their reaction.

Whatever you choose to do, and whenever you choose to do it, enjoy sharing news of your pregnancy.