Though you are not opening up about the good news, your clothes may be getting a bit tight and you might start feeling pregnant if you are experiencing morning sickness. At 8 Weeks Pregnant, your fetus grows at a millimeter a day and the detailed facial features are forming.
Check On: Pregnancy Week By Week
Your baby's size is just like a kidney bean, with a length of 1.6 cm and a weight of 20 grams. The pregnancy symptoms at 8 weeks become more disturbing. Get the complete data about Week 8 Pregnancy in the following sections.
- Key Takeaways at Week 8 Pregnancy
- Highlights of Pregnancy at Week 8
- Baby Developments at Week 8 Pregnant
- 8 Weeks Pregnant Signs and Symptoms
- Your Body at Week 8 Pregnancy
- Tips for Week 8 Pregnant
- How should I feel at 8 weeks pregnant?
- What should I avoid at 8 weeks pregnant?
- How can I feel my baby at 8 weeks?
- Where is the baby located at 8 weeks?
Key Takeaways at Week 8 Pregnancy
- Is it your imagination, or is that an itty-bitty baby bump? It might be! You could also be experiencing the consequences of early pregnancy bloating. Either way, you need to size up on your pants!
- Ready for your first prenatal visit? It's important you feel comfortable and supported with your healthcare provider, you are going to be on this journey together for the next few months!
- If you haven't had an early ultrasound yet, it could be happening in the next few days! That sweet pitter-patter sound of a baby's heartbeat will make your heart swell.
Being pregnant is probably finally starting to feel real to you. Like most women, you may have your first prenatal appointment right around now. It's normal to be both excited and nervous.
Learn About: 10 Weeks of Pregnancy
Highlights of Pregnancy at Week 8
Little fingers and toes are forming on your baby's hands and feet. At this stage they are webbed, but as they grow more, the webbing will disappear. Nerves, bones and muscles are developing inside your baby's tiny limbs.
Your breasts may be painful and swollen. If your regular bras are feeling tight, buy a few good maternity bras for support.
It is important to drink enough when you are pregnant, especially if you are losing fluids by vomiting, Aim to have a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day. You might need more if the weather is very hot.
Baby Developments at Week 8 Pregnant
You are two months pregnant at 8 weeks, although doctors generally refer to pregnancy by week instead of month. Here is how the baby developed at week 8 when compared to the last week.
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, the baby's fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed, the lower limb buds are coming in and their feet buds taking on a more webbed-like paddle share. Their embryo tail is gone. So, it means the baby's body is transforming from its early embryo C shape to a straighter, upright appearance.
By now, a baby has formed everything like an adult such as bones, muscles, fingers, toes, and a cute button nose. They even start to get some eye color. The fact is that baby's taste buds are now forming, getting ready for their first meals. It's early, but there is a lot of development happening.
During week 8, the baby is as big as a raspberry and weighs about 0.04 ounces and measures about 0.63 inches. Baby's growth is about a millimeter each day. At the ultrasound, you can see baby's arms, legs, fingers and toes are all becoming more defined, and the baby is less curled up. You can detect nose, upper lips little eyelids and ears.
You might have your first prenatal appointment around this time, and if you do, you may get to catch a glimpse of your 8 week fetus on the ultrasound. You might be surprised to see the baby's arms and legs are moving around like crazy in there.
At your first appointment, you are recommended to take a blood test to detect whether you are Rh positive or negative. Your hormone levels and red and white blood cells are checked. Your blood will also be screened for Hepatitis B, STDs, HIV and certain immunities.
You may also get a pap smear to check for infections and abnormalities. Take a urine test to check signs of a UTI and keep track of protein in your urine if you are at risk of developing preeclampsia.
8 Weeks Pregnant Signs and Symptoms
Your hormones are doing some wild things at week 8, giving you a superhuman-like sense of smell and making your stomach do flip-flops. At 8 weeks pregnant, there are a lot of symptoms you could experience, including:
Nausea could be really strong at 8 weeks, again related to those pregnancy hormones. Stay hydrated and graze on healthy snacks throughout the day. If you are experiencing severe pregnancy nausea, it might be tough to keep food down, let alone eat right, so finding options you can actually stomach is key. Some believe that ginger, Vitamin B6 and acupressure wristbands are helpful with morning sickness.
Your breasts may feel bigger, heavier and sore. That's because milk-producing lobules in your breasts are starting to expand. It's all for a good reason as they are prepping for breastfeeding.
