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9 to 12 weeks pregnant

Week 9 of pregnancy

The baby's head is still large and the chin has not developed yet. The face is slowly forming. The eyes are bigger and more obvious, and they have some colour (pigment) in them. They have a mouth and a tongue with taste buds.

The hands and feet are developing. Ridges show where the fingers and toes will be, but they not have separated out yet. The major internal organs continue to develop. These include the heart, brain, lungs, kidneys and gut.

At 9 weeks of pregnancy, the embryo has grown to about 22mm long and is about the size of a grape.

What to expect in the first trimester

Week 10 of pregnancy

The ears are starting to develop on the sides of the head. The ear canals are forming inside the head.

The upper lip and 2 tiny nostrils in the nose have developed by now. The jawbones are developing and contain all the milk teeth.

The heart is now fully formed. It beats 180 times a minute - that's 2 to 3 times faster than your own heart.

The elbows can now bend - they are making small movements that you can see on an ultrasound scan. You will not be able to feel these movements yet.

The fingers and toes are becoming more defined.

Week 11 of pregnancy

The bones of the face are formed now. The eyelids are closed and do not open for a few months yet.

The ear buds developing on the sides of the head look more like ears as they grow.

The head makes up one-third of the body's length. The body is growing fast - it's straightening and the fingers and toes are separating. Fingernails have developed at this stage.

The placenta (afterbirth) is rapidly developing.

Week 12 of pregnancy

All the organs, muscles, limbs and bones are in place, and the sex organs are well developed.

It's too early for you to be able to feel movements yet, but the baby will be moving quite a bit.

The skeleton is made of tissue called cartilage. Around this time, this cartilage starts to develop into hard bone.

The baby can suck their thumb now. They're about 61mm long now - roughly the same size as a plum.

Page last reviewed: 30 September 2022
Next review due: 30 September 2025