Week 09

Your baby is now as big as a raspberry. As you begin the third month of your pregnancy, you might experience certain early symptoms such as nausea, fatigue or dizziness. Find out how your baby is developing and what to expect in Week 9.

At around 2cm long your baby is able to move around, turn their head, curl their toes and open and close their mouth. Their arms and legs are developing quickly and their fingers are slowly separating. Although not yet functioning, eyelids are forming, ears are growing and tooth buds are continuing to develop.

If you haven’t visited your doctor, now’s a good time to book an appointment to let them know you’re pregnant. All of your baby’s growth and development is fuelled by the oxygen you’re supplying to your baby. If you’re a smoker, the amount of oxygen your baby is getting is reduced as other harmful chemicals contained in the cigarette smoke you’re inhaling take its place. Stopping smoking now will not only improve your health, but it will give your baby the best chance of developing without any health issues.

It’s also important to stick to a healthy diet during pregnancy, which means knowing which foods to eat and which to avoid. Some foods can harm your baby and come with a risk of making you ill.

The following foods could make you ill as they may carry risks of food poisoning:

• Raw or undercooked eggs; that includes any food that are made from them too (such as mayonnaise, certain ice cream and some home-made mousses)
• Rare and undercooked meat, fish and chicken
• Steak tartare, smoked salmon and sushi or foods which contain raw meat and fish

Foods which contain elements that could harm your baby:

• Unpasteurized milk, cheese or yogurt
• Liver or liver products such as pâté both carry a risk of listeria and may contain high levels of vitamin A which can harm your baby.
• Swordfish, marlin and shark can contain mercury which can harm your baby’s developing nervous system and should be avoided. Oily fish such as mackerel, tuna, sardines and trout may also contain small amounts of toxins but these fish also provide a healthy range of nutrients so should be included in your diet in moderate amounts – that’s why you’re advised to limit the consumption of the above to two portions a week.

Learn about foods to avoid in pregnancy >>

Remember, if you’re not sure if something is safe to eat, you can always check with our Careline team by calling 800 6458 6262 (UAE)/ +971 4 420 9489 (Other countries) Saturday to Thursday between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.