8 Weeks Pregnant

Your baby has hands and feet, and his bones are growing. During the 8th week of pregnancy, your baby starts to make tiny movements. You won’t be aware of this, but it’s exciting to think about. On the downside, you could be in the throes of nausea and sickness. However, many women find that the nausea starts to lessen from now on. There are various self-help measures you can take to relieve the sickness, but if it’s making life miserable, talk to your doctor or midwife.

Embryo at 8 Weeks Pregnancy

1.The yolk sac shrinks further and soon will not be needed.

2.The eyes , which until now have been on the side of the baby’s head, have migrated around to the front.

3.The embryo now measures 2.3cm from crown to rump.

4.The outer ears are starting to take shape.

5.Elbows are now able to move.

6.The toes are less advanced than the fingers and still appear bud-like.

7.Your uterus is growing to accommodate the baby and now starts to tilt upwards.

8.The major organs of the baby’s digestive system have all started to develop but are not ready to carry out any digestive functions.

9.Individual fingers are distinct, but are still not totally separate.

10.Chorionic villi continue to branch as the placenta matures and so that it can fulfill all your baby’s needs.

11.The baby’s head is still bowed over the bulge of his stomach.

From beginning to move around to developing his muscles, at the onset of your third month, your baby is going to be the size of a green olive.

8 weeks pregnant symptoms

Following symptoms for 8 weeks pregnancy:

• sore or tender breasts

• fatigue

• morning sickness

• minimal weight gain

• nausea & vomiting

• Heartburn

• Bloating

• constipation

• frequent urination

• Food cravings

• difficulty in sleeping

Your Baby’s Development When You are 8 Weeks Pregnant

It is indeed hard to believe but your baby’s embryonic stage is about to end and she would soon be developing into a fetus. How incredible is that?

In this 8th week, your baby is now an inch long and weighs just about a fraction of an ounce. While looking more and more human, your baby is developing his or her fine body parts, which are slowly but gradually going to fine tune in the coming months.

Your baby’s head has pretty much developed and his or her toes are now visible. His or her heart now has four proper chambers, while now the valves start to form. So do your baby’s tiny teeth. In this week, your fetus is making rapid movements of his or her arms and legs with the miniscule muscles in them continuously developing. But having said that, do note that you wouldn’t be feeling those dancing hands and legs for the next one to two months.

Your kid’s embryonic ‘tail’ is totally gone now and his or other muscles, such as nerves, organs and muscles are beginning to come into gear. The external sex organs are also there but won’t be visible as of now, or for that matter for another few weeks.  His eyes have been fully formed by this stage, but they are going to be shut for now and will not open until another 27 weeks. Though he or she still has tiny earlobes, nose, nostrils and mouth.

As far as placenta is concerned, it is pretty much developed now and will soon be taking on all the responsibilities of building and producing critical hormones. All in all, now that your tiny loves’ little physiology is in place, she would soon be poised for rapid weight and shape gain.

By this week, your baby’s skeleton is going to soon harden, accompanied with the hardening to the bones (ossification) on setting the formation of cartilage. His or her nipples and hair follicles are going to form, so are his or her intestinal system parts such as bile ducts, pancreas, anus and gallbladder.

Your baby’s heartbeat can now be audible in ultrasound. While developing fast enough, the heart has now grown large to produce audible heartbeats. The ultrasound is going to amplify that lub-dub sound resonating aloud. Hiding or one can safely say tucked away in the corner of your uterus, your baby’s back is facing out. Soon, in a few weeks’ time, you will surely be able to listen to the miraculous sound of your baby’s heartbeat – a pure miraculous pleasure this would feel!

Baby size

Your baby is about the size of a kidney bean which is almost ¾ of an inch. And, weighs only 0.04 ounces.

Changes in Body

Apart from your thickening waist, you might not be able to look pretty much pregnant. But, you surely feel pregnant by all means. As of now morning sickness, and other known pregnancy symptoms, are going to be in full force, however you might not be feeling ‘that’ emotional by now.

