9th week: The heart beats at its fastest

Weeks and days
8+0 to 8+6
Month
3
Trimester
1

This week, the embryo grows from about 16 to 23 millimeters. The first bones begin to ossify, and the heart approaches its top speed. In Germany, the first basic ultrasound is scheduled from 8+0.

A single dark red cherry lies in an open palm on beige linen
Cherry20 to 28 mm, the size of your baby at the end of the week

Week 9 of 40

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How big is the embryo?

05101520253035 mm7th week4 to 78th week10 to 159th week16 to 2310th week24 to 32Cherry at the same scale

16 to 23 mm

By the end of the week, the embryo is about the size of a cherry. The fingers are formed as rays, and ossification begins in the first bones. Toward the end of the week, the trunk straightens.

Crown-rump length on ultrasound according to Robinson and Fleming. A store-bought cherry usually measures 20 to 28 mm.

This week

Your baby

  • The fingers can be seen as rays, and the bones begin to ossify.
  • The first movements are slow: the head and trunk bend toward each other.
  • Around the 9th and 10th week of pregnancy, the heart beats at its fastest, on average about 170 times per minute.

Your body

  • The median hCG level is 90,084 mIU/ml; 32,065 to 149,571 is normal. More in the hCG levels chart.
  • Nausea is usually at its strongest this week. About 1 in 100 pregnant women has the severe form with heavy vomiting.
  • Your belly hardly grows. For the whole 1st trimester, a weight gain of 0.5 to 2 kg is expected.

What matters now

  • Basic ultrasound in Germany between 8+0 and 11+6. Beforehand, the practice explains the aims and limits of the examination to you.
  • After that, prenatal checkups generally take place every 4 weeks.
  • Healthy pregnant women should get a flu vaccination from the 2nd trimester, and those with a chronic illness should do so now.

Get checked right away: heavy bleeding, severe or persistent abdominal pain, fever, pain when urinating, or vomiting where you cannot keep anything down.

Gestational sacYolk sacEmbryo with heartbeat

On ultrasound

  1. 8+0

    Basic ultrasound: The position in the uterus, heart activity, multiples, and the crown-rump length are documented.

  2. 8+3

    Physiological umbilical hernia can be seen in all embryos from about this point: part of the intestine lies temporarily in the umbilical cord.

  3. 8+6

    Crown-rump length is about 21 to 23 mm at the end of the week.

In these weeks, the umbilical hernia is a normal finding and not an abdominal wall defect. The intestine moves back into the abdomen by about the 12th week of pregnancy.

Frequently asked questions about the 9th week of pregnancy

What can you see on ultrasound in the 9th week of pregnancy?

The embryo with its beating heart, its position in the uterus, and whether there are multiples. The crown-rump length is measured, and the estimated due date is based on it.

Does the risk of miscarriage go down in the 9th week of pregnancy?

Yes. In a study of women without symptoms in whom the heartbeat was visible, it was 1.5 in 100 at 8 completed weeks.

Can you hear the heartbeat in the 9th week of pregnancy?

The heartbeat is seen on ultrasound. Experts use the Doppler, which makes it audible, with caution before 11 weeks because it delivers more energy to a small area.

Which month is the 9th week of pregnancy?

The 3rd month of pregnancy, in the 1st trimester. Figures such as 8+3 weeks also belong to the 9th week of pregnancy.

Sources

Updated on 27 October 2026 · Fertilio Editorial Team