During eight week pregnancy, cramping is normal. That's because the ligaments in your abdomen are stretching as your uterus expands. If your cramps are severe or you are worried in any way, let your doctor know.
The struggle is real to nap at 8 weeks pregnant. As your hormones fluctuate, your body produces more blood for the baby, and your blood pressure and blood sugar levels may be lower than they were pre-pregnancy. Your body is also using more energy to expand the uterus.
The best solution is to get more sleep. We know it sounds easier than it is, but make it your number one priority to get to bed early or to sneak in a nap on the weekends.
Constipation during pregnancy happens to nearly 50% of people. To deal with it, drink lots of water, eat fiber-rich fruits and veggies, also avoid constipating foods like white grains, rice and take lots of walks. If you are still facing the issue, talk to your doctor about remedies.
It can be alarming to find that you are spotting at 8 weeks because, yes, blood can be a sign of miscarriage. But there are some other causes of spotting in the first trimester, including sex.
If you are having vivid and strange dreams, guess what? They are found throughout pregnancy. It's not clear what causes these dreams - it could partly be due to new thoughts and anxieties.
Along with morning sickness comes another funny symptom: an uncanny sense of smell. Catching a whiff of an offensive odor - perhaps something that's totally innocuous or never bothered you before - could trigger nausea, so it's best to try to avoid the smells you have become sensitive to.
Your Body at Week 8 Pregnancy
Showing a bit of a pregnancy belly can be normal, but not showing is also fine. That's because everyone's body is different. Know that inside your 8th week pregnancy belly, your uterus is expanding, but it just takes longer for some to show it on the outside. If you have twins, it may be easier for people to notice that you are pregnant at this point.
Starting in the second trimester, your doctor will likely begin measuring your pregnant belly, but for now, size doesn't matter. Healthy weight gain in the first trimester is about one to five pounds in total.
If you have been sealing with morning sickness though, you may have gained next to nothing - and that's okay too. Diet and eating habits can change a lot in the first trimester to help with nausea, which can lead to an increase or decrease in weight.
Tips for Week 8 Pregnant
You might want to sleep the whole day - especially if you are dealing with nausea. But there are some things you can do to take better care of yourself and baby. Here are some tips to consider.
In the upcoming weeks, you might swing between feeling barfy and feeling like you could eat everything in the fridge. Use the times when you feel hungry to eat nutritious, healthy foods that might be hard for you to swallow when the nausea kicks back in.
Getting outside and taking a 30 minute walk every day is great exercise and helps to manage other pregnancy symptoms. unfortunately, if you are experiencing skin problems like chloasma or melasma, sun exposure can make the dark spots worse. Wear SPF 30+ everyday, plus a hat, to protect your skin and prevent worsening patches.
Because your blood volume has increased, you might start getting headaches. Try resting and drinking more water. If you can't control your headaches without medication, talk to your doctor about taking acetaminophen.
You might still have to pee a lot, and that's normal. Just don't hold it in! You have a higher risk of getting a UTI while pregnant, so make sure you pee when you need to, empty your bladder and wipe carefully to prevent infection.
FAQs on 8 Weeks Pregnant
1. How should I feel at 8 weeks pregnant?
You may feel tired and sick during the 8th week. You could also find yourself peeing more often as your uterus is expanding. If it affects your sleep, try to drink lots of fluids in the day but less in the evenings.
2. What should I avoid at 8 weeks pregnant?
The habits to avoid during pregnancy are smoking, drinking, gaining too much weight, consuming too much caffeine, and eating certain foods like raw or undercooked meat and eggs, raw sprouts, some seafood, and others.
3. How can I feel my baby at 8 weeks?
During week 8 of pregnancy, the fetus is growing rapidly in all directions and started to move. You may experience symptoms like mild pelvic cramping and morning sickness. At this stage, your baby's important organ system continues to grow and the amniotic fluid increases.
4. Where is the baby located at 8 weeks?
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, the baby is still inside its amniotic sac and the placenta is continuing to develop, forming structures that help attach the placenta to the wall of the womb. The fetus still gets its nourishment from the yolk sac.
Final Thought
We are expecting that the details mentioned here regarding 8 weeks pregnant is useful for you. We have provided enough information such as symptoms, baby development, pregnant lady's body, tips and diet plan for 8 weeks. Go to the Pregnancy Week by Week guide to know all the week's details.
Important Tests during pregnancy help check the baby's growth and health, as well as the mother's well-being.
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