I’m now out of week 9 and halfway through week 10, but let me recap what happened during week 9 of pregnancy. Spoiler alert: it involved a lot of bloating, very little sleep, and eating pizza at ridiculous hours of the night.
The Rollercoaster of Week 9
On the first day of the 9th week of my pregnancy, I felt pretty decent and even managed to work out. Sadly, that was short-lived and on Saturday night I started to feel pretty horrific and spend another night on the sofa trying to stop myself from throwing up. Sunday was an awful day and I spent it mostly in bed.
The Worst Day of Week 9
Monday and Tuesday were a bit of a blur of feeling absolutely dreadful. But Wednesday? Wednesday was genuinely one of the worst days of the entire pregnancy so far. It was constant, intense nausea all day long with no let-up whatsoever. My face was burning up so much that I needed to keep an ice pack pressed against it just to cope. I don’t know if the hot face was a pregnancy symptom or just the nausea making me feel feverish, but it was horrible.
I had some work to do from home, and I really struggled to concentrate or function at all. At one point, I actually fell asleep during a Teams call! Thankfully, both my camera and microphone were off, so nobody knew. Can you imagine if they’d been on? “Sorry, I wasn’t ignoring your presentation, I was unconscious from pregnancy exhaustion!” After weeks and weeks of feeling this rough, I was beyond fed up. The relentless nature of first-trimester nausea is so demoralising.
I am eating so much because as soon as I get hungry I feel worse, but what I can eat is limited because so many things put me off.
Why Pizza Became My Saviour
We ordered pizza on one of the particularly bad days, and honestly? I felt better after eating it than I had in days. Pizza became my go-to food during week 9 because it ticked all the boxes: it’s easy to eat when you feel sick, it doesn’t have an overwhelming smell like some foods, and it’s filling enough to keep the hunger-nausea at bay for several hours. The relief of not having to think about food again for a few hours was enormous.
Sleeping 5 Hours a Night: The Fear of Waking Up Hungry
I’ve been averaging about 5 hours of sleep a night, which sounds awful, but there’s actually a reason for it. I’m genuinely afraid to sleep longer because I know I’ll wake up absolutely starving, and waking up hungry in the middle of the night whilst pregnant means instant, overwhelming nausea. So instead, I set alarms and force myself to wake up every few hours to eat something, even if it’s just crackers. I doze during the day when I can, but I don’t properly sleep. It’s this bizarre, frustrating cycle of feeling exhausted but forcing myself to stay awake enough to snack at ridiculous hours like 1am. My sleep schedule is completely destroyed, but it’s the only way to manage the sickness.
Pregnancy Bloating at 9 Weeks
I’ve had really severe pregnancy bloating at 9 weeks, as you can see in the photo above. I genuinely look about 4-5 months pregnant when it’s actually just gas and bloating! There’s no actual baby bump yet – this is purely my digestive system going haywire. I had absolutely no idea this was such a common early pregnancy symptom until I started experiencing it myself. It’s painful and uncomfortable, making my jeans unwearable and even maternity clothes feel tight by the end of the day. But honestly? As bad as the bloating is, it’s still not as awful as the constant nausea. The frustrating thing is that the size of my stomach varies massively throughout the day. In the morning, it’s relatively flat, then by evening I look heavily pregnant. I’m desperate to have an actual baby bump soon for reassurance that my belly is genuinely growing with the baby, not just with trapped wind!
No More Bleeding – A Silver Lining
Nothing else major this week. Just a slave to the morning sickness like normal. No more bleeding which is FANTASTIC.
Final Thoughts
Week 9 of pregnancy was tough. The bloating made me look pregnant when I wasn’t showing yet, the nausea was still relentless, and I was surviving on about 5 hours of sleep a night. The bizarre eating schedule of waking up at 1am for pizza was my new normal.
But there was one bright spot: no more bleeding! After the scares at 6 and 7 weeks, having a week with no blood was such a relief. Small wins, right?
If you’re at 9 weeks and feeling similarly rough, please know you’re not alone. The first trimester is genuinely brutal, but we’re nearly at the end of it now. Just a few more weeks until that magical 12-week mark when things supposedly get better!
Frequently Asked Questions: 9 Weeks Pregnant
Is severe bloating normal at 9 weeks pregnant?
Yes, extremely! Bloating is one of the most common early pregnancy symptoms. The hormone progesterone slows down your digestive system, causing gas and bloating. I looked about 4 months pregnant at 9 weeks purely from bloating – no actual bump yet. It usually improves in the second trimester.
Why can’t I sleep properly at 9 weeks pregnant?
Sleep disruption is very common in early pregnancy. I was only sleeping 5 hours a night because I had to wake up regularly to eat and prevent the hunger-nausea cycle. Pregnancy insomnia, frequent urination, and discomfort all contribute to poor sleep in the first trimester.
What foods help with morning sickness at 9 weeks?
Everyone’s different, but pizza was a lifesaver for me at 9 weeks. It was easy to eat, didn’t smell offensive, and kept me full for hours. Generally, bland, carby foods work best – bread, pasta, crackers, chips. Eat whatever you can tolerate!
When does morning sickness peak?
Morning sickness typically peaks between weeks 8-10 when hCG levels are highest. Week 9 was still pretty brutal for me, with constant intense nausea. For most women, it starts to ease around week 12-14, though some experience it throughout pregnancy.
Is it normal to fall asleep randomly in early pregnancy?
Yes! I fell asleep on a work Teams call (thankfully camera off!). The exhaustion in early pregnancy is overwhelming. Your body is working incredibly hard growing a placenta and baby, which requires massive amounts of energy. First trimester fatigue is very real.
Other pregnancy updates:
Pregnancy Diary – 6 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary – 7 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary – 8 Weeks Pregnant
Pregnancy Diary – 9 Weeks Pregnant
Pregnancy Diary – 10 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary – 11 & 12 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 13 & 14 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 15 & 16 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 17 & 18 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 19 & 20 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 21 & 22 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 23 & 24 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 25 & 26 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 27 & 28 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 29 & 30 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 31 & 32 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 33 & 34 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 35 & 36 weeks pregnant
Pregnancy Diary: 37 & 38 weeks pregnant
Congratulations! Sorry I haven’t been around for a while on your blog and so I missed your announcement, but I’m really happy for you! 🙂
It’s such an exciting time but that first trimester is rough! I used to have a bin next to my desk at work for every time the queasiness got too much, ha! It does pass though and you will start feeling more human again, thankfully! 🙂
Hope you are having a lovely weekend! We had a (small due to restrictions) party for my son’s birthday yesterday, it was really fun 🙂