Pregnancy Guide: What You Need to Know at 8 Weeks Pregnant

Fatigue, swelling breasts, and a heightened sense of smell… so many changes, both welcome and unwelcome, are happening to your body when you’re 8 weeks pregnant. And you may not feel it, but your active baby is also undergoing major changes.

8 Weeks Pregnant is How Many Months?

If you’re eight weeks pregnant, that means you’re about two months into your pregnancy. That means you only have 7 months left to go!

If you’ve been waiting for the big moment, congratulations! You’re almost through the first trimester and can now breathe a little easier than before. Things are going to start getting real in a few weeks, so get ready for what’s coming next.

Week 8 of Pregnancy: Baby

This week your baby, who is now in their last week as an embryo, is growing from 1.6cm to 2.2 cm while gaining mass from 1.6g to 1.8g. That’s about the size of a Bengal currant or a red kidney bean.

The eyes are still fused shut, but they will begin to open soon. The arms and legs are developing into arms and legs (finally!) and they’ll start to look more like limbs soon. The outer layer of skin is also starting to form, which will give the baby its first protection against the outside world.

The lungs are still developing, so it’s too early for anyone to breathe independently just yet—but they’re getting there!

Baby’s Development

In this week-by-week pregnancy guide, you’ll learn that:

• Although you are still a while away from feeling your baby’s movements, they are pretty active and can do a lot now, including flexing their wrists.
• Facial features are becoming more defined, and the ears, upper lip, and the tip of the nose are quite visible.
• Emerging fingers and toes are now only slightly webbed.
• Your baby’s respiratory system is forming, with breathing tubes now extending from your baby’s throat to the branches of their lungs.
• Although still pretty tiny, your baby is beginning to form tastebuds.
• Your baby’s tadpole-like tail is beginning to disappear at pregnancy week 8.

Baby’s Growth

It’s week 8 of pregnancy, and your little bean is starting to get a bit more complex in its development. It’s growing a lot now—about half an inch by this point! You might notice some changes in your body, too. 

Being 8 weeks pregnant is a big milestone. It’s the first time that your baby has reached the “fetal pole” stage, meaning that it now has a head, torso and limbs, but isn’t yet recognisable as a human being. Your baby’s head is still very large compared to the rest of its body, but that’s normal for now.

The brain and spinal cord are developing into the central nervous system, which will allow your baby to feel, think, and react to stimuli. The heart is beating in sync with its mother’s heartbeat, pumping blood through tiny arteries. The lungs are developing as well, though they’re still too small for taking a breath on their own.

Baby’s Hearing

Your baby’s hearing is developing during week 8 of pregnancy. Your baby’s hearing is not fully developed yet, but he’s starting to become aware of the sounds around him—and that includes your voice! You can start talking to him now, and he’ll be able to recognise your voice by the time he’s born.

Baby’s Teeth

Your baby’s teeth are developing inside the uterus, and you may be wondering how that happens.

The development of teeth begins early in pregnancy, but you won’t start to notice them at 8 weeks pregnant. The baby’s mouth is actually made up of a series of tiny buds (called dental laminae) that will eventually become teeth. As these buds grow and develop, they begin to fuse together to form tooth buds. 

Baby’s Movement

Baby’s movements are likely to be more frequent and regular at this point in your pregnancy. If you’re not feeling them yet, don’t worry—you’ll get the hang of it soon enough! At 8 weeks pregnant, your baby will continue to grow, developing their brain and central nervous system, eyes, ears and nose, as well as their arms and legs.

8 Weeks Pregnant: Your Body

Image Source: iStock

Your baby is still growing and developing at a rapid pace at 8 weeks pregnant, but your body is also changing at an equally fast rate.

The organs that played such a vital role in carrying out your daily life are now taking on new responsibilities. You are now producing enough blood to sustain two and a half people, and your liver is working overtime processing all of the nutrients needed by your growing foetus.

The placenta has been working hard to establish itself as the connection between you and your baby, and it continues to grow this week. 

The uterus has also begun to expand at 8 weeks pregnant, which means that even though you may not feel any different yet, some women will notice a slight increase in their waistline or abdomen size by now!

