Week 9 of pregnancy – what to expect

For impatient dads in waiting such as myself, I’m afraid to report that week 9 of pregnancy was really rather uneventful, based on our experience. From the outside at least, it’s pretty much just business as usual…somewhat of a tumbleweed week if you will.

Russ Thompson via Compfight

Sure her boobs have grown a little larger (I check daily, as I think I’ve mentioned), while the pregnancy cravings and occasional unpredictable mood swings are ever present. But comparatively, it’s all rather dull after the major high of our first ultrasound seven days ago.

I’m assured that a great deal of activity is going on beneath the surface though, as this week we officially passed through the embryonic period and into the foetal stage of our pregnancy, with our little bean’s brain, liver, lungs and kidneys all now beginning to function.  Incredibly, the baby’s still no bigger than my thumb nail though, according to my Man’s guide to baby growth during pregnancy…

But in the real world, time continues to drag on, with each day feeling like a week. Since we’ve decided we won’t tell the world about our news until after our 12 week scan, if not later, the opportunities for celebration are few and far between, as yet.

Meanwhile, as a couple we’re having to weave an ever more tangled web of lies to keep out pregnancy a secret. Every untruth I tell, every plan I cancel and every excuse I make is seemingly met with increasing levels of suspicion. Perhaps it’s just in my imagination, but my fear of revealing our secret is making me a seriously unconvincing liar, resulting in the very raised eyebrows and knowing looks that I’m so desperately trying to avoid.

At least my wife’s morning sickness is, on the most part, becoming a little more manageable, which is great news for her and a relief for me – although she still has some bad days as is the norm at this stage.

We did have a bit of a scare this week after she started experiencing strange pains in her lower abdomen every time she sneezed, sparking concerns that something might be amiss…but we’ve since been assured that these phantom pains are all entirely normal, which is a huge relief (but worth checking with your doctor if you have any concerns).

That reassurance hasn’t stopped her from enlisting the services of a ‘local Chinese doctor’ though, for some ‘essential’ full body massage and targeted acupuncture on more than one occasion…

Most excitingly this week, it seems that she might actually be starting to show! It’s hardly noticeable, so difficult to tell if this tiny bump is really a sign of our growing baby or merely a ‘food baby’, you know, on account of her gargantuan appetite these days.

We’re also preparing to tell our respective parents our news…if I can ever bloody get hold of them?! When did our roles reverse so much that my aged folks were the ones constantly out of the house, enjoying far more active social lives than us?! A terrifying thought, but I digress…I’ll keep you posted next week on how they take the news!

Just 30 weeks left to go…

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s blog. As always, I’d love to hear about your experiences too, so please do share your own stories in the comments section below.

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