🤰 First trimester
9 weeks pregnant
Your baby is about the size of a cherry
By Emma Whitfield · Pregnancy & Baby Writer
Your baby at 9 weeks
The embryo is now officially a fetus. The heart has divided into four chambers and tiny muscles are forming, so movements become more frequent (still too small to feel).
Your body at 9 weeks
Symptoms often feel most intense around 9–10 weeks. You may not look pregnant yet but feel it strongly. Mood swings and vivid dreams are common.
Common symptoms this week
- Symptoms often at their most intense
- Mood swings
- Bloating
- Breast growth
Symptom lists are typical, never exhaustive — and having none of them is normal too.
Focus this week
Think about when to tell your employer — you're legally entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments once they know.
Week 9 checklist
- Plan when to tell your employer — you get paid time off for antenatal care once they know
- Keep up folic acid and vitamin D
9 weeks pregnant: common questions
When do I have to tell work I'm pregnant?
Legally, by the 15th week before your due date (around week 25) to protect your maternity leave and pay rights — but telling them earlier unlocks paid time off for antenatal appointments and a workplace risk assessment, so many people tell their manager after the 12-week scan.
How big is my baby at 9 weeks pregnant?
At 9 weeks, your baby is approximately the size of a cherry, about 2.3cm and around 2g. These are approximate averages — every baby grows at its own pace.
What's happening at 9 weeks pregnant?
The embryo is now officially a fetus. The heart has divided into four chambers and tiny muscles are forming, so movements become more frequent (still too small to feel). For you: symptoms often feel most intense around 9–10 weeks. you may not look pregnant yet but feel it strongly. mood swings and vivid dreams are common.
Which trimester is 9 weeks?
9 weeks pregnant is in the first trimester. The first trimester runs to the end of week 12, the second from weeks 13 to 26, and the third from week 27 to birth.
Sources & further reading
This is general information, not medical advice — every pregnancy is different. For anything that worries you, and for all your antenatal care, speak to your midwife or GP. If your baby's movements ever slow down or change, contact your maternity unit immediately, day or night. Reviewed July 2026.