Intertwined with many types of mood swings, now for a pregnant mother it is perfectly normal to feel joyous and terrified at the same time. Everything being a part and parcel of being a to-be parent, you see! Most women would find that the moodiness lingers on till about 6 to 10 weeks of pregnancy, easing only by the second trimesters, and reappearing as soon as the pregnancy comes to a close.

By the 9th week of being pregnant, you might also feel extremely tired. Your clothes will begin to feel tight, especially around the waist and you would be busting out from the upper part of your body. And yes, you are still running to the washroom about 100 times in a day, either to pee or to throw up. But that is just not the end – as by now you will feel immense fatigue to even lift your head off your pillow in the morning. At this stage, you cannot just wait to hit your sack at night and just sleep all your fatigue out!

Understand that making a baby is indeed a hard and laborious work. Your body is working hard in an overtime fashion as it is busy developing placenta, your baby’s support system and lifeline. What adds to this is how your body’s metabolism and hormone levels have spiked up significantly, which leads to a decrease in blood pressure and blood sugar – a perfect recipe for encountering fatigue. You will continue to have an increase in your breasts as the milk glands swell up. The skin around your nipple is going to enlarge and darken. Breast soreness and fullness is normal, hence shopping for a supportive and comfortable bra is a must.

The biggest news to hook on to now is that your relief is just around your corner and your energy level is soon going to kick up over the next few weeks, i.e. as and when the placenta construction is finished off in the second trimester. The bad news is here that tiredness is likely to show its face again in the third trimester as the demands of a larger fetus increases.

It is wonderful to see amidst all this, your body is continuing to change, protect and nourish your developing baby. Your hormone production is going to boost up, which needs to be relieved through both nourishment and active lifestyle activities.

Nutrition for 8 Weeks Pregnant 

• Snack smart: While dealing continuously with vomiting and nausea, it is important to treat your first trimester appetite intelligently. Be well informed about the fact that you are going to face a big turnoff by consuming big-sized meals. Start eating mini-meals, which will keep your tummy decently filled while keeping that queasy stomach at bay. Eat foods your stomach finds less offensive and opt for healthy options in the form of juicy seasonal fruits, oatmeal biscuits, dry fruits, whole grain crackers, poha, khakara and so on.

• Drink ginger tea: Don’t forget to indulge in some ginger lemon tea as it will help in soothing your protesting stomach easily. You can also add in honey or ale to relieve you from that morning sickness feeling. Whenever you can’t prepare a tea and don’t want to consume anything hot, then try chewing it on a small piece of fresh or dried ginger as and when you feel nauseous. 

• Sniff on citrus or mints: Sniff on some fresh coriander, mints, limes, oranges or lemons, which will work greatly in relieving your teased-up stomach. You can also infuse lemons or mint to room temperature or slightly cold water as a healthy pregnancy drinking option.

• Do not worry about eating for two: You have to understand that eating for two isn’t a very recommended way of dealing with your pregnancy. You will need a minimum of 300-400 calories extra in your first trimester. You might need more or less calories depending upon your health, whether you are underweight or overweight, or when you are carrying more than one baby.

• Satiate your tangy taste: From aam panna to homemade jal jeera, lemonade, tomato soup and lime tea are great options to curb and feed the tangy requirements.

Nutrition for Baby

• B Vitamins are important during pregnancy: Vitamin B6 is a great way to use the stored up energy from your food, while also producing red blood cells. Brown rice, lean meats, fish, avocados, corn and nuts are great sources of Vitamin B6. Lack of it can make you anemic and might even damage your nervous system. If you are vegan, then make sure to include soy milk, breakfast cereal and yeast extract in your diet as they are fortified with Vitamin B12.

• Magnesium should be your magic medicine: Magnesium helps in properly growing your baby’s bones while building the muscle health of your baby and your own uterus. Dried fruits, such as raisins, figs, melon seeds, sunflower seeds, whole grains, soybeans, green leafy vegetables and dairy products are packed with magnesium.

