Pregnancy Week 9

BABY DEVELOPMENT

Right about now your baby’s taste buds and organs are starting to form. The way her body is developing now allows for her to be measured in two ways during an ultrasound: from the top of her head to the coccyx and from the top of her head to her heels. She has eyelids covering her eyes, and in her chest cavity, her diaphragm now separates her heart and lungs from her digestive tract. Her heart beats at its own pace – at between 110 and 160 bpm (beats per minute), it beats much faster than yours – and may accelerate even more as a result of your adrenaline during stressful situations. So try and avoid stress. Easier said than done, but worth a try!

YOUR BODY

From the outside looking in it is probably still not possible for most people to tell by looking at you that there is a baby growing in your belly. Yet there is already a lot more there than you perhaps imagine. So many organs have developed, and many more are still under construction. You may find that you are more tired than you would have thought but it is totally normal – you are fabricating a little human being inside your body!

NUTRITION

The key word of this week – ok, of the pregnancy really – is water.  Remember to drink enough every day. The amount of amniotic fluid, depending on the stage of your pregnancy, is made up of water – so is 80% of your baby!  So she needs water to maintain her liquid mass. You need it too.  Drinking enough water will help your kidneys dispose of all your baby’s waste products in addition to yours. Also, if you’ve been throwing up or it’s been really hot, you need to avoid dehydration. How much is enough? Approximately 1.5 litres of fluid a day, a little more if it's hot. Remember, avoid alcohol and limit tea and coffee as it may get both you and your baby racing.      

TIPS

“I drank a beer when I didn’t know I was pregnant. Have I put the baby in danger?” It’s a common question. Drinking should always be in moderation anyway. If you had a beer or a glass of wine at a barbecue before you realised you were pregnant, you probably haven’t affected the baby. However, it is advisable that you don’t drink alcohol for the rest of your pregnancy. You increase the risk of foetal alcohol syndrome, miscarriage, premature delivery as well as low birth weight.