8 Weeks Pregnant Symptoms

What should I feel at 8 weeks pregnant? Does an 8 weeks pregnant bump exist? Here are some pregnancy signs you can expect this week:

• The hormones in your body have likely heightened your sense of smell. You are perhaps finding that most smells are causing a strong sense of aversion.
• While other parts of your body may not yet be showing signs of pregnancy, your breasts most certainly are! They are bigger and heavier because the milk-producing lobules in your breasts have started to expand.
• You are perhaps still feeling fatigued and nauseated. Morning sickness is still in progress. Hopefully, it will subside in a few weeks.
• You’re starting to feel early pregnancy cramps. The ligaments in your abdomen are stretching because your uterus is expanding. Make sure to take note of this and inform your doctor right away if the pain gets too severe.
• You’re experiencing tummy issues. This is quite common and you should not be overly worried about indigestion, constipation, bloating, or even heartburn troubles. But do take care. If you find them bothersome, call your doctor.
• Another thing that is happening is that the amount of blood circulating in your body is also steadily increasing. At the end of your pregnancy, you will probably have an extra litre and a half of blood in your body.
• Headaches are also common due to increased blood flow and fatigue. You might find that cutting back on caffeine and getting tons of rest may help relieve the pain.
• If it hasn’t yet, you will start to show around the belly area. It may be even more difficult to hide this bump after a couple of weeks.

pregnancy cramps

How quickly can early pregnancy symptoms start

Early pregnancy symptoms can start as early as one week after conception, but it is more typical for them to start between 4 and 6 weeks after conception. If you are worried about whether you are pregnant, you should take a pregnancy test.

Maternal Weight Gain

At 8 weeks pregnant, if you’re feeling a little tired, it’s probably because this is when most women start gaining weight. This is because your body has been busy growing the placenta and filling it with nutrients for your baby, which means you’ve already been eating more than usual.

The recommended amount of weight gain during pregnancy varies depending on whether you’re pregnant with one baby or multiple babies.

If this is your first pregnancy, the recommended amount of weight gain for an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy is 25 to 35 pounds. If this is not your first pregnancy (and/or if there are complications), the recommended amount of weight gain for an uncomplicated twin pregnancy is 31 to 40 pounds.

The recommended amount of weight gain for an uncomplicated triplet or higher order multiple gestation pregnancy is 37 to 54 pounds.

If you’re in good health and eating a healthy diet, the weight should come off naturally after delivery. If you’re trying to lose weight while pregnant, talk to your doctor first.

Nutrition

As you approach the end of your eighth week of pregnancy, it’s time to get serious about your nutrition. If you’ve been eating whatever you want up until now, it’s time to start thinking about what you’re putting into your body.

A good place to start is by talking with your doctor or midwife about the type of diet that would be best for you and your baby during this crucial stage of development. Your doctor will likely recommend a prenatal vitamin, which will help ensure that both you and your baby get all of the nutrients they need.

If you’ve been eating healthy foods up until now, that’s great! If not… don’t worry—you can still turn things around! Just try adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet and cutting out processed foods. You may also want to consider taking a multivitamin with iron if your doctor recommends it.

8 Weeks Pregnant Ultrasound

At your 8-week ultrasound, here’s what we’ll be looking at:

1) Your baby’s size and shape

2) The number of babies in your womb

3) Their heartbeats

4) How well they are developing

Why Is the First Trimester So Hard?

The first trimester is hard because you’re in the process of getting pregnant. 8 weeks pregnant is a very exciting time, but it can also be scary and uncomfortable. You’re trying to get your body ready for pregnancy.

Your body is going through a lot of changes, including:

• Your blood flow is changing. This means that you might have more or less bleeding than normal.
• Your hormones are changing. This can cause you to feel emotional and/or nauseous.
• Your breasts are growing and need extra care. You may want to wear a supportive bra or breast pad during this time, especially if you’re breastfeeding.

It’s normal for these symptoms to go away after the first trimester—but if they don’t, talk with your doctor about what’s going on and what kind of treatment options are available for you.

Pregnancy Care: Your Checklist at 8 Weeks Pregnant

• Even though your appetite may be limited, you should eat right and eat healthily at 8 weeks pregnant. With the baby growing at such speed, both of you need all the nutrients you can get.
• One of the most important takeaways in this week-by-week pregnancy guide is to get enough calcium. You might want to start drinking milk. And remember to take Vitamin D as well.
• At 8 weeks pregnant, get started on looking into infant care as early as now, especially because there is a long waiting list.
• If you’ve always been exercising, you can still do so but try to slow your pace down or at least consult with your doctor first on which exercises are advisable for mums-to-be. We hear prenatal yoga can do wonders! 
• You might have had to postpone or cancel some travel plans because of acute fatigue and nausea, so here is something that you can do to cheer yourself up: start planning your babymoon well in advance.

Your next week: 9 weeks pregnant

Your previous week: 7 weeks pregnant 

Updates by Pheona Ilagan

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