• Exercise regularly: Exercising during pregnancy is a great way to support your good metabolism, increased fatigue, the constant feeling of being bloated and swollen up, backaches, along with helping you get back to your pre-pregnancy shape sooner, dialing up your energy levels, and adjusting to a new center of gravity.

A list of things to avoid for your baby’s nutrition sake:

• Vigorous activities or exercises that might put pressure on your stomach.

• Ditch alcohol, smoking or sniffing on any sort of illegal drugs.

• Herbal sweeteners or saccharine.

• Over-the-counter medications as when you feel a slight cough, fever or cold.

• Also keep yourself away from chemicals and fumes from paints, cleaning products and solvents.

• Chemical treatments for your hair, such as dying, perms or straightening your hair permanently.

Common Worries At 8 Weeks Pregnancy

• Getting sick constantly: If you are undergoing a constant wave of nausea, vomiting or queasiness in your stomach, then you should be totally talking it out with your doctor. Figure out what exactly you would want in your life right now. Maybe you just want compassion, a time off from your fixed schedule of work or a mini vacation – discover what you want and you are bound to feel better by the end of the third month.

• How much work is too much at the office? For your baby, and for your very own sake, try and come back early from the office. Make sure you are talking out about your current health condition with your bosses as it will help in facilitating a positive and healthy workplace culture. But be rest assured that your workplace authorities will handle this news professionally as it’ll help in creating a healthy and less stressful work atmosphere. If you think your boss is not going to be quite elated about it and won’t take it in his or her stride professionally, then you will have to wait until you start showing you are pregnant. You might also want to talk around with other ladies who have been pregnant at work, and ask them about how they were treated. Just be aware about your legal rights and be rest assured that you can’t be discriminated against for being pregnant.

• Battle fatigue effectively: You can do so by taking ample amounts of sleep. After all, racing between the bathroom at midnight to pee cannot be a very satisfying sleep feeling. Cater to your body’s ever-rising need for rest and turn away from computer, TV or magazine early on and linger in bed for longer.

• Extra sensitive breasts: You might also feel an increased blood flow to your beasts adding to the largeness of your breasts by a size. Your breasts might become ultra-sensitive by making you really uncomfortable, especially at night. Wear a comfortable sports bra at night or apply warm or cold compresses to minimize the discomfort.

• Indigestion and bloating: Need a quick way to banish your content feeling of heartburn? Try chewing on some sugarless gum or chewing on some sugarcane for soothing effects. This is helpful as chewing increases saliva and neutralizes the acid in your stomach. You might also encounter a sudden explosion of gas that can be tackled by consuming a small quantity of meals after every few hours. Make sure to not overload your digestive system with large meals.

What do the Experts Suggest for 8 Weeks Pregnant?

“This is the third month of pregnancy, where your baby is beginning to move around.  At this week, women may deal with severe mood swings, irritation, aches & pains, bloating, fatigue, headache, and flatulence.  Morning sickness is also a common symptom that a woman may experience during this stage. At this point, a problem of flatulence is faced by most women so it is advisable to avoid drinking carbonated drinks and consuming fried food. Eating small, frequent meals can help regulate blood sugar. Try to eat food with less amount of carbohydrates.”

Dr.Sadhna Singhal, Sr consultant in Obs & Gynae at Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, New Delhi

Seasonal Pregnancy Care

• Summer–Maternity clothes have come a long way nowadays and should be whole-heartedly opted for. Be it cute summer dresses, irresistible skirts or classy dresses, buy clothes that cool you off by making you look and feel great.

• Monsoon –Keep your skin hydrated at all times and bathe daily to fight high humidity levels in monsoon. Apply homemade creams, rose water and soothing oils and lotions on areas where you might feel you are getting stretch marks.

• Winter – Eat a fruit-rich diet as it helps in developing a robust immunity level. Keep yourself hydrated enough by drinking healthy liquids, such as water, homemade soups, and green teas. Stay away from drinking too much coffee, black teas or aerated drinks.