What’s happening to the mother in week 9 to 12?
Your hormones are changing, and both thoughts and feelings can fluctuate greatly. You may feel anything from great joy to worry and grief. It is not uncommon to worry about having a miscarriage, your relationship with your partner, changes to your body, or your work and life situation.
The mucous membranes are also more fragile than usual. This may result in some bleeding from the gums when you brush your teeth, nosebleeds or minor bleeding from your vagina during sexual intercourse. This isn’t dangerous.
Your womb is continuing to grow, but it is still positioned safely down in the pelvis. Your pregnancy will therefore not necessarily be apparent to anyone else. If you have been pregnant before, your stomach may become visible earlier.
If you have experienced gestational nausea, you might find that this issue gradually disappears during this period. A few women are still nauseous after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Development of the fetus
The embryo is usually about 3 cm long and weighs about 4 grams.
During this period, the head gradually becomes rounder and can be around the same size as the rest of the body. The eyes, which were previously located on either side of the head, are starting to move towards the correct location on the face. Structures for the ears develop and the outer ear begins to form. The arms and legs continue to grow and the feet are approximately two millimetres long.