9-10 Weeks Pregnant – Symptoms, Body Changes, Bump Update – Pregnancy Diary
After a tumultuous start of my second pregnancy, weeks 9-10 of being pregnant were still a little bit difficult to manage. My symptoms sometimes started to ease, making me immediately wonder if everything was okay.
But after the ultrasound at 8 weeks confirmed a viable pregnancy, I told myself to relax. The baby was doing great! And I couldn’t really do much but have hope it’ll all work out well.
Symptoms
Nausea
The nausea that started appearing after a few weeks of being pregnant was probably at its worst at 9 weeks of pregnancy.
I am probably still very lucky compared to other women, because I never actually got sick. I would just feel nauseated all throughout the day.
The only thing that really helped was to eat frequently. And by that I don’t mean meals, I just needed to snack on saltine crackers. Even right before I went to bed I had to eat a handful of crackers on many days. But that usually immediately eased the nausea.
Some foods and smells made it worse. My husband cooked some sort of fish and I could not stand being anywhere near it. He ate it over two days and I must have told him over 10 times how bad it smelled and to eat it faster.
During week 10 of pregnancy, the nausea somehow started fading a little bit. While feeling relieved, it also made me wonder if that could mean the pregnancy wasn’t lasting. But it did come back here and then and once again confirmed everything was ok.
So as weird as it sounds, I was taking the nausea as a sign that the pregnancy was doing ok and the hormones were still in full swing.
Food cravings
Many pregnant women, especially when experiencing nausea, are not really as hungry. For me, the opposite was true.
Despite the nausea, I was so hungry all the time – much more than I remember from my first pregnancy.
And while I couldn’t care for lots of healthy options in my first pregnancy, this time it was very different.
My cravings included unhealthy options like fast food and and candy which happened last time as well.
At the same time, I was also craving lots of healthy foods. All I wanted to eat was lots of fruit, salads, and protein.
I was glad that I was able to eat such a variety of foods, and also indulged in the occasional burger, chips and chocolate.
The most important aspect for me when it comes to food cravings in pregnancy is to give in – in moderation. And this approach has worked well so far to keep my diet balanced, ensuring I’m getting all my nutrients.
Fatigue
The dreaded pregnancy fatigue fully hit me at 9-10 weeks pregnant. Whenever my daughter went down for her afternoon nap, so did I.
I could not keep my eyes open. After 10:30am I felt so tired for the rest of the day that I had a hard time keeping my daughter entertained or taking her on play dates.
Being pregnant while taking care of a toddler all day is definitely more exhausting than I imagined. And I was glad I was able to take naps and rest for a little bit when the schedule allowed it.
Body Changes & Bump Update
A 9-10 weeks pregnant, I noticed my belly at nighttime feeling and looking quite a bit bloated. In the morning and during the day, you could still not tell I am pregnant.
I still did fit into most of my regular pants, even though they were getting tight.
I also noticed my hips were starting to get wider. The same thing happened early on in my first pregnancy.
It’s not my favorite part, because I already had a feminine figure beforehand, and my hips never went back to their narrower pre-baby width. So noticing them getting even wider was a little difficult for me. But of course I know my body will do what it needs to to bring this baby into this world.
At 9 weeks pregnant, I also started adapting my workout routine. I was still only doing very moderate exercise at home due to the recovery from my knee surgery, besides my physical therapy.
But even though I followed a pregnancy specific workout routine, I noticed my abs already started separating again. I wasn’t afraid of this, as I remember this from my first pregnancy. This time around it just happened much sooner.
Bump Update
The bump was still not there at 9-10 weeks pregnant, but my midsection was definitely starting to fill in.
My ab definition started disappearing and everything started feeling softer.
With my first pregnancy, it took a while for my baby bump to show up.
I thought this time around might be much earlier, but at 10 weeks it did not look like a bump at all yet.
According to my OBGYN, I have a backward tilted uterus, which could explain why I started showing later in my first pregnancy and might also show later this time around.
But she assured me once it has grown enough to sit upright and fill in the midsection, I will start showing in no time, and I can’